Big Brother has been on the air for about 20 years now, so production is a well-oiled machine. They know exactly what they're doing, and they know how the game works. It comes with the territory and the experience. Regardless, production is always looking to innovate, and that includes introducing new twists.
Twists can be divisive. Some are beloved and highly creative. And some (Battle of the Block) are widely detested and likely never to see the light of day again. And if it seems like they're running out of ideas, there are lots of great twists from international versions that can be "borrowed" for the US version.
Unfinished House
This has absolutely nothing to do with strategy, but it still sounds like a lot of fun. The second season of Big Brother Australia introduced the unfinished house twist, which is exactly what it sounds like. It's not like the house was missing walls or anything.
Rather, it was completely unfurnished. The theme of the season was "do it yourself," so the housemates were tasked with furnishing the house themselves and making it their own. It'd be a fun and interesting way of mixing up the proceedings.
Two Houses
There are some spectacular seasons of Survivor that feature cutthroat gameplay. A major aspect of that show's strategy is the merged tribe, and that concept was tested out in Big Brother Australia 3. This season introduced two different houses, Square House and Round House.
Like Survivor, the two houses did their own thing and evicted their own players before merging on Day 22. While it may veer too close to Survivor in gameplay, this could be a fascinating twist that would breathe new life into a strategically stagnating Big Brother.
The White Room
Big Brother Australia 7 introduced a rather nasty twist in The White Room. Nasty, but incredibly fun for viewers. Housemates were voted into the house, and four potential housemates who were not voted in entered the White Room.
The room was painted completely white, and the contestants were forced to wear all white as well. Furthermore, they were only allowed to eat porridge. It then became an endurance test to see who could stay the longest. The person who outlasted the other three won their way into the main house for a chance at the game proper.
Snap Eviction
Evictions can be a lot of fun. They can make for great drama, and they can result in some truly classless exits from the show. Snap evictions would mean even more drama, and who doesn't want that? Snap evictions were introduced in Big Brother Australia 8, and it completely decimated the core structure of the game.
Rather than having pre-planned eviction nights, these snap evictions would take place at completely random times throughout the week. Watching the players scramble in panic would be amazing.
Mass Eviction
People hate when evicted players make it back into the house. This is the complete opposite of that. Various international versions of the show feature "mass evictions," which is when four or more houseguests are evicted from the house in the same week. It's literally double the drama of a double eviction.
Double evictions always make for great TV, as the players scramble, cry, and beg. Mass evictions would only ramp up the drama and the excitement. The only problem is the numbers and the shorter season that would result.
Secret Power Of Veto
The power of veto is an integral aspect of the Big Brother structure. But what about a secret power of veto? This was introduced in the second season of Big Brother Canada, and it allowed its owner to secretly remove a houseguest from the block following the regular veto ceremony.
It was indeed used, with Allison White taking Sabrina Abbate off the block and putting up Adel Elseri. It didn't work in the long run, but it still made for some great drama.
Backwards Week
Big Brother 5 attempted a bold twist with backwards week. It's exactly what it sounds like, with the eviction process being put in reverse. Following the usual eviction, two more contestants were immediately placed on the block.
They then played the POV competition as usual, followed by the head of household competition (without the two nominees and outgoing HOH). The winner of that HOH competition then received the sole vote to evict. It was a fascinating and creative twist, and many would be glad to see it in upcoming American seasons.
The Blood Veto
Big Brother Canada really likes messing with the power of veto. Big Brother Canada 7 introduced the blood veto, whose power matched its menacing name. Houseguests were told about the blood veto, although they didn't know what it did. They were then forced to nominate one player to receive it.
It was given to Kyra Shenker, and they received the power to veto the evicted player. Had they used it, the evicted player would have been safe and the other player on the block would be evicted instead. Unfortunately, the blood veto was not used. Still, it could make for one of the best veto plays in the series' history.
Secret Assassin
Big Brother Canada 7 introduced the secret assassin twist on, suitably, week 7. The secret assassin twist was hidden in the house, and it was eventually found by Adam Pike on day 44. The twist allowed Adam to nominate a third person for eviction, and this person would not be able to save themselves through the power of veto.
Adam used the power the very next day, nominating Cory Kennedy for eviction. The twist worked, and Cory was sent to the jury house.
Fake Double Eviction
First introduced on Big Brother UK 2004, the fake double eviction later made an appearance on Big Brother Canada and played out in a similar manner. The double played out like normal, and two houseguests were evicted. However, they were then sequestered in a secret room and allowed to observe the houseguests.
One of the sequestered players then won their way back into the game and the other was sent home. A twist of this twist was seen on Big Brother Canada 9, as the two evicted players immediately began a re-entry competition, with the winner earning their way back into the game.