Category: Techniques
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The Devil’s Advocate
Larp and kink are inherently queer performances, centered on the creation of alternative realities through shared emergent narratives and process-centered (rather than rehearsed) roleplay. Sometimes, however, in both the queer performances of kink and of larp, the roleplay in which we engage can create a need for additional care.
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Approaching the Sacred in Larp
In this article we will consider the means by which one can evoke the sacred within the format of larp, and use it to craft a transformative experience in play. We’ll look at some general techniques, how they are represented through some specific religious traditions, and some of the results of the past use of…
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‘Let’s Just Add Another Neighbourhood If We Get More Players’
How can we reduce the amount of work we put into character writing while still delivering high quality, well connected characters?
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Designing Characters for Resilience
The design and implementation of Reverie Studio’s participant-driven technological character system: Abstraction.
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Play to Loop ∞
What kind of conflict happens in toxic groups that never dissolve? How do we as players feed the drama without running out of steam? How to play a group full of conflicts without final escalation or ending with someone being shunned or ostracized?
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Shadow Relations
Shadow relations can make backstories come alive, externalize inner conflicts, and enable direct interaction with distant or abstract themes. Thus, they can be a valuable tool for character-driven larps to deepen both character relations and the inner lives of the characters themselves.
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Translating Culture
As the larp community grows more and more international, it is inevitable that we start to invite each other into larp experiences deeply rooted in local culture and history. How do we as organisers translate the cultural context in which a larp was made to an international participant group? How do we as designers make…
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The Importance of Local Larp Communities Through the Lens of Project Liminal
This article is two things at once: it is an exploration of usable design choices in local community building, examined through the lens of Project Liminal. Secondly, it is a love letter to all of our local larp communities and the differences they make.
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How to Run a Cheap Weekend Larp
Some tips and tricks on the practicalities of how to run a game like that, some things to keep in mind, what kind of game design works well for this format, and why to buy pre-chopped onions.
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Why testing and exploration of different ideas matters
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On designing better larps through iterative playtesting “This mechanic is so bad, why didn’t they test this?” a co-player once said to us at a larp after-party. We had all experienced the larp together, and it was true — there was a design problem. But instead of staying in the rant, we wondered, since one…
