Twist

A twist refers to certain game-changing alterations to the game's original format seen in . Twists have been a part of since , helping the contestants learn that the game of Survivor is ever-changing. Several twists have been devised to keep contestants on their toes, as well as keep the game interesting to viewers.
The twists are normally pre-planned before the actual filming, with Jeff Probst stating that he writes a "Bible" for each season detailing how he expects the twists and themes to be executed.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-big-theme/id1673596832?i=1000608702167 However, some unintended twists have happened in certain seasons, such as the lack of a merge in .
==List of twists by season==
This table enumerates the twists to appear in seasons to mix up the classic game of Survivor. Bold signifies the first time the twist occurred.
A season's cast size, merged tribe size, and jury configuration are only mentioned if it is the first time it has occurred. Twists that later became permanent elements of the game are only mentioned in their first season.
Season	Twists/Changes
 	
* Original Format
 	
* Game lasted 42 days instead of the typical 39
* Past votes tiebreaker introduced
* Jury votes revealed at Reunion Show
 	
* Game reverted to 39-day format
* Tiebreaker challenge used for the first time
* Tribe Switch
 	
* Marooning without food supplies
* Rock-drawing tiebreaker introduced
* Tribe Switch
*Summit
* Right to pass the Immunity Necklace to another player introduced
 	
* Schoolyard Pick (Oldest contestants chose their tribe members)
* Offered
* Fake Merge
** Rival tribes live together
* Pre-merge jury member
* Delayed merge / 8-person merged tribe
* Fire-making tiebreaker introduced (not yet used)
 	
* Tribal Separation by Gender
* Tribe Switch
**Summit
 	
* Marooned with the clothes on their back
* Chance to buy supplies
* Kidnapping
* Looting
* Buried Treasure
* Eliminated contestants return for a second chance
** Double Tribal Council
** Absorption of the Outcasts Tribe
* Jury members competing in a challenge
 	
* 18 Contestants
* Returning Players
* Three Starting Tribes
* No supplies given (except a machete and a pot)
* Tribe Absorption
* Kidnapping
* Tribe Switch
* Individual challenge held before merge
* Delayed Merge / 9-person merged tribe
 	
* Tribal Separation by Gender
* Double Tribal Council
** Pre-merge Individual Immunity Challenge
** Individual immunity winner gives an extra immunity to a member of the other tribe
* Tribe Switch
 	
* 20 Contestants
* Schoolyard Pick (Contestants choose their own tribe members)
** Contestants Eliminated without a Tribe
* Double Tribal Council
** Pre-merge Individual Immunity Challenge
** Tribe votes to give a member of the other tribe individual immunity
* No Merge / Tribe Absorption
* (one time only)
* Fire-making tiebreaker first used
 	
* Returning Players as Unofficial Tribe Leaders
** Returning players mixed with new players
* Tribe Switch
**Summit
* Double Tribal Council
** Pre-merge Individual Immunity Challenge
* Hidden Immunity Idol
 	
* Four Starting Tribes
* Tribal Separation by Gender and Age
* Exile Island
** Hidden Immunity Idol played after the votes are read
* Simultaneous Tribe Dissolve and Switch (Schoolyard Pick)
 	
* Four Starting Tribes
* Tribes Divided by Ethnicity
* Simultaneous Tribe Absorption and Switch (Schoolyard Pick)
* Exile Island
** Hidden Immunity Idol
* Mutiny
* Double Elimination (Two people voted out by the same tribe on the same day)
* 9-person merged tribe
* Final Three with 9-person jury
** Pre-merge jury members
 	
*19 Contestants
*Tribes divided by one contestant
*Haves vs. Have Nots
* Exile Island
** Hidden Immunity Idol played after votes are cast
* Tribe Switch (Schoolyard Pick)
* Post-Merge Team Immunity Challenge
* Pre-merge jury members
 	
* Tribe Switch
* Hidden Immunity Idol hidden in plain sight
* Kidnapping
* Final Three with 7-person jury
 	
* Returning Contestants
** Fans vs. Favorites
* One-time use Immunity Idols
* Exile Island
** Hidden Immunity Idol
** Two contestants simultaneously exiled pre-merge
** Contestants exiled before an Immunity Challenge and given individual immunity for the round
* Tribe Switch (Schoolyard Pick)
* Final Two with 8-person jury
 	
