Editing Live action role-playing game

{{short description|Form of role-playing game where participants act out the roles}}
{{redirect|Larp}}
{{good article}}
{{RPG}}
[[File:Agerboern.jpg|thumb|215px|Players dressed in character for a LARP event]]

A '''live action role-playing game''' ('''LARP''') is a form of [[role-playing game]] where the participants physically portray their [[character (arts)|character]]s.<ref name="Tychsen2006Embodiment">(Tychsen et al. 2006:255) "LARPs can be viewed as forming a distinct category of RPG because of two unique features: (a) The players physically embody their characters, and (b) the game takes place in a physical frame. Embodiment means that the physical actions of the player are regarded as those of the character. LARP participants may dress in the costume of their character and carry appropriate physical props (e.g., an 18th century militia LARP participant may wear a military uniform and carry a musket). Whereas in a RPG played by a group sitting around a table, players describe the actions of their characters (e.g., "I run to stand beside my friend"); in an equivalent situation in a LARP, a player would physically run to the appropriate point within the game space."</ref> The players pursue goals within a fictional [[setting (narrative)|setting]] represented by real-world environments while interacting with each other in character. The outcome of player actions may be mediated by game rules or determined by consensus among players. Event arrangers called [[gamemaster]]s decide the setting and rules to be used and facilitate play.

The first LARPs were run in the late 1970s, inspired by [[tabletop role-playing games]] and [[genre fiction]]. The activity spread internationally during the 1980s and has diversified into a wide variety of styles. Play may be very game-like or may be more concerned with dramatic or artistic expression. Events can also be designed to achieve educational or political goals. The fictional genres used vary greatly, from realistic modern or historical settings to fantastic or futuristic eras. Production values are sometimes minimal, but can involve elaborate venues and costumes. LARPs range in size from small private events lasting a few hours, to large public events with thousands of players lasting for days.

==Terminology==
LARP has also been referred to as ''live role-playing'' (''LRP''), ''interactive literature'', and ''free form role-playing''. Some of these terms are still in common use; however, LARP has become the most commonly accepted term.<ref name="Tychsen2006LARP">(Tychsen et al. 2006:255) "LARP ... is the commonly accepted term in the gaming community."</ref> It is sometimes written in lowercase, as ''larp''.<ref name="Fatland2005larp">(Fatland 2005:1) "The non-Nordic reader should, however, keep in mind that there are some differences between the Nordic and Anglo-American uses of English when talking about larp. Most importantly, we treat 'larp' as a word in its own right, not an acronym (L.A.R.P.), and it is spelt lower-case."</ref>

==Play overview==
The participants in a LARP physically portray characters in a fictional setting, improvising their characters' speech and movements somewhat like actors in [[improvisational theatre]].<ref>(Kilgallon et al. 2001:1) "A live action roleplaying game is a cross between a traditional 'tabletop' roleplaying game and improvisational theatre."</ref> This is distinct from tabletop role-playing games, where character actions are described verbally.<ref name="Tychsen2006Embodiment" /> LARPs may be played in a public or private area and may last for hours or days.<ref name="SalenZimmerman2003">{{cite book| last = Salen| first = Katie| author2 = Zimmerman, Eric| title = Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals| publisher = The MIT Press | year = 2003| isbn = 978-0-262-24045-1| quote= Live-Action Role-Playing Games can take place in indoor or outdoor settings, in private or public spaces.}}</ref><ref name="Widing2008">{{cite book| last = Widing| first =Gabriel| editor= Markus Montola, Jaakko Stenros| title = Playground Worlds| chapter = We Lost Our World and Made New Ones: Live Role-Playing in Modern Times| publisher = Ropecon ry| year =2008| isbn = 978-952-92-3579-7| quote= ...the participants sustain these temporary worlds for a few hours or several days}}</ref> There is usually no audience.<ref name="FalkDevonport2004Audience">(Falk & Davenport 2004:128) "...live role-playing games are devoid of the audience concept."</ref> Players may dress as their character and carry appropriate equipment, and the environment is sometimes decorated to resemble the setting.<ref name="FalkDevonport2004Costume">(Falk & Davenport 2004:131) "The LRP player, like a stage actor, is a person who under-goes a transformation into a character. The character's costume and accessories, or kit, aids this transformation ... Physical structures may be used as game locations, and sometimes even purposely constructed to enhance the game world ... Players frequently use physical artifacts as props and tools in their role-play, primarily to back up their character roles."</ref> LARPs can be one-off events or a series of events in the same setting, and events can vary in size from a handful of players to several thousand.<ref name="Tychsen2006ClassificationDuration">(Tychsen et al. 2006:259) "Most LARPs are either scenarios (or single-shots) or campaigns (also known as chronicles)"</ref><ref name="Tychsen2006EventSize">(Tychsen et al. 2006:258) "Games range in size from a handful to more than 4,000 players"</ref>

Arrangers called ''gamemasters'' (''GMs'') determine the rules and setting of a LARP, and may also influence an event and act as referees while it is taking place.<ref>(Tychsen et al. 2005:216) "In order to play, the players must have a fictional setting... In essence, the GM creates the magical circle around the game."</ref><ref>(Montola, Stenros & Waern 2009) "Runtime game mastering is the process of influencing the flow of a game in real time."</ref><ref>(Tychsen et al. 2005:218) "The GM may or may not be responsible for enforcing the rules between players... The GM can also be responsible of {{sic}} hunting down cheaters or other rule breakers."</ref> The GMs may also do the logistical work, or there may be other arrangers who handle details such as advertising the event, booking a venue, and financial management. Unlike the GM in a tabletop role-playing game, a LARP GM seldom has an overview of everything that is happening during play because numerous participants may be interacting at once. For this reason, a LARP GM's role is often less concerned with tightly maintaining a narrative or directly entertaining the players, and more with arranging the structure of the LARP before play begins and facilitating the players and crew to maintain the fictional environment during play.<ref>(Tychsen et al. 2005:218) "[The GM is] forced to let go of the game and let it take on a life of its own outside his or her control. While based on similar principles, the requirements [are] therefore very different in practice from GMs in PnP RPGs... The GM is generally, unless the LARP is small in terms of number of participants, ''not'' responsible for keeping the narrative flow. The GM can however oversee the progress of the game and help or influence where needed... Establishing a hierarchy of GMs and NPCs to monitor the game and ensure everyone is entertained and activated within the shared game space is a typical way of controlling large fantasy LARPS. This structure is usually established before the game commences."</ref>

