.png)
.png){kind=small}
Beginner's Guide to LARP
So you’re curious about Live Action Role Playing (LARP) - that’s great! Here’s a guide about what to expect, especially as you navigate the site and consider what your next great adventure will be.
Terminology & Types
LARP (Live Action Role-Playing)
A game where players physically act out characters in a shared story, using costumes, props, and rules.
Character (PC – Player Character)
The fictional person you play in the game.
NPC (Non-Player Character)
A character played by organizers or volunteers to help run the story (villagers, monsters, villains, etc.).
In-Character (IC)
Anything said or done as your character. If you’re acting, speaking, or reacting as them, you’re IC.
Out-of-Character (OOC)
Anything said or done as yourself. Used for rules questions, safety checks, or breaks.
Fantasy LARP
Theme: Medieval or mythic worlds
Gameplay: Combat with foam weapons, magic systems, quests
What it’s like: You might fight monsters, negotiate with nobles, or cast spells using verbal calls or props.
​
Historical LARP
Theme: Real-world history
Characters: Vikings, Roman soldiers, Renaissance nobles, etc.
Gameplay: Often less magic (or none), more focus on politics, social roles, and period-accurate behavior.
What it’s like: You act within historical constraints - class, laws, and customs matter a lot.
​
Modern / Contemporary LARP
Theme: Present-day or near-present settings
Gameplay: Usually low or no combat, strong emphasis on roleplay, mystery, and social interaction.
What it’s like: Think improv acting in a realistic scenario - solving problems through conversation and choices.
Sci-Fi LARP
Theme: Futuristic or space-based
Gameplay: May include prop tech, rules for hacking, energy weapons (often simulated), and moral dilemmas.
What it’s like: More puzzles and story-driven scenes than physical combat.
Horror LARP
Theme: Fear, tension, survival
Characters: Investigators, survivors, or monsters
Gameplay: Low combat, high atmosphere. Rules support suspense rather than power.
What it’s like: You might be sneaking, hiding, or making tough decisions under pressure. Safety rules are especially important here.
Political / Social LARP
Theme: Power, relationships, influence
Characters: Nobles, council members, leaders, factions
Gameplay: Very little combat. Most conflict is social.
What it’s like: Great for players who enjoy acting, strategy, and dialogue.
Nordic / Immersive LARP
Theme: Deep emotional or artistic stories
Gameplay: Minimal rules, no visible mechanics, strong focus on immersion and feelings.
What it’s like: Feels more like collaborative theater than a game. Not about winning, it's about experiencing the story.
Boffer LARP
Theme: Warfare and physical skill
Gameplay: Lots of fighting, clear rules, simple characters.
What it’s like: Fast-paced and physical. Roleplay exists, but combat is the main draw.
One-Shot / Educational LARP
Theme: Teaching or short stories
Characters: Pre-written roles
What it’s like: Great for beginners—short, structured, and focused on learning or teamwork
Different Kinds of Experiences
Play to Flow
Games are designed to offer you the chance to experience life as your character, albeit during a short period of time, and in a controlled environment. It will be a successful experience if you flow with what happens to your character and lift the play of your coplayers. There are no objectives that will cause you to win or lose. The only thing we ask of you is to be in your character’s shoes, to connect with what they feel, to think the way they would think, and behave in the way they would behave, all the while allowing your character to make their own decisions. That’s what we call "flow" or "letting go".
Self Storytelling
You are your own game master, of course within the limitations of the game- and safety rules. We trust our players to be involved in the whole process, from the character creation phase to the end of the event. That’s why, once the game starts, you don’t need to ask us permission to do something or to decide if your character would think or do something.
Slow Escalation
Slow escalation is the way to consensually negotiate physical scenes without stopping the roleplay by slowly stepping up the gestures you are doing with someone, giving them the opportunity to tap out at every level, and gain non-verbal permission to escalate the scene. No physical escalation should be a surprise. This will be gone over and practiced in workshops.
Character Flexibility
Your character sheet is yours. We are happy with players changing their character sheets following some rules: calibrate changes with your coplayers, don’t change the sign of the relationship that you want to change (positive or negative), don’t change events from the past and if you are not going to play or you want to change a plot, please let us know before doing so.
Story Flexibility
Pre-calibration and some pre-planning is okay! However, flexibility is important, as no plan survives impact with players/game. Playing to flow is embracing the story in front of you, and pivoting when unexpected obstacles get in the way of what you planned/expected.
We encourage players to play with the flow of the game over any pre-planned scenes.
WYSIWYG
What you see is what you get. What you see will be part of the game and you will have to deal with the consequences. Respect other people’s experiences and safety: avoid any behavior or attitude that can hurt the immersion or the experience of other players but also keep in mind that safety comes first.
“Candidly”
This is a term that can be used in game to establish a truth in a diegetic fashion, or ask for guidance without breaking character. This is somewhat of an exception to the WYSIWYG rule above.
"Candidly, I've got blood all over my outfit." This establishes that, despite the lack of props, there is blood all over the outfit.
"Candidly, have we always had this procedure?" This lets folks know the player is confused, but should know the information in-game, and is asking for a gentle in-game reinforcement of what they are expected to know.
Transparency
There might be coplayers that want to play with secrets and know them in-game, as there are different cultures. Please ask the players about transparency preferences when you calibrate with them.
Electronics
The Off-Game use of any kind of electronic devices (tablets, phones, computers, etc) during game should be discussed with the organizers. However, devices expected for in-game use are fine!