EVERY Game Changer Episode Ranked

I’ve been watching CollegeHumor YouTube videos for quite a while now, so I finally bit the bullet and bought a Dropout subscription. As far as decisions go, I’m pretty happy with it so far!

There are lots of great shows, but my favourite has to be Game Changer – it’s so versatile and imaginative, and there’s quite literally something new to enjoy every episode. How would I rank all forty-four wildly different instalments?

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts:

Meh

44 – Make It Fashion (3-13)

Game Changer sequels tend to not be as good as the original, and since “Make It Fashion” is itself the sequel to the entry next on this list it should be self-explanatory why I’ve ranked it dead last.

Season 3 was already rough with its forced over-Zoom setup, but the makeshift costume game didn’t do it for me at all.

43 – ChangerCon (3-3)

The first of the over-Zoom costume games, except the cosplay angle they took made it ever so slightly better than the generic sequel.

As a point of reference, all of the other Game Changer episodes from now on were on some level enjoyable – it was just these two costume-centred episodes that stank up the gaff.

OK

42 – The Everything Factory (2-5)

Fun fact – Game Changer has its own IMDb page, and “The Everything Factory” is the lowest rated episode by a country mile. Needless to say, they dropped the ball on this one.

It’s not devoid of entertainment like the bottom two entries on this list, but the titular factory of random conveyor belt items would be much more fun to experience as a contestant than watch as a viewer.

41 – Nom Nom Nom (1-5)

Sometimes the simple ideas are the best, but “Nom Nom Nom” borders on mundane.

Contestants pick the right food to feed a prop mouth, and that’s it. Quite a boring end to Season 1.

40 – 20/20 Vision (3-9)

A quiz on all things 2020 isn’t inherently a bad idea, but I’d rather not be reminded of the terrible world events that took place during the worst year of my life.

39 – Tome of Terror (3-14)

The biggest wasted potential in the series.

The contestants making up scary stories should’ve been a hit, but the magic just wasn’t there. Maybe they should give this one another go in the future.

38 – Is This Thing On (3-4)

Credit where credit is due – considering the over-Zoom situation they were in for Season 3, forcing the contestants to read Sam’s lips for “Is This Thing On” is a pretty good idea on paper.

It can be mildly fun to try and read Sam’s lips yourself, but the game as a whole is too simple and forgettable.

37 – Three For the Price of One (3-11)

Game Changer sequels are almost always a case of diminishing returns, so the fact they made a threequel of the sales pitches game slightly annoyed me.

All of the good jokes are gone by this point, and having it play out over Zoom doesn’t help matters in the slightest.

Good

36 – Sleeper Agents (2-3)

A bit like with “The Everything Factory”, I think “Sleeper Agents” would be much more fun to play than watch.

Unlike “The Everything Factory”, however, I can find some enjoyment in watching the contestants awkwardly interacting with agents as well as unsuspecting members of the public.

35 – Next Slide Please (3-12)

“Next Slide Please” is very similar to that Jackbox game where you have to make up presentations on the spot – so quite a good, albeit safe, premise for a lockdown episode.

34 – Whodunnit (1-4)

The first contestant prank episode, where Rekha had no idea that everyone else was in on it.

“Whodunnit” is definitely my least favourite of these prank episodes due to its simple mystery, but it’s still fun to see the cast conspiring against one of their own.

33 – Sell Outs (3-2)

The first sequel to “A Sponsored Episode”, “Sell Outs” is definitely a step down due to the Zoom limitations but I laughed a lot at Grant’s terrible dubbing attempts.

32 – Secret Samta 2: The Samta Clause (3-15)

There’s actually a solid reason as to why “Secret Samta 2” was slightly worse than the original – the contestants mostly knew the game and its tactics already, so the audience doesn’t get the thrill of watching them test the waters for better prizes.

31 – Lie Detector (1-1)

The very first Game Changer episode! It was alright.

“Lie Detector” is an amazing premise that leads to a lot of fun interactions, but I feel that the questions were a little tame.