Participants sometimes known as the ''crew'' may help the GMs to set up and maintain the environment of the LARP during play by acting as [[stagehand]]s or playing ''[[non-player character]]s'' (''NPCs'') who fill out the setting.<ref>(Bestul 2006:26) "Finally, a person may also participate as a type of stagehand. Though not all games will require them, it is occasionally necessary to have a support staff to help coordinate events and NPCs as a stage manager or running crew might."</ref><ref>(Tychsen et al. 2005:216) "The environment needs to be filled out with non-player controlled characters (NPCs)</ref> Crew typically receive more information about the setting and more direction from the GMs than players do. In a tabletop role-playing game, a GM usually plays all the NPCs, whereas in a LARP, each NPC is typically played by a separate crew member.<ref name="Tresca2010NPCs">(Tresca 2010:188) "Where LARPs differ most from tabletop games is in the handling of non-player characters (NPCs). The physical performance necessary to pull off a performance in a LARP makes it impractical for a single person to handle many NPC roles. As a result, there is often a cast of characters who take on the roles of other NPCs. Unlike the players, the NPCs usually know the game's plot and have some idea of the narrative. NPCs, then, are a form of pseudo-player. They play the game, their characters have somewhat more limited goals, but they are ultimately constrained by the plot."</ref>

Much of play consists of interactions between characters. Some LARP scenarios primarily feature interaction between PCs. Other scenarios focus on interaction between PCs and aspects of the setting, including NPCs, that are under the direction of the GMs.<ref name="styles3">(Young 2003:11) "The focus of interaction of larp... can be player to player or player to environment."</ref><ref>(Tychsen et al. 2005:216) "LARP scenarios can likewise vary from detailed scripts of each participating character, to a loose association of GM-controlled NPCs in a fictional world setting."</ref>

==History==
{{main|History of live action role-playing games}}

LARP does not have a single point of origin, but was invented independently by groups in North America, Europe, and Australia.<ref name="Tychsen2006Origin">(Tychsen et al. 2006:256) "LARPs ... appear to have developed based on inspiration from tabletop RPGs such as Dungeons & Dragons, more or less simultaneously in North America, Europe, and Australia in the early 80s. Players from all of these continents claim to have hosted the oldest LARP, however, it appears that LARPs developed independently and with marked cultural differences."</ref> These groups shared an experience with genre fiction or tabletop role-playing games, and a desire to physically experience such settings. In addition to tabletop role-playing, LARP is rooted in childhood games of [[make believe]], play fighting, [[costume party|costume parties]], [[roleplay simulation]]s, [[Commedia dell'arte]], improvisational theatre, [[psychodrama]], [[military simulation]]s, and [[historical reenactment]] groups such as the [[Society for Creative Anachronism]].<ref name="Morton2007">{{cite book| last = Morton| first = Brian| title = Lifelike| chapter = Larps and their Cousins through the Ages| editor = Donnis, Gade & Thorup| publisher = Knudepunkt 2007| year = 2007| chapter-url = http://www.liveforum.dk/kp07book/lifelike_web.pdf| access-date = 2008-05-21| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090205073521/http://www.liveforum.dk/kp07book/lifelike_web.pdf| archive-date = 2009-02-05}}</ref>

[[File:Dagorhir-2007-03.jpg|thumb|right|Two [[Dagorhir]] fighters use [[foam weapon]]s to duel.]]

The earliest recorded LARP group is ''[[Dagorhir]]'', which was founded in 1977 in the United States and focuses on [[fantasy]] battles.<ref name="dagorhirhistory">{{cite web|last=Dagorhir |title=The Origins of Dagorhir |work=Dagorhir website |url=http://www.dagorhir.com/dagorhir/history.htm |access-date=2007-07-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629193916/http://www.dagorhir.com/dagorhir/history.htm |archive-date=2007-06-29 }}</ref> Soon after the release of the movie ''[[Logan's Run (1976 film)|Logan's Run]]'' in 1976, rudimentary live role-playing games based on the movie were run at US science fiction conventions.<ref name="history2">{{cite web| last = Muir| first = John Kenneth| author-link = John Kenneth Muir| title = Logan's Run: The Series| work = John Kenneth Muir website| url = http://www.johnkennethmuir.com/JohnKennethMuirsRetroTVFile_LogansRun.html| access-date = 2007-10-19| archive-date = 2021-04-12| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210412031632/http://www.johnkennethmuir.com/JohnKennethMuirsRetroTVFile_LogansRun.html| url-status = live}}</ref> In 1981, the ''International Fantasy Gaming Society'' (IFGS) started, with rules influenced by ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''.<ref name="Lancaster1999">{{cite book|last=Lancaster|first=Kurt|title=Warlocks and Warpdrive: Contemporary Fantasy Entertainments With Interactive and Virtual Environments|page=34|publisher=McFarland|year=1999|quote=As a likely result of the popularity of ''Dungeons and Dragons'', in 1981 the International Fantasy Gaming Society (IFGS) was formed, and it published a set of rules for an outdoor, fantasy role-playing game similar to the medieval-fantasy environment of D&D.}}</ref> IFGS was named after a fictional group in the 1981 novel ''[[Dream Park]]'', which described futuristic LARPs.<ref name="ifgshistory">{{cite web| last = IFGS| title = History of the IFGS| work = IFGS website| url = http://www.ifgs.org/history.asp| access-date = 2007-07-29| archive-date = 2021-06-26| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210626053706/http://www.ifgs.org/history.asp| url-status = live}}</ref> In 1982, the ''Society for Interactive Literature'', a predecessor of the ''Live Action Roleplayers Association'' (LARPA), formed as the first recorded [[Theatre-style live action role-playing|theatre-style]] LARP group in the US.<ref name="OlmsteadDean1998">{{cite web|last=Olmstead-Dean |first=Gordon |title=Theatre Style Live Roleplaying Events |work=LARP Writing.org |year=1998 |url=http://www.larpwriting.org/essays/article_ts/ts8.shtml |quote=In 1982, Walt Frietag and some friends at Harvard University "invented" what they called "interactive literature."... Frietag called his group the "Harvard Society for Interactive Literature", which was shortened to "Society for Interactive Literature" the next year. |access-date=2008-05-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080607121135/http://www.larpwriting.org/essays/article_ts/ts8.shtml |archive-date=2008-06-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

