As much larping goes in the direction of freeforms and one-shots, design documents have become an essential part of larp design, but still aren’t things discussed much in the greater North American community. I’d argue that EVERY larp could use a well written, ten page design document which sets up the basic play style, themes, player expectations, and any other must-haves. For those unfamiliar with a design document (and for the purposes of this blog because it actually could be defined a lot of other ways), I consider it an essential guide to any given game which introduces the players to what they should expect in the larp, how they fit in the game, how to interact with the world, and main themes of the story. A player should be able to click on a game’s website, open the design document, and know within a few pages if this game is for them or not.
Tag: larp tips
Larping Can Be Addictive
Like any form of gaming, larping can be as addictive as gambling. Learn to recognize the symptoms of addiction to larping in yourself and others.
Managing the Chaos of Operations Camp
This blog gives tips in operations/NPC camp management.
The Beauty of Playing to Type in Larp
This blog discusses why it's actually good to play similar characters and how to create around your favorite character traits.
How To: Playing to Lift Makes You One of the Cool Kids
(Featured photo by Elias Gubbels. ) “Playing to lift” is a phrase that is thrown around the larp-o-sphere a ton. Many games encourage it at their opening ceremonies and we all generally agree it’s a *good* thing. But not every larper understands why it’s a good thing (other than promoting community values) or exactly how … Continue reading How To: Playing to Lift Makes You One of the Cool Kids