Name & Purpose Hagoo is a laughter-resistance game. Two teams face each other in lines. Players take turns walking past the opposing team, trying not to smile while the opposition does everything they can β short of touching β to crack them up. The game builds composure, silliness, and team spirit. No physical elimination β smiling just means switching sides.
a.k.a. The Gauntlet of Grins | Straight Face Run
Age Band / Group Size / Time / Space Ages 8β16 | 10β40 players | 10β20 minutes | Flat open space with two parallel lines about 6 feet apart and at least 15 feet long (grass, gym floor, paved area)
Materials
- None required
- Optional: chalk or rope to mark the two lines
Quick-Run Card Split into two equal teams. Each team stands in a line facing the other, about 6 feet apart β this creates a walking aisle between them. The player at the far-left end of each line steps forward. They bow to each other and both call “Hagoo!” They then walk toward each other and past each other down the aisle. While they walk, their own team tries to make the other team’s walker laugh using faces, sounds, and silly moves β no touching, no props. If a walker smiles or laughs, they join the other team. Then the next pair goes. Play until one team remains β or call time and count team sizes.
Setup & Boundaries
- Divide the group into two equal teams. If numbers are uneven, one player can run twice.
- Teams stand in two parallel lines facing each other, 6 feet apart.
- Mark the lines with chalk or rope if needed.
- Establish the aisle β only the walking players step into it.
- Remind both teams: no touching the walker, no props, no blocking the path. Words, faces, sounds, and body movements only.
- The player at the far end of each line is first up. Both step forward, bow, and call “Hagoo!” together.
How to Play
- The two players bow, call “Hagoo!” and begin walking toward each other and then past each other.
- As they walk through the aisle, their own teams do their best to make the other walker laugh.
- Each walker keeps moving β they do not stop in the middle.
- If a walker smiles or laughs, they walk to the end of the opposite team’s line and join that team.
- If a walker reaches the end without cracking, they rejoin the back of their own team’s line.
- The next pair at the front of each line steps up. Bow. “Hagoo!” Walk.
- Keep going until one team has everyone, or set a time limit and compare team sizes.
- Optional: run a final “champion round” with the last remaining straight-faces from each side.
I-OPt Roles Run at least three simultaneously:
- Walker (rotating, one per team per round): Walk the aisle. Keep your face neutral. Do not look at your own team β eyes forward or on the opposing walker.
- Crowd Performer (all line players): Make faces, sounds, and silly moves to break the opposing walker’s composure. No touching. No props. Stay on your line.
- Line Anchor (ends of each line, rotating): Watch for the next player up. Keep your line orderly. Call “next!” when the current walker passes.
- Referee (counsellor or designated player): Watches both walkers. Calls smiles clearly and without drama β “Team B, you’ve got a new member!” Keeps pace moving.
Inclusion Supports
- Players who do not wish to walk the aisle can stay as line performers for the full game β still full participants.
- Players with anxiety about being the centre of attention: pair them so two players from the same team walk together β they only need to resist the crowd, not go alone.
- Players with facial differences or conditions affecting facial expression: the counsellor privately agrees with them that they will self-declare if they feel they laughed. Remove any judging pressure.
- Neurodiverse players who may laugh or smile consistently: offer the role of Referee or Line Anchor as equally valued roles.
Stewardship Action: After the game, the two teams combine to reset the space β push any moved markers back into position and check the ground for debris. Reflection (30 seconds): “What was the hardest part of keeping a straight face? What made you almost crack?”
Consent Pre-brief: “This game involves people trying to make you laugh. That’s the whole point β it’s meant to be silly and fun. If you’d rather not walk the aisle, you are fully part of this game as a performer on the line.” Mid-game check-in: After 4β5 rounds, scan the group. If anyone looks uncomfortable or disengaged, quietly offer the Referee role. Opt-out / re-entry: Any walker can wave off their turn and nominate the next player in line. They stay on the line as a performer and can walk in a later round if they choose.
Risks & Mitigation
| Risk | Likelihood | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Players use mean-spirited “jokes” about the walker | LowβMedium | Pre-brief: funny faces and sounds only β nothing personal, nothing about anyone’s body or background |
| Walkers feel put on the spot and anxious | Medium | Normalise the duo-walker option; frame the smile as winning for the other team, not losing personally |
| Game drags when teams become very uneven | Low | Call time at 15 minutes; end with a count rather than elimination of the last player |
| Players block or crowd the aisle | Low | Mark the aisle clearly; Referee keeps performers behind the line |
| Noise becomes uncontrolled in indoor space | Medium | Set a volume ceiling before starting; use hand signal to reduce noise if needed |
Warm-Up Suggestions
- Straight Face Circle: Stand in a circle. Go around and each player must say their own name completely deadpan. Others try not to laugh. Low stakes, same mechanic.
- Mirror Faces: In pairs, one player makes a silly face β the other copies it exactly, trying not to crack. 60 seconds. Switch.
Debrief What? “What strategies did the best walkers use to keep a straight face?” So what? “What does it feel like to stay calm when people around you are doing everything to break your focus?” Now what? “Where at camp β or at school β might you need that same ability to stay composed when things around you are chaotic?”
Cleanup & Reset
- Remove any chalk or rope boundary markers.
- Have both teams stand together for the debrief β no lingering team divisions.
- Check the area for personal items.