''[[Treasure Trap]]'', formed in 1982 at [[Peckforton Castle]], was the first recorded LARP game in the UK and influenced the fantasy LARPs that followed there.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.levelup.pub/treasure-trap-and-larp|title = Treasure Trap and LARP|author = Conor Kostick|website = Level Up|access-date = July 15, 2022|archive-date = April 19, 2022|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220419193808/https://www.levelup.pub/treasure-trap-and-larp|url-status = live}}</ref><ref name=Livingstone1>{{cite book|title=Dicing with Dragons|author=Ian Livingstone|pages=194&ndash;196|publisher=Routledge|year=1982|isbn=9780710094667|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UMY9AAAAIAAJ|access-date=2017-12-31|archive-date=2024-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510183426/https://books.google.com/books?id=UMY9AAAAIAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> The first recorded LARP in Australia was run in 1983, using the science fiction ''[[Traveller (role-playing game)|Traveller]]'' setting.<ref name="history5">{{cite journal| first1 = Nicholas| last1 = Cowell| title = Free Form Role-Playing| journal = Arcanacon I - 83 Handbook| volume = 1| page = 10| url = http://www.arcanacon.org/1983/page10.html| quote = ...in the pioneering freeform tournament at Canberra Games Convention '83 participating players were members of the crew of the ship 'Sarten Valador'... rather than sitting around a table... the players move about the game environment...| access-date = 2007-10-21| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070904033919/http://arcanacon.org/1983/page10.html| archive-date = 2007-09-04| url-status = dead}}</ref> In 1993, [[White Wolf Publishing]] released ''[[Mind's Eye Theatre]],'' which is played internationally and is the most commercially successful published LARP.<ref name="Appelcline2007MET"/> The first German events were in the early 1990s, with fantasy LARP in particular growing quickly there, so that since 2001, two major German events have been run annually that have between 3000 and 7000 players each and attract players from around Europe.<ref name="Balzer2008">{{cite book | last = Balzer | first = Myriel | title = Live Action Role Playing. Die Entwicklung realer Kompetenzen in virtuellen Welten | publisher = Tectum Verlag | year = 2008 | language = de | isbn = 978-3-8288-9816-5 | quote = Die erste offizielle LARP-Veranstaltung in Deutschland, fand hochstwahrscheinlich 1994 unter dem Namen Dracon statt. Seit dem ist ein stetiger Anstieg der LARP-Veranstalungen in Deutschland zu verzeichnen...Auch hierbei sind die LARP-veranstaltungen, welche im Genre des Fantasy angesiedelt sind, mit etwa 90% am weitaus stärksten vertreten ... Seit dem Jahr 2001 gibt es des Weiteren zwei Veranstalter, welche etwa einmal im Jahr so genannte Groß-Cons veranstalten, bei denen keine Maximalbegrenzung der Teilnehmerzahl besteht und in der Regel zwischen drei- bis siebentausend Live-Rollenspieler teilnehmen und auch Teilnehmer aus dem europäischen Ausland anzutreffen sind. (The first official LARP event in Germany most likely took place in 1994 under the name Dracon. Since then a steady rise in LARPs offered in Germany is recorded ... Also LARP events based in the fantasy genre are by far the largest here with about 90% representation ... Since the year 2001 there are two organisers who hold about once a year the so-called "big Cons" where there are no maximum limits to the number of participants and in which there are usually between three and seven thousand live action role-players including people from around Europe.)}}</ref><ref name="Jahnke2009">{{Citation | last = Jahnke | first = Alex | contribution = Gelebte Träume - eine (Vor-)Geschichte des LARPs | editor-last = Dombrowski | editor-first = Karsten | title= LARP: Hinter den Kulissen. Aufsatzsammlung zum MittelPunkt 2009  | publisher = Zauberfeder | place = Braunschweig | year = 2009 |quote = 1991 fand mit dem Draccon I der erste deutsche LARP-Con statt, womit unsere Zeitreise ein Ende hat. (In 1991 Draccon I, the first german LARP convention took place, which ends our journey through time.)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.feuersturm.net/larp/drakon_1.htm|title = Drakon I (August 1992)|access-date = April 25, 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160117120027/http://www.feuersturm.net/larp/drakon_1.htm|archive-date = January 17, 2016|url-status = dead}}</ref>

Today, LARP is a widespread activity internationally. Games with thousands of participants are run by for-profit companies, and a small industry exists to sell costume, armour and foam weapons intended primarily for LARP.<ref name="Tychsen2006Spread">(Tychsen et al. 2006:258) "Today, LARPing is a widespread hobby, especially within the United States and Europe, and caters to at least 100,000 players worldwide ... Professional, full-time LARP sites also exist ... a small industry has grown-up supplying latex weapons, costumes, theater props, and special effects, and numerous special effects and make-up artists work in the LARP environment for training purposes."</ref> In 2023, ''[[Dicebreaker]]'' reported that "China has developed its own LARP phenomenon in recent years. [[#Jubensha|Jubensha]] is far more commercially successful and influential than anything we have seen before even in Nordic countries – and there is a good chance it might change our perception of what live-action roleplaying games are capable of in the future".<ref name=":4" />

==Purpose==
Most LARPs are intended as games for entertainment. Enjoyable aspects can include the collaborative creation of a story, the attempt to overcome challenges in pursuit of a character's objectives, and a sense of immersion in a fictional setting.<ref>{{cite web| last = Bøckman| first = Petter| title = The Three Way Model| work = As Larp Grows Up| publisher = Knudepunkt 2003| year = 2003| url = http://www.laivforum.dk/kp03_book/classics/three_way_model.pdf| access-date = 2011-01-23| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110719064203/http://www.laivforum.dk/kp03_book/classics/three_way_model.pdf| archive-date = 2011-07-19}}</ref> LARPs may also include other game-like aspects such as intellectual puzzles, and sport-like aspects such as fighting with simulated weapons.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bienia |first=Rafael |url=https://zauberfeder-shop.de/Role-Playing-Materials-Download |title=Role Playing Materials |date=2016-04-11 |publisher=Zauberfeder Verlag |isbn=9783938922620 |location=Dissertation. Maastricht University |oclc=981122410 |access-date=2019-04-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308160408/https://zauberfeder-shop.de/Role-Playing-Materials-Download |archive-date=2021-03-08 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Some LARPs stress artistic considerations such as dramatic interaction or challenging subject matter. [[Avant-garde]] or ''arthaus'' events have especially experimental approaches and [[high culture]] aspirations and are occasionally held in [[fine art]] contexts such as festivals or art museums. The themes of avant-garde events often include politics, culture, religion, sexuality and the [[human condition]]. Such LARPs are common in the [[Nordic countries]] but also present elsewhere.<ref name="Fatland2005arthaus">(Fatland 2005:5)</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Anna|last=Bressanin|title=Fantasy dressing up for live-action roleplay games|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17914502|work=[[BBC News Online]]|date=2012-05-02|access-date=2012-05-03|quote=Nordic art larp is more about exploring a particular emotion, or taking a journey into your own psyche.|archive-date=2016-08-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160802100611/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17914502|url-status=live}}</ref>

In addition to entertainment and artistic merit, LARP events may be designed for educational or political purposes. For example, the Danish secondary school {{ill|Østerskov Efterskole|dk}} uses LARP to teach most of its classes.<ref name="Hyltoft2008">{{Cite book |last=Hyltoft |first=Malik |editor=Markus Montola, Jaakko Stenros |title=Playground Worlds|chapter=The Role-Players' School: Østerskov Efterskole|publisher=Ropecon ry|year=2008|isbn=978-952-92-3579-7}}</ref> Language classes can be taught by immersing students in a role-playing scenario in which they are forced to improvise speech or writing in the language they are learning.<ref name="Cheng2007">"{{Cite news|last=Cheng|first=Michael|title=Student perceptions of interactive drama activities|periodical=Journal of Interactive Drama |year=2007 |volume=2 |issue=3 |pages=1–26 |url=http://www.interactivedramas.info/archive/IDJ_2_3_2007_11.pdf#page=7}}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Politically-themed LARP events may attempt to awaken or shape political thinking within a culture.<ref>(Montola, Stenros & Waern 2009) "Some pervasive larps seek to engage in active dialogue with their social environment. The purpose of such dialogue can be politically or artistically motivated. These games have a message that is aimed either at the players, at bystanders, or society as a whole."</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Andersen|first1=Anita Myhre|last2=Aarebrot|first2=Erik|chapter=Larp in Kamensky forest|title=Larp, the Universe and Everything|publisher=Knutepunkt 2009|year=2009|chapter-url=http://knutepunkt.laiv.org/2009/book/LarpInKamenskyForest/kp09_LarpInKamenskyForest.pdf|access-date=2009-05-05|archive-date=2016-03-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310030925/http://knutepunkt.laiv.org/2009/book/larpinkamenskyforest/kp09_larpinkamenskyforest.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Because LARP involves a controlled artificial environment within which people interact, it has sometimes been used as a research tool to test theories in social fields such as economics or law. For example, LARP has been used to study the application of [[game theory]] to the development of criminal law.<ref name="DetectionPaper">{{Cite news|last =Cantine|first =Tom|year =1996|title =The Role of Detection in Rule Enforcement|periodical =Masters Thesis|location =Hamilton|publisher =McMaster University|url =http://www.incentre.net/users/tcantine/thesis.html|access-date =2009-12-22|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20100519094833/http://www.incentre.net/users/tcantine/thesis.html|archive-date =2010-05-19|url-status =dead}}</ref>

==Fiction and reality==
[[Image:Duché de Bicolline.jpg|left|thumb|alt=A small town constructed in a medieval style, surrounded by forest|A medieval LARP venue, the Duchy of [[Bicolline]]]]

During a LARP, player actions in the real world represent character actions in an imaginary setting.<ref name="Tychsen2006Embodiment"/> Game rules, physical symbols and theatrical improvisation are used to bridge differences between the real world and the setting. For example, a rope could signify an imaginary wall. Realistic-looking weapon props and risky physical activity are sometimes discouraged or forbidden for safety reasons.<ref>For example, the [[Mind's Eye Theatre]] system forbids realistic looking weapons and contact. From the "Basic Rules" section: "#1 - No Touching. This means none whatsoever, even with consent ... #2 - No weapons as props ... real weapons or anything that even looks like a real weapon ... are a definite no-no." (Dansky 1996:136). Similarly, the ''Rules to Live By'' system forbids certain sorts of physical action, and recommends against realistic-looking weapons: "A participant should never have to run, climb, or jump over anything... Participants should never, ever use real weapons, even as props. They should be extremely cautious about anything that looks like a real weapon - police get nervous." (Kilgallon et al. 2001:2)</ref> While the fictional timeline in a tabletop RPG often progresses in ''game-time'', which may be much faster or slower than the time passing for players, LARPs are different in that they usually run in real-time, with game-time only being used in special circumstances.<ref>(Bestul 2006:28) "All of this, with the occasional exceptions, takes place in real-time, with the idea of game-time only invoked in certain situations (combat or emergencies, for example). "</ref>

There is a distinction between when a player is ''in character'', meaning they are actively representing their character, and when the player is ''out-of-character'', meaning they are being themselves. Some LARPs encourage players to stay consistently in character except in emergencies, while others accept players being out-of-character at times.<ref>(Waern, Montola & Stenros 2009:1550) "[In Nordic 360° illusion larp] the players stay in character continuously (unlike American larp as reported by Lancaster)"</ref> In a LARP, it is usually assumed that players are speaking and acting in character unless otherwise noted, which is the opposite of normal practice in tabletop role-playing games.<ref>(Tresca 2010:190) "Generally speaking, players in a larp are usually expected to be in character first and then signal their desire to speak or act out-of-character second, the reverse of a tabletop game."</ref>

While most LARPs maintain a clear distinction between the real world and the fictional setting, ''pervasive'' LARPs mingle fiction with modern reality in a fashion similar to [[alternate reality game]]s. Bystanders who are unaware that a game is taking place may be treated as part of the fictional setting, and in-character materials may be incorporated into the real world.<ref name="MontolaStenros2008">{{cite book| last = Markus| first = Montola| author2 = Jaakko Stenros| editor = Markus Montola, Jaakko Stenros| title = Playground Worlds| chapter = Introduction| publisher = Ropecon ry| year =2008| isbn = 978-952-92-3579-7| quote= The third and youngest design ideal is ''pervasive larp''. These ''pervasive'' LARPs blur the line between larp and life as the game spills onto the streets. The whole world becomes a playground...}}</ref><ref name="Montola2007">{{cite conference| last = Markus| first = Montola| editor = Baba, Akira| title = Tangible Pleasures of Pervasive Role-Playing| book-title = Proceedings of DiGRA 2007 Situated Play conference| publisher = The University of Tokyo| pages = 178–185| date = 2007-09-24| url = http://www.digra.org/dl/db/07312.38125.pdf| access-date = 2008-06-04| quote = Alternate reality gaming is the most widely established subgenre of pervasive gaming, but others are evolving as well.| archive-date = 2011-09-27| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110927170956/http://www.digra.org/dl/db/07312.38125.pdf| url-status = dead}}</ref>

==Rules==
[[Image:Latex weapons.jpg|right|thumb|100px|[[Foam weapon]]s are sometimes used for combat.]]

Many LARPs have game rules that determine how characters can affect each other and the setting.<ref>(Tychsen et al. 2005:216) "Rules in RPGs ... focus on 1) How the fictional world operates; 2) How the players interact with the fictional world and its inhabitants and; 3) How the players interact with each other and the GM."</ref><ref name="HitchensDrachen2009">{{Cite news|last1=Hitchens|first1=Michael|last2=Drachen|first2=Anders|title=The many faces of role-playing games|periodical=International Journal of Role-Playing|year=2009|issue=1|page=11|url=http://marinkacopier.nl/ijrp/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/hitchens_drachen_the_many_faces_of_rpgs.pdf|access-date=2009-09-12|quote=While player enaction is emphasised, formal rule systems are commonly used for determination of the outcome of many character actions|archive-date=2021-06-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210619201431/http://marinkacopier.nl/ijrp/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/hitchens_drachen_the_many_faces_of_rpgs.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The rules may be defined in a publication or created by the gamemasters.<ref>(Tychsen et al. 2005:218) "In PnP RPGs and LARPs, the GMs can be responsible for creating the rules, if an existing RPG rules system is not used."</ref> Some LARP rules call for the use of simulated weapons such as [[foam weapon]]s or [[airsoft gun]]s<ref name="terrorwerksio9">{{cite web |url=http://io9.com/5019977/how-to-become-a-real-space-marine |title=How To Become a Real Space Marine |author= Ed Grabianowski |date=June 27, 2008 |publisher=io9/Gawker Media |access-date=29 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604023122/http://io9.com/5019977/how-to-become-a-real-space-marine|url-status=live |archive-date=2010-06-04}}</ref> to determine whether characters succeed in hitting one another in combat situations. In Russian LARP events, weapons made of hard plastic, metal or wood are used.<ref name="KannRozkov2010">{{cite book|last=Kann|first=Taisia|author2=Rozhkov, Viacheslav|title=Larp graffiti: preistoria e presente dei giochi di ruolo dal vivo|chapter=Larp instead of communism: history and evolution of live-action role-playing in Russia|editor=A. Castellani|publisher=Larp Symposium 2010|year=2010|pages=171–182|chapter-url=http://www.larpsymposium.org/?page_id=409|access-date=2013-10-11|archive-date=2021-02-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224162122/http://www.larpsymposium.org/?page_id=409|url-status=live}}</ref> The alternative to using simulated weapons is to pause role-play and determine the outcome of an action symbolically, for example by rolling dice, playing [[rock paper scissors]] or comparing character attributes.<ref name="physym2">(Young 2003:7-8) "Live combat... requires the players' abilities to perform an action. You want to hit someone with a sword? You have to actually hit the player with a prop representing a sword, usually a padded weapon. ... Simulated combat is more abstract. It uses an external method that does not rely on player ability. For example, if you want to hit the other person with a sword, you may have to make a rock-paper-scissors challenge."</ref>

There are also LARPs that do without rules, instead relying on players to use their common sense or feel for dramatic appropriateness to cooperatively decide what the outcome of their actions will be.<ref name="Tychsen2006LowRules">(Tychsen et al. 2006:255) "...a LARP can be very similar to improvisational theater, with only a few guidelines for rules and a very low-powered GM."</ref>

==Genres==
LARPs can have any genre, although many use themes and settings derived from genre fiction.<ref name="FalkDevonport2004Setting">(Falk & Davenport 2004:129) "All LRP games of our definition take place within an agreed upon theme or narrative setting that provides the context for players' actions and character roles. This theme can be pretty much anything you can imagine; the possibilities are inexhaustible. To give some obvious and common examples, it may be fantasy and involve magic, heroes, and fantastic creatures, much like the game world settings of the classic tabletop role-playing games. Or, it may be realistic, based on historic events or contemporary life. Or it can be futuristic post apocalyptic environments, involving mutants and cyborgian characters dwelling in deserted cities. Or, it can be any combination of these"</ref> Some LARPs borrow a setting from an established work in another medium (e.g., ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' or the ''[[World of Darkness]]''), while others use settings based on the real world or designed specifically for the LARP.<ref name="Tychsen2006ClassificationSetting">(Tychsen et al. 2006:261) "The world setting or framework for the fictional world in which the game takes place varies greatly in LARPs. Generally, these can be divided into either real-world settings or fictional settings."</ref>

[[Image:LARP Gaslight 2006-03-11.jpg|thumb|left|LARP with a Victorian setting]]

[[File:Hardenstein 2014 - Adventurers.jpg|thumb|Fantasy LARP]]

Fantasy is one of the most common LARP genres internationally and is the genre that the largest events use.<ref name="Tychsen2006Fantasy">(Tychsen et al. 2006:258) "Exclusively, the large LARPs with hundreds or more players are set in fantasy/medieval world settings, which is the historic genre for LARPs."</ref> Fantasy LARPs are set in pseudo-historical worlds inspired by [[fantasy literature]] and fantasy role-playing games such as ''Dungeons & Dragons''. These settings typically have magic, [[Race (fantasy)|fantasy races]], and limited technology. Many fantasy LARPs focus on adventure or on conflict between character factions. In contrast, [[science fiction]] LARPs take place in futuristic settings with high technology and sometimes with [[extraterrestrial life]]. This describes a broad array of LARPs, including politically themed LARPs depicting [[dystopia]]n or [[utopia]]n societies and settings inspired by [[cyberpunk]], [[space opera]] and [[apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic]] fiction.<ref>While many of these science fiction LARPs use rules created by the event arrangers, official LARP rules have been published for the popular space opera ''[[Star Wars]]'', see (Russo & Heinig 1996)</ref>

Horror LARPs are inspired by [[horror fiction]]. Popular subgenres include [[zombie apocalypse]] and [[Cthulhu Mythos]], sometimes using the published ''[[Cthulhu Live]]'' rules.<ref>{{Cite web|year=2003|title=Interview with Robert McLaughlin|work=Flames Rising|url=http://www.flamesrising.com/interview-with-robert-mclaughlin|access-date=2011-01-26|archive-date=2021-02-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225095927/https://www.flamesrising.com/interview-with-robert-mclaughlin/|url-status=live}}</ref> The World of Darkness, published by [[White Wolf Publishing]], is a widely used [[Goth subculture|goth]]&ndash;[[Punk ideology|punk]] horror setting in which players usually portray secretive supernatural creatures such as [[vampire]]s and [[werewolf|werewolves]].<ref name="Appelcline2007MET">{{cite web| last = Appelcline| first = Shannon| title = A Brief History of Game #11: WHITE WOLF, PART ONE: 1986-1995| work = [[RPGnet]]| publisher = Skotos Tech| date = 2007-02-01| url = http://www.rpg.net/columns/briefhistory/briefhistory11.phtml| access-date = 2007-11-03| archive-date = 2007-05-23| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070523110126/http://www.rpg.net/columns/briefhistory/briefhistory11.phtml| url-status = live}}</ref>

==Styles==
LARP events have a wide variety of styles that often overlap. Simple distinctions can be made regarding the genre used, the presence of simulated weapons or abstract rules, and whether players create their own characters or have them assigned by gamemasters. There is also a distinction between scenarios that are only run once and those that are designed to be repeatable.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Harviainen|first=J Tuomas|title=Notes on designing repeatable larps|work=Larp, the Universe and Everything|publisher=Knutepunkt 2009|year=2009|url=http://knutepunkt.laiv.org/2009/book/NotesOnDesigningRepeatableLarps/kp09_NotesOnDesigningRepeatableLarps.pdf|access-date=2009-05-05|archive-date=2016-03-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305030256/http://knutepunkt.laiv.org/2009/book/NotesOnDesigningRepeatableLarps/kp09_NotesOnDesigningRepeatableLarps.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> While some LARPs are open to participants of all ages, others have a minimum age requirement. There are also youth LARPs, specifically intended for children and young people. Some are run through institutions such as schools, churches, or the [[Scouts]]. [[Denmark]] has an especially high number of youth LARPs.<ref name="Morten2005">"According to the survey, 8% of children had participated in role-playing events in nature during the last month" {{cite web
| last = Morten
| first = Gade
| title = Danish larp by numbers
| work = Dissecting larp
| publisher = Knudepunkt 2005
| year = 2005
| url = http://knutepunkt.laiv.org/Danish%20larp%20in%20numbers.pdf
| access-date = 2007-07-29
| archive-date = 2007-06-10
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070610002115/http://knutepunkt.laiv.org/Danish%20larp%20in%20numbers.pdf
| url-status = dead
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Gilsdorf |first=Ethan |date=May 11, 2012 |title=New Book Investigates the Wide, Wonderful World of LARP |language=en-US |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/2012/05/larp-book/ |access-date=2023-06-16 |issn=1059-1028 |archive-date=2023-05-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519170305/https://www.wired.com/2012/05/larp-book/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Fests ===
[[Image:Bicolline La Grande Bataille 1005.jpg|thumb|A battle with 2000 participants at [[Bicolline]], Quebec (2005)]]
Some very large events known as fests (short for ''festival'') have hundreds or thousands of participants who are usually split into competing character factions camped separately around a large venue. There are only a few fests in the world, all based in Europe and Canada; however, their size means that they have a significant influence on local LARP culture and design. At the other end of the size scale, some small events known as ''linear'' or ''line-course'' LARPs feature a small group of PCs facing a series of challenges from NPCs and are often more tightly planned and controlled by GMs than other styles of LARP.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.ifgs.org/about.asp
| title = About the IFGS
| access-date = 2007-12-08
| publisher = International Fantasy Gaming Society
| archive-date = 2021-02-28
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210228123219/http://www.ifgs.org/about.asp
| url-status = live
}}</ref>

=== Nordic LARP ===
{{Main|Nordic LARP}}
Nordic larp emphasises a collaborative "play to lose" strategy, keeping rules unobtrusive, and often explores emotionally complex issues.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/733223799|title=Nordic larp|date=2010|publisher=Fea Livia|others=Jaakko Stenros, Markus Montola|isbn=978-91-633-7856-0|edition=1st print|location=Stockholm|oclc=733223799}}</ref> The style emerged in Finland and Scandinavia during the 1990s with a focus on "collaborative storytelling around intense human experiences".<ref name=":6">{{Cite magazine |last=Anthony |first=Jason |date=September 1, 2022 |title=My 4 Days in Fake Gay-Conversion Therapy |language=en-US |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/story/my-4-days-in-fake-gay-conversion-therapy-nordic-larp/ |access-date=2023-06-16 |issn=1059-1028 |archive-date=2023-06-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609153834/https://www.wired.com/story/my-4-days-in-fake-gay-conversion-therapy-nordic-larp/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'' commented that this style adds "distinct challenges, including the possibility of real emotional harm. To work out issues of how to keep players safe and push the limits of the form, the community gathers at [[Knutepunkt]], an annual meeting that is as much hardcore game jam as academic conference".<ref name=":6" />

=== Script murder games {{anchor|Jubensha}} ===
{{Main|Jubensha}}
Script murder games, also known as ''jubensha'' ({{lit|scripted murder}}), are murder mystery LARP games that emerged in China.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last1=Paybarah |first1=Azi |last2=Niu |first2=Isabelle |date=2021-10-16 |title=China's Latest Craze: Scripted Murders, With Real Tears and Piracy |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/16/world/asia/china-murder-script.html |access-date=2023-06-15 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2023-05-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230515012609/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/16/world/asia/china-murder-script.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Ghorbanpour |first=Kamiab |date=2023-03-23 |title=Jubensha: the mix of Cluedo, Werewolf and LARP that became a Chinese phenomenon |url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/roleplaying-game/feature/jubensha-live-action-roleplaying-cluedo-werewolf-chinese-phenomenon |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=[[Dicebreaker]] |language=en |archive-date=2023-04-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424225858/https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/roleplaying-game/feature/jubensha-live-action-roleplaying-cluedo-werewolf-chinese-phenomenon |url-status=live }}</ref> Typically, script murder games can be experienced in a tabletop game format or a format which combines larping and [[escape room]]s. Players are given different script options and are assigned characters to play through the murder mystery; these games often occur at dedicated gaming stores where players pay to participate.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2021-10-05 |title=China's youth flock to murder role-playing to escape everyday life |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3151071/script-killing-craze-murder-role-playing-game |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005013154/https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3151071/script-killing-craze-murder-role-playing-game |archive-date=October 5, 2021 |access-date=2022-10-15 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Charlie |date=2022-10-14 |title=China's version of the Satanic Panic has the government regulating LARPs |url=https://www.polygon.com/23404517/dnd-china-satanic-panic-larp-games-chengdu |access-date=2022-10-15 |website=Polygon |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-10-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014193955/https://www.polygon.com/23404517/dnd-china-satanic-panic-larp-games-chengdu |url-status=live }}</ref> The style become popularized in 2015 "when reality shows with names like 'Lying Man,' 'Dinner Party Seduction,' and later 'Who's The Murderer,' showed celebrities playing whodunits"<ref name=":3" /> which led to the development of jubensha clubs that run games in this style.<ref name=":4" />

