A gentle introduction to LARP
“LARP? Huh?” is pretty much what I said to my friend as she explained the concept to me. “Nope, I’m not running around in the woods in a costume, and I don’t know that my customers do that, either. They’re really busy with their kids and grandkids…”
However, after LOTS of patient explanations, I got the concept, and realized what fun it could be– and what a logical development it is for kids who grew up playing dress up! So… here is my own brief explanation of Live Action Role Playing, or LARP. (Experts, please forgive any small errors, and drop me a line so I can fix them!)
And… if you stick with me to the end, you’ll realize… you MAY have already done a type of LARP adventure without knowing. 🤔😮
Envision a video game brought to life… but no screen time
Live-action role play (or LARP) is a popular activity amongst teens, college students, and many adults (if you know, you know!). Think of it like a video game brought to life: it’s a creative role-playing adventure set within an imaginary scenario. The setting can be anything from a fantasy world filled with castles and dragons to a science fiction-style post-apocalyptic future. A few creative people set up the scenario and rules, many participants arrive in costumes, and the adventure plays out over hours or days. The common features, however, are (1) an imaginative setting, and (2) a set of points and rules governing how players handle challenges.
In the 1970s and 1980s, LARP basically developed as an offshoot of the Dungeons and Dragons tabletop game: the storylines were all about warlocks and wizards and dragon-y stuff. Fans of the game dressed in costume and brought their favorite scenarios to life by acting in character as they played. Since then, however, creative minds worldwide realized that the rules, character classes, and points systems could be applied to ANY interesting storyline or situation, whether serious or silly.
For example, players might spend part of a game session in a battle: a band of warriors meets a band of angry trolls, and they battle (with harmless foam swords, or in a “lightest touch” battle). The outcome (and the winner) relies on interactions between the characters, points, rolls of the dice, and sometimes a bit of luck. Not every LARP session involves fighting, however– it can involve cooperative work by all members of a team.
It’s not always a battle, guys! Conflict-free LARP exists
In another scenario, players might be searching for a hidden treasure. The keeper of the treasure will only reveal herself (and offer a chance to win the treasure) if players ask the right questions (based on clues given earlier in the game), work together, and/or roll their dice to the right numbers. If they guess right, she transforms into a clever genie, willing to pass along another clue to the treasure! If they do not, however, she remains just the daughter of the tavern keeper, and she gives them some harmless (and useless) information about the road ahead.
While some character roles in traditional LARP are for warriors, not all play has to involve conflict and battles. Even in LARP that involves battle, some characters are not warriors: they may be scholars or healers, for example, and work as part of a team. It’s possible for an entire LARP to be focused on cooperation and teamwork. Just like in children’s board games, cooperative game culture has grown in recent decades.
How you may have unknowingly done LARP
You may have even participated in a less formal type of LARP without realizing. Escape rooms–where there are players, a set of rules, and a fixed time–are a form of LARP. After all, you all know you’re not REALLY trapped in that room! However, it’s fun to suspend disbelief and work together as a group to solve a riddle. Some haunted houses are also a type of LARP experience.
All of these interactions are based on points and/or rules. Some LARP games will last for hours, others for days. Players often arrive wearing costumes. Most games are limited to teens (at least age 13 or 14) and adults. That’s appropriate: some of the scenarios and themes can be a bit mature and involve conflicts that are just too much for young children.
LARP for kids makes sense and is good for them
For kids who grew up playing dress-up, however, LARP is a logical extension of what they’ve been doing all along. If they’ve enjoyed developing their own characters and acting out creative adventures, they’re already doing a lot of role-playing. Continuing that play with friends and in more complex scenarios can be a whole lot of fun! (And don’t tell them, but this sort of play is STILL good for growing brains, even in teens!) As kids grow, they crave new challenges beyond just simple dressing up– and elements of a LARP story can provide them.
A friend of mine has long been asking herself how to introduce elements of LARP to younger children in a kid-friendly way. As we chatted, we realized a collaboration was obvious! The core idea and skill behind LARP is creativity– exactly what we we value here at The Rowdy Ladybug. The structure and rules behind LARP make dress-up more interesting, complex, and challenging as kids grow. Successful LARP favors good social skills: balance and cooperation between players is necessary, as is moderation when developing a character. A common value of LARP is that games work best when no one person is “the strongest guy in the whole world,” and everyone else loses all the time. Instead, each well-developed character has a balanced portfolio of strengths and weaknesses… kind of like real people!
A new collaboration is on the way!
We’ve spent a good bit of time together thinking about this. As part of our collaboration, my talented friend (Julianna!) has developed a set of LARP rules just for kids, along with guidelines to help them develop good characters as well as fair gameplay. We’ve really enjoyed dreaming up ways to encourage creativity in younger children and tweens– and new ways for them to play in the costumed characters they invent. We are SO excited to introduce you to Story Tag— we just can’t wait!