* Schoolyard Pick (Contestants choose their own tribe members)
* One-time use Immunity Idols
* Exile Island
** Hidden Immunity Idol
** Luxury Choice on Exile
* Two Tribe Switches
**Fake Merge
* Double Tribal Council
** Pre-merge Individual Immunity Challenge
* Pre-merge jury member
 	
* First Impressions
** One-time use Immunity Idols
* Exile Island
** Two contestants simultaneously exiled pre-merge
** Hidden Immunity Idol
** Mutiny offered to one of the two exiled contestants
 	
* Official Tribe Leaders
* Hidden Immunity Idol
* Observing
* "Do-It-Yourself Challenge"
* Double Tribal Council
** Joint Tribal Council
* 12-person merged tribe
 	
* Returning Players
** 3-Time Returning Players
* Tribal Separation by Notoriety
* Hidden Immunity Idol
* Double Tribal Council
** Pre-merge Individual Immunity Challenge
* Pre-merge jury members
 	
* Tribal Separation by Age
* Medallion of Power
* Hidden Immunity Idol
* Tribe Switch
* Double Tribal Council
** Pre-merge Individual Immunity Challenge
 	
* 
* Returning Players as Unofficial Tribe Leaders
** 4-Time returning contestant
* Double Elimination
* Hidden Immunity Idol
 	
* Redemption Island
* Returning Players as Unofficial Tribe Leaders
* Double Elimination
* Hidden Immunity Idol
 	
* Tribal Separation by Gender
* Tribes living together on one camp for a limited time
** 2 Hidden Immunity Idols at one camp (one for each tribe); if one tribe member finds the other tribe's idol, he/she must hand the idol to a member of the other tribe before the next Tribal Council
** No clues to the Hidden Immunity Idol
* "Do-It-Yourself" Challenges
* Tribe Switch
* Joint Tribal Council
 	
* Three Starting Tribes
* Returning Players as Unofficial Tribe Leaders
* Hidden Immunity Idol hidden in plain sight
* Tribe Absorption
* 11-person merged tribe
* Final Three with 8-person jury
 	
* Returning Players
** Fans vs. Favorites
* Hidden Immunity Idol
* Tribe Switch
 	
* Contestants competing against their loved ones
** Day Zero
* Redemption Island
* Returning Players
* Hidden Immunity Idol
* First Impressions
* Rock-drawing tiebreaker used
 	
* Three Starting Tribes
** Brawn vs. Brains vs. Beauty
* First Impressions
** Official Tribe Leaders (at First Impressions only)
* Tribe Dissolve
* Hidden Immunity Idol
** Merged tribe's Hidden Immunity Idol can be played after the votes are read
* Final Two with 9-person jury
 	
* Blood vs. Water
** Day Zero
* Exile Island
** Hero Duels
* Hidden Immunity Idol
* Tribe Switch
 	
* Three Starting Tribes
** Tribal Separation by Profession
* Tribe Leaders (on Day 1 only)
* Hidden Immunity Idol
* Tribe Dissolve
* Extra Vote
 	
* Returning Players
* Tribe Expansion
* Hidden Immunity Idol hidden at challenges
* Vote Steal
* 13-person merged tribe
* Consensus tiebreaker used for the first time
* Final Three with 10-person jury
 	
* Three Starting Tribes
** Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty
* Hidden Immunity Idols can be combined to form an idol playable after the votes are revealed
* Tribe Switch
** One-time Exile
* Extra Vote
* Juror Removal
 	
* Millennials vs. Gen X
* Hidden Immunity Idol
* Legacy Advantage
* Summit
* Tribe Expansion
* Three tribes merging into one
* Reward Steal
 	
* Returning Players
* Hidden Immunity Idol
* No revotes after a tie
* Legacy Advantage
* Tribe Expansion
* Three-tribe Immunity Challenge with only 1 winner
** Joint Tribal Council (with 1 person voted out)
* One-time Exile
* Advantage Menu
** fake Hidden Immunity Idol kit
** Extra Vote
** tribal challenge advantage
* Vote Steal
* Tribe Dissolve
* Reformatted Final Tribal Council
 	