30 – Jeopardy! (3-7)

I’m surprised it took them so long to do a DnD-themed Game Changer episode, and the swashbuckling Jeopardy format worked well.

29 – Filmed Before A Live Studio Audience (4-6)

The “worst” episode of Season 4 was still really fun – you can tell production went all-out in making the post-lockdown episodes worthwhile!

I love the girls’ energy during “Filmed Before A Live Studio Audience”, but the premise wasn’t necessarily my favourite.

28 – A Sponsored Episode (2-4)

Trapp, Grant and Rekha all did a great job pitching the crazy ideas, and the physical props were a nice touch.

27 – As A Cucumber (5-6)

Again, the “worst” Season 5 episode proves that Sam and his team have been on a mission since lockdown ended.

Some of the heart-spiking minigames were fun, but others grossed me out too much.

26 – Race To the Bottom (4-8)

Like with the “Secret Samta” sequels, “Race To the Bottom” suffers from the players already knowing the tactics of the game rather than going in completely blind.

This is still a format I really like, however, and having Katie drive down the price was a fun bit.

Great

25 – Round 4 (2-1)

I’ve complained about most sequels up until now, but I always look forward to the Noise Boys and their impromptu sounds.

Their second effort is probably my least favourite of the four they’ve done, but that’s only because the other three were so memorable.

24 – Karaoke Night (5-2)

Those musical improv guys are so talented, and “Karaoke Night” was an excellent idea to showcase their talents.

Not every song worked, but standouts like “To-Do List” were catchy as hell.

23 – Don’t Cry (4-7)

Every other prank episode is at the expense of a cast member, so it was heart-warming to see the cast and crew rally behind Jess for a surprise outpouring of love.

All of the sincere messages really got to me, and if anything it’s the first half of “Don’t Cry” where they have to pretend it’s a standard Game Changer episode that knocks it down a few places.

22 – Noise Boys (4-3)

The “Noise Boys” returned after their break in lockdown, and you could tell they ramped it up to eleven to mark the occasion.

I really loved some of the prompts they had to work with, and I always love it when the players have to work together.

21 – Game of Prizes (1-3)

A simple Season 1 episode where the production team didn’t fully realise the potential of the show just yet, but I like the early charm.

It’s fun seeing the players freak out over whether a prompted prize would be in the realms of possibility or not, and the prizes on offer were actually quite strong across the board.

20 – Secret Samta 3 (4-4)

Whilst this was a sequel, which usually marks it down, “Secret Samta 3” was the first Secret Samta to be held in-person.

Seeing the contestants playing mind games on each other in-studio is very entertaining, and the bad and great lies alike made me chuckle.

19 – Like My Coffee 2 (5-3)

Considering how much I loved the original, “Like My Coffee 2” is probably the most disappointing Game Changer episode. It’s still great fun, but I wanted more.

The jokes they came up with weren’t as punchy, the Grant’s Mum bit slowed the whole thing down, and I dearly missed Trapp’s witty brand of humour.

18 – Sam Says 2 (5-1)

Another sequel to a beloved episode that didn’t hit as hard, but in this case I don’t think the gap in quality is as wide.

I really loved Jacob’s chaotic presence in “Sam Says 2”, and it’s always amazing seeing the soul leave the contestant’s body when they realise their fatal mistake.

17 – Secret Samta (3-8)

The first “Secret Samta” worked the best because the players had no idea what to do.

It’s amazing watching them figure out the tactics in real time, and it also makes the successful cons much more satisfying.

16 – Ham It Up (3-5)

It’s a shame “Ham It Up” had to be over Zoom rather than in-person, but I still loved the episode we got.

Giancarlo Esposito is an extremely high-profile guest to have on a show like this, and the various acting attempts were always entertaining.

15 – Tell Us About Yourself (3-1)

“Tell Us About Yourself”, on the other hand, was an episode that could have only taken place over Zoom.

It was great seeing the contestants figure out the game, and the celebrity reveal was pretty bonkers.

14 – Escape The Greenroom (5-9)

In one of the best ideas and executions the show has ever done, the cast are pranked into an escape room before they even make it to the stage.

