Malik Hyltoft

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Malik Hyltoft is a Danish roleplayer who has had a major hand in the development of the Danish RPG scene. He has been an active roleplayer from 1979 and up until the present.

Early life

Malik Hyltoft was born on the Danish island Funen in 1963. His full name is Lars Malik Hyltoft Petersen. His first name is Greenlandic, although Hyltoft is ethnically Danish.

Hyltoft was neighbour to fellow role-player Paul Hartvigson, who had been to the US and had brought back a first edition of Dungeons and Dragons. Even though the game was written in fairly complex English, both boys were deeply taken in.

Malik Hyltoft and Paul Hartvigson initiated what would later on become known as the first attempt at Danish larping, namely the “Kamp og Kage”-sessions (which loosely translates into “Fight and Cake”). The larps were based on rudimentary stories, and involved getting hit over the head with buffer weapons whilst running about in a wood. The sessions were not intended for children, as they could potentially get quite violent. Yet, the Danish tradition of larps for children bears strong resemblances to these first attempts.

Organisations

During his high school years, Malik Hyltoft met his lifelong friend and partner in roleplaying, Mads Lunau. Later on Hyltoft would go on to study Japanse and English at the university of Aarhus, while Mads Lunau studied philosophy. While finishing their studies, the two established Spillerforeningen i Aarhus, which was an organisation for gamers. Spillerforeningen had its own convention called Spiltræf, which was held for the first time in 1985. Spillerforeningen i Aarhus later became Fasta, who became the organisers of the first Fastaval.

Publication

Malik Hyltoft has published more RPG books than anyone else in Denmark. Together with Mads Lunau and Troels Chr. Jakobsen, he founded the company Dansk Spil Design, which published the underground games Viking, Mafia, and Kellogg’s Wild West Spil.

In 2000 Hyltoft published the Danish RPG system ‘Fusion’ along with Palle Schmidt.

Founding Østerskov

Along with Mads Lunau, Hyltoft opened the world’s first school for role-players in 2006. The school uses role-playing as a teaching method. Hyltoft worked there as a vice-principal for several years.

Scenarios

Hyltoft has a an impressive production of 32 scenarios written primarily for Spiltræf and Fastaval. His recurring themes are politics and Japanese culture.

Rewards

In 2006 Malik Hyltoft received Fastaval’s honorary Otto for his lifetime accomplishments in roleplaying. His mark on the Danish role-playing scene is tremendous.

Hyltoft won the Publikumsprisen for his scenario Nantonaku Manga in 2006.