* Three Starting Tribes
** Tribal Separation by Profession
* Hidden Immunity Idol
** Idol which can be played after the votes are revealed, but only at the first Tribal Council
* Three-tribe Tribe Switch without dissolution
* Vote Blocker
* Right to abstain from voting at Tribal Council, with right to an Extra Vote at a future Tribal Council
* Simplified final four Tribal Council
 	
* (variant of Exile Island)
** Legacy Advantage
** Extra Vote
* Meager Supplies
* Tribe Leader (on Day 1 only)
* Hidden Immunity Idol
** Idol that expires after a set number of Tribal Councils
* Tribe Expansion
* Double Elimination with merged tribe split into two teams
* Final Tribal Council tiebreaker used for the first time
 	
* Tribal Separation by Success in Life
* Hidden Immunity Idol
* Tribe Expansion
* Idol Nullifier
* Vote Steal
 	
* (variant of Redemption Island)
* Returning Players as Unofficial Tribe Leaders
* Advantage Menu
** Reward Steal
** Extra Vote
** Individual immunity to be used similar to a Hidden Immunity Idol
* Hidden Immunity Idol
* Tribe Expansion
* Extra Vote
* Joint Tribal Council
* Final Three with 13-person jury
** Pre-merge jury members
 	
* (variant of Exile Island)
*Hidden Immunity Idol
**Idol that expires after a set number of Tribal Councils
*Vote Blocker
*Tribe Switch
*Safety Without Power
*Pre-merge jury member
*Double Elimination with merged tribe split into two teams
*Advantage Option
**Idol Nullifier
**Extra Vote
**Hidden Immunity Idol that must be played for another player
 	
* Returning Players
* Increased prize money
* Edge of Extinction
* Fire Tokens
* Hidden Immunity Idol
** Idol that expires after a set number of Tribal Councils
* Safety Without Power
* Vote Steal
* Tribe Expansion
* Idol Nullifier
* Double Tribal Council
* 50/50 Coin
* Extortion Advantage
* Final Three with 16-person jury
 	
*Game lasted 26 days instead of the typical 39
* Three Starting Tribes with no Tribe Switch
*Beware Advantage
**Hidden Immunity Idol
**Vote Steal
* Shot in the Dark
* Summit
** Extra Vote
**Knowledge is Power
* Double Tribal Council
*Earn the Merge
*Exile Island
** Hourglass
*Double Elimination
*
 	
* Game lasted 26 days instead of the typical 39
* Three Starting Tribes with no Tribe Switch
* Beware Advantage
**Hidden Immunity Idol
**Knowledge is Power
* Shot in the Dark
* Advantage Amulet, whose power depends on the number of people holding onto it:
** Extra Vote
** Vote Steal
** Hidden Immunity Idol
* Summit
** Extra Vote
* Idol Nullifier
*Earn the Merge
*Exile Island
**Hourglass
* Double Elimination
*Do or Die
 	
* Game lasted 26 days instead of the typical 39
* Three Starting Tribes with no Tribe Switch
* Beware Advantage
**Hidden Immunity Bracelet
* Shot in the Dark
* Summit
** Idol that expires after a set number of Tribal Councils
** Vote Steal
** Knowledge is Power
*Earn the Merge
* Double Elimination
* Choose Your Champion
 	
* Game lasted 26 days instead of the typical 39
* Three Starting Tribes
* Hidden Immunity Idol
* Shot in the Dark
* Summit
** Bank Your Vote Advantage
** Inheritance Advantage
* Earn the Merge
* Post-Merge Team Immunity Challenge
* Control a Vote Advantage (variant of Vote Steal)
 	
* Game lasted 26 days instead of the typical 39
* Returning Player
* Three Starting Tribes
* Amended Sit-out Rules
* Hidden Immunity Idol
* Shot in the Dark
* Observing
* Summit
** Safety Without Power
* Earn the Merge
 	
* Game lasted 26 days instead of the typical 39
* Three Starting Tribes
* Hidden Immunity Idol
* Shot in the Dark
* Summit
** Extra Vote
* Earn the Merge
==Controversy==
See Survivor Rulebook: Controversial Rule Changes
==References==
Category:Twists
Category:Gameplay
Category:Survivor (U.S.)
Category:Survivor (franchise)