Watching people take part in an escape room will never be as fun as doing it yourself, but the cast freaking out throughout is wildly entertaining.

13 – Yes or No (2-6)

Brennan is a lot of people’s favourite cast member, so to see him freak out in such a Shakespearian way was amazing.

I love the little bits Sam and the team would do for each round, as well as the confusion among the cast each time.

12 – A Game Most Changed (5-5)

There have been a lot of talented improvisers on Game Changer, but the Improvised Shakespear Company left me gobsmacked.

Their minds worked at unbelievable speeds, and they did an amazing job incorporating some ridiculous prompts into their Shakespearian drama.

11 – Never Have I Ever (3-6)

A game so good it got its own spin-off.

“Never Have I Ever” is an extremely simple premise, but it led to some shockingly entertaining stories and anecdotes.

10 – Survivor (4-9/10)

I’m not too familiar with the TV show “Survivor”, but Game Changer’s take on it was thoroughly entertaining across both episodes.

My only two gripes are that the no-laugh game types got repetitive after a while, and that they did the format much better the next year.

Amazing

9 – Sam Says (4-1)

Brennan, Izzy and Lou are three of my favourite Game Changer contestants, so “Sam Says” was already off to a winning start.

I love how abstract some of the prompts ended up being, and it really tested the cast – and the crew – to their limits.

8 – The Substitute (3-10)

I wasn’t sure if the Noise Boys would even work over Zoom, and Zac missing out was a major blow, but the contestants did remarkably well against the odds.

The true star of the show was the guest, Michael Winslow – the impossible noises he created were staggering, and I love how each contestant chipped in to aid each other’s prompts.

7 – Name A Number (5-4)

The terrifying trio of Becca, Izzy and Erika returned for “Name A Number”, and it was just as chaotic as you might expect.

This format of signing up for challenges without knowing what they are worked much better than I thought it would – I hope this episode either gets a sequel or a full-blown spin-off!

6 – Do I Hear $1? (2-2)

“Do I Hear $1” felt like the spiritual successor to “Total Forgiveness”, another Dropout show that I really enjoyed.

Seeing the competitors trying to undercut each other for the money was amazing, and the challenges / prize money were a lot more significant than I expected.

5 – The Bachelor (5-7/8)

In some ways “The Bachelor” ended up being the nicest prank episode, but in others Grant was really put through his paces.

They managed to cram a lot into this two-part competition, and Grant’s humour was on top form.

4 – Like My Coffee (4-2)

Whoever casted this episode was a genius – “Like My Coffee” revolves around making the most obscene jokes possible, and Trapp, Grant and Jess did an amazing job throughout.

Their one-liners hit far more often than they missed, Grant’s dark humour really tickled me, and the Mommy / Sex Toy minigames were a great way to break the segments up.

3 – Battle Royale

“Battle Royale” was one of the few Game Changer sequels to genuinely go bigger and bolder, and the result was a four-part extravaganza that got more intense as it went on.

The individual and team challenges were a huge upgrade from the generic no-laugh ones from the original, and the team-ups / betrayals meant there was never a dull moment.

2 – Make Some Noise (1-2)

Later instalments of the Noise Boys would go on to refine the format, but the first “Make Some Noise” was lightning in a bottle.

Josh, Zac and Brennan are all incredible at what they do, and I loved their little sound battles to out-do each other. Once the prompts started getting more experimental, the episode – and the cast’s insane talent – began to truly shine.

1 – The Official Cast Recording (4-5)

“The Official Cast Recording” could have walked into the top 3 from its opening song alone, but the rest of the episode never lets its foot off the gas.

The improvised story that Zeke, Zach and Jess weaved was surprisingly coherent and engaging, and the musical breaks were always mesmerising. I’m so glad they spun this episode off, because “Play It By Ear” is easily one of the best Dropout shows at the moment.

As a bonus if you’re interested, here’s how I’d rank the five seasons so far:

1. Season 4
2. Season 5
3. Season 2
4. Season 1
5. Season 3

Aaand that’s my list! After you’ve checked out Dropout and Game Changer, you can check out some of my latest blog posts below: