Ten Best Game Changer Episodes on Dropout Ranked

Season 8 of Dropout’s flagship show Game Changer ends next week. Host Sam Reich spends plenty of time torturing his contestants with chaotic rules, but a profound sincerity lives at the heart of the series. For instance, the season 7 episode “Who Wants to Be Jacob Wysocki?” featured the grieving comedian’s friends coming together to celebrate him.

Before season 8 wraps up, looking back at the best episodes of Game Changer reveals what makes the series work. With 71 episodes released so far, picking 10 favorites requires extensive rewatching. The selection below balances the show’s chaos, sincerity, comedy, and strong game design.

10. Whodunnit

Season 1, episode 4

Early seasons of the show offered up greats like “Lie Detector” and “Make Some Noise.” Episode 4 delivers a fun murder mystery packed with jokes. Rekha Shankar shows the comedic timing that eventually led to her own show alongside Grant O’Brien as detectives, and the twist ending lands well.

9. Like My Coffee

Season 4, episode 2

“Like My Coffee” finds Grant O’Brien, Jess Ross, and former Um, Actually host Mike Trapp competing in an innuendo competition. The setup triggers rapid-fire improv and resonated so well that the game returned as a recurring segment in season 5.

8. Second Place

Season 6, episode 1

Many great episodes feature Reich breaking Brennan Lee Mulligan. In “Second Place,” whoever acts the most “mid” wins points. The friction between Mulligan’s ultra-competitive worldview and Reich’s devious scheming makes the episode a standout.

7. Don’t Cry

Season 4, episode 7

“Don’t Cry” lacks obvious game design, but it remains a series highlight. The episode aimed to uplift Dropout cast member Jess Ross, whose wedding had been postponed after she spent six months on bed rest following surgery. Silly challenges like cutting onions eventually morph into a celebration of Ross, culminating in a fake wedding ceremony performed by Bob the Drag Queen.

6. One Year Later

Season 7, episode 1

“One Year Later” picks up a year after the events of “Sam Says 3.” Reich gave Vic Michaelis, Lou Wilson, and Jacob Wysocki 15 assignments to complete. They tackled them in creative and sincere ways, such as when Wysocki donated almost $3,000 in winnings to Rainbow Services, a nonprofit aiding survivors of domestic violence.

5. Noise Boys

Season 4, episode 3

The Noise Boys first appeared together in season 1’s “Make Some Noise,” a hit that spawned multiple game segments and the spin-off show Make Some Noise. Season 4’s “Noise Boys” features Mulligan, Zac Oyama, and Josh Ruben delivering peak comedic timing.

4. Rulette

Season 7, episode 7

“Rulette” distills Game Changer chaos into its purest form. Players must obey rules stuck to their velcro suits, such as speaking in a sing-song voice or remaining extra polite, which proves tough for Saturday Night Live newcomer Jeremy Culhane. The episode ends with Culhane taking over as host from Reich.

3. Sam Says 3

Season 6, episode 3

“Sam Says” puts contestants through Simon Says with increasingly chaotic prompts, including a puppet version of Reich. “Sam Says 3” wins out because Reich tricks Michaelis, Wilson, and Wysocki into thinking the game is over, lets them enjoy a party bus, and then brings them back to set to deduct points for breaking rules while partying.

2. Escape the Greenroom

Season 5, episode 9

In this episode, Reich traps Mulligan, Siobhan Thompson, and Wilson in the show’s greenroom. He turns the space into an escape room, forcing the trio to use their wits and communication skills to solve puzzles while venting frustrations over Reich’s schemes.

1. Bingo

Season 6, episode 5

Players Raph Chestang, Katie Marovitch, and Mulligan perform comedic prompts to earn bingo ball draws. Behind the scenes, two separate trios of players hold bingo cards tracking the contestants’ behaviors. The layered mechanics result in a major mindfuck that breaks Mulligan’s brain at the end. The episode combines chaos, game design, and clever twists so well that bingo was included in the Game Changer board game.

Source: Polygon