Big Brother 24 is currently airing and is another entry into the modern era of the show. Like every long-running reality TV series, the game shifts over time as fans become contestants and the game elevates and becomes more complex.
There seemed to be a particular gameplay switch around season 16 that changed the direction of how players approach Big Brother. Since season 16, it is a common strategy to form a large alliance and then run the house that way, while the previous seasons relied more on smaller alliances and manipulation. Modern players really stuck with the large alliance strategy, but which ones could have survived the classic way of playing? These houseguests would have done just as well in the early stages of Big Brother.
Derrick Levasseur - Big Brother 16
Derrick's gameplay in Big Brother 16 was legendary, as his strategy ranks with the best. His intelligence and ability to analyze the game would excel in the earlier seasons of the show.
Derrick was a quiet dictator in Big Brother 16. He was behind most evictions throughout the season, as he pulled the strings with such tenacity that no one realized Derrick played them. He walked the line between strategical mastermind and silent assassin, which would have worked just as well in the early stages of the show. He might have had more competition toward the end game if he played earlier, but he had the ability to maneuver through any situation.
Nicole Franzel - Big Brother 16, 18, 22
In Nicole's first season, she proved herself to be a decent competitor. When she returned two seasons later, she really proved herself to be a quality Big Brother player. She was an all-around threat, as she showcased both physical capabilities and strategic prowess. These two attributes would have made her a great past-era player.
Her one downfall is the past era relied on smaller alliances, so houseguests really had to rely on their personal relationships to get through certain weeks. Nicole's social game had some flaws as she sometimes did not rub people the right way. Who knows if she would have won in the classic era, but she would have been a standout regardless.
Tyler Crispen - Big Brother 20 & 22
Tyler was Kaycee's closest ally in Big Brother 20, and he returned to Big Brother 22. He is considered one of the best all-around players ever. He was physically capable to win any competition, able to build good relationships, and had enough of a strategic mind to lead his majority alliance.
He was smart enough to not win a lot of competitions in a row, so he never looked like a huge target. He also made sure to foster good relationships with people outside of his majority alliance. All of these qualities would have made Tyler a terrific player in the classic era, with a great chance to win.
Vanessa Rousso - Big Brother 17
Vanessa's gameplay in Big Brother 17 was far and away the best thing about this season. It was a pleasure to watch her mentally dominate everyone as Vanessa is one of the best Big Brother players ever. She was the leader of a dominant alliance and was the force behind the majority of evictions that season. She manipulated almost everyone to do what she wanted, all while she laid low and kept the target off her back.
She would go just as far if she played in the earlier era, as this strategy is foolproof. She was also good at competitions, which ensured she had enough power to leverage against other people, especially when there were not as many twists in the earlier seasons.
Paul Abrahamian - Big Brother 18 & 19
Paul was a good player both times they played, as they came in second both times. Paul's second time around, however, they proved themselves to be a strategic mastermind that controlled everyone in the house. They are one of the best players to never be an all-star. Paul had everyone under their control.
When it was the final eight, everyone thought that they were going to the end with Paul, which became their downfall, as Paul built so many false relationships that it hurt their chance to win. It is up for debate, however, if their success was due to the majority of other constants being extremely intellectually inferior, as everyone did whatever they wanted. Their strategic mind would work well against classic-era competitors, but they would need to work on their jury management.
Jason Dent - Big Brother 19
Without Paul's manipulation, Jason was a player who could have won Big Brother 19. He was a decent social player but was a beast at competitions, so he held a lot of power.
Jason won many competitions down the stretch, so he was a clutch player. This would bode well for Jason if he played in the early stages of the show. With so much power in the home stretch, not only did he keep himself safe, but he could have saved allies, which could turn out to be future jury votes. Competitions meant more in the classic era, as there were not many competitions other than HOH and veto, so Jason would fit right in.
Kaycee Clark - Big Brother 20
Kaycee established strong relationships and won a lot of competitions to win Big Brother 20. Similar to Jason, Kaycee really flipped a switch down the stretch to win a majority of the final competitions. Kaycee was a decent strategic player who was in a dominant majority alliance. She was also loyal to her final three deal. Her physical dominance started in week 7 when she won a hacker competition. This sparked a run where she won seven more competitions after this, which was one of the most in a Big Brother season.
This type of strategic-physical game, where she did not want to play hard too early, would give her a great chance to win in the classic era of Big Brother.
Jackson Michie - Big Brother 21
Michie was a polarizing figure in Big Brother 21 due to some non-game-related issues, but he played a pretty dominant game. From the beginning, Michie was a competitor who was serious and did whatever needed to be done to win. Michie was in a majority alliance for the pre-jury phase, but when that blew up he was slightly vulnerable, so he made new deals with other people to socially secure him against his former alliance.
His best attribute was his physicality. Michie won four HOHs and four vetoes, so he wielded a lot of power throughout the latter half of the season. He also made up the biggest lie of the season in order for his showmance to survive the final five. He would have been a perfect contestant to go up against classic-era houseguests.
Xavier Prather - Big Brother 23
Xavier won Big Brother 23 by being loyal to his dominant alliance, while he also laid low. Xavier quietly worked throughout the season but never seemed like the biggest target.
Xavier was a quality all-around player. He won competitions, made good relationships, and was a sound strategist. Without The Cookout, he still had a good chance to win. In the past era, he would have flown under the radar while other competitors took each other out. Xavier's witty and confident gameplay would have made him a great classic-era competitor.
Tiffany Mitchell - Big Brother 23
Tiffany is regarded as the creator of The Cookout alliance. She was a great social player that had allies in practically everyone. She was extremely loyal to The Cookout, but she had a side alliance with Claire and Derek X.
She was covered everywhere until the final six. Her biggest fault was she did not know when to lose a competition. She won an HOH competition when it was time to evict Claire, so she had to nominate someone she was close to. If she learned how to throw some competitions, she would have a chance to win in the classic era.