==Cultural significance==
[[File:2014-09-13 tracon9 tampere-talo sorsapuisto.jpg|thumb|Open [[Foam weapon|boffer]] tournament during the Tracon 9 event in [[Tampere|Tampere, Finland]]]]
Roleplaying may be seen as part of a movement in Western culture towards [[participatory art]]s, as opposed to traditional spectator arts.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Larsson|first=Elge|chapter=Postmodernity and participation|year=2005|editor-last=Haggren|editor-first=Kristoffer|title=Interacting Arts - International Issue 2005|publisher=Interacting Arts|chapter-url=http://interactingarts.org/data/ia-international-05.pdf|access-date=2008-04-24|archive-date=2008-05-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514025234/http://interactingarts.org/data/ia-international-05.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Participants in a LARP cast off the role of passive observer and take on new roles that are often outside of their daily life and contrary to their culture.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Werkman|first=Rachel|chapter=Vampire: The Masquerade - a countercultural performance|year=2001|editor-last=Lancaster|editor-first=Kurt|editor2-last=Mikotowicz|editor2-first=Thomas J|title=Performing the force|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-0895-5}}</ref> The arrangers of a LARP and the other participants act as co-creators of the game.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Baker|first1=Andrew|last2=Curasi|first2=Carolyn|title=Consequences of Co-Creation in Fantasy-Based Consumption Communities: Netnographic Analysis of a Live Action Role Playing Organization|year=2008|editor-last=Baker|editor-first=Andrew|periodical=Advances in Consumer Research|volume=35|publisher=Association for Consumer Research|url=http://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/v35/naacr_vol35_124.pdf|access-date=2009-09-17|archive-date=2021-03-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302133637/https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/v35/naacr_vol35_124.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> This collaborative process of creating shared fictional worlds may be associated with a broader burgeoning "[[geek]]" culture in [[developed country|developed societies]] that is in turn associated with prolonged education, high uptake of information technology and increased leisure time.<ref name="Konzack2006">{{cite conference|last=Konzack|first=Lars|title=Geek Culture: The 3rd Counter-Culture|book-title=Fun 'n' Games 2006|publisher=Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA)|year=2006|url=http://www.vrmedialab.dk/~konzack/GeekCulture.pdf|access-date=2009-09-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070122122230/http://www.vrmedialab.dk/~konzack/GeekCulture.pdf|archive-date=2007-01-22|url-status=dead}}</ref> In comparison to the mainstream video-game industry, which is highly commercialized and often marketed towards a male audience, LARP is less commoditized, and women actively contribute as authors and participants.<ref name="Fron2007">{{cite conference |last1=Fron |first1=Janine |last2=Fullerton |first2=Tracy |author3-link=Jacquelyn Ford Morie |last3=Jacquelyn Ford Morie |first3=Jacquelyn Ford Morie |last4=Pearce |first4=Celia |title=The Hegemony of Play |book-title=Proceedings of DiGRA 2007 Conference: Situated Play |publisher=Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) |year=2007 |url=http://www.ludica.org.uk/LudicaHegemony.pdf |access-date=2009-09-20 |quote=[The "hardcore" video gamer market] is characterized by an adolescent male sensibility that transcends physical age and embraces highly stylized graphical violence, male fantasies of power and domination, hyper-sexualized, objectified depictions of women, and rampant racial stereotyping and discrimination ... The "Geek" described by Konzack implies counter-culture, as characterized by The Lord of the Rings and Star Trek fan culture, Live-Action Role Playing Games (LARPs), MUDs and MOOs; he further points out that women are actively contributing to the third culture as both authors and participants, notably in LARPs, cosplay, fan fiction communities, as well as establishing the Game Grrls phenomenon and female fan networks. Conversely, mainstream gamer culture has been commoditized and commercialized... |archive-date=2021-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305151547/http://www.ludica.org.uk/LudicaHegemony.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

LARP is not well known in most countries and is sometimes confused with other role-playing, reenactment, costuming, or dramatic activities. While [[fan (person)|fan]] and [[gamer]] culture in general has become increasingly mainstream in developed countries, LARP has often not achieved the same degree of cultural acceptability. This may be due to intolerance of the resemblance to childhood games of pretend, a perceived risk of over-identification with the characters, and the absence of mass marketing.<ref name="Leppalahti2004">{{cite book |last=Leppälahti|first=Merja|editor=Markus Montola, Jaakko Stenros|title=Beyond Role and Play|chapter=About the Community of Role-Players|publisher=Ropecon ry|chapter-url=http://www.ropecon.fi/brap/ch28.pdf|year=2004|isbn=978-952-91-6843-9|access-date=2009-04-24|archive-date=2010-09-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100911115522/http://www.ropecon.fi/brap/ch28.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite conference|last=Tocci|first=Jason|title=The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style|book-title=Proceedings of MiT5 conference|publisher=Massachusetts Institute of Technology|date=2007-04-29|url=http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/papers/Tocci.pdf|access-date=2009-04-24|quote=Many of those with whom I spoke said that they have a number of different geeky interests, but draw the line at cosplay or live-action role-playing games (LARPs), hobbies in which players might dress in costume and act as a character... too closely resemble a child's game of "let's play pretend" to outside observers, thus standing on the less acceptable side of the divide "between the people who do these things and the people who live these things", as phrased by one of my interviewees... The LARPers may seem, as some of my interviewees would suggest, too geeky (i.e., too freely creative and immersed in media, too focused on use-value)|conference=|archive-date=2016-08-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160824140841/http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/papers/Tocci.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> In US films such as the 2006 documentary ''[[Darkon (film)|Darkon]]'', the 2007 documentary ''[[Monster Camp]]'', and the 2008 comedy ''[[Role Models]]'', fantasy LARP is depicted as somewhat ridiculous and [[escapism|escapist]], but also treated affectionately as a "constructive social outlet".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Coffman|first=Jason|title=Role Models(2008)|publisher=Film Monthly.com|year=2008|url=http://www.filmmonthly.com/now_playing/role_models.html|access-date=2009-04-25|quote=It's to the film's credit that LARPing comes across as both completely ridiculous and as a valid, constructive social outlet|archive-date=2021-02-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224175943/http://www.filmmonthly.com/now_playing/role_models.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Cockrell|first=Eddie|title=Darkon|publisher=Variety|year=2006|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117930872.html?categoryid=31&cs=1|access-date=2009-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090905072105/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117930872.html?categoryid=31&cs=1|archive-date=2009-09-05|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Harvey|first=Dennis|title=Monster Camp: The Story Of Nero Seattle|publisher=Variety|year=2007|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117933275.html?categoryid=31&cs=1|access-date=2009-08-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090905071519/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117933275.html?categoryid=31&cs=1|archive-date=2009-09-05|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the Nordic countries, LARP has achieved a high level of public recognition and popularity. It is often shown in a positive light in mainstream media, with an emphasis on the dramatic and creative aspects.<ref name="Fatland2005NordicRecognition">(Fatland 2005) "The popularity of larp [in the Nordic countries] has recently made it a feature of 'common knowledge', so that a Swedish journalist may refer to something unrelated as 'larp-like', Finnish TV produces a teen soap opera about fantasy larpers, and a Norwegian professor of theatre history routinely ends his course by mentioning larp as the 'new theatre'."</ref> However, even in Norway, where LARP has greater recognition than in most other countries, it has still not achieved full recognition as a cultural activity by government bodies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.klassekampen.no/54499/mod_article/item&sl=no&tl=en&hl=en&ie=UTF-8|last=Müller|first=Olav Brostrup|title=We play an important role: Role play-writers are losing the battle for cultural assets|access-date=2009-04-24|publisher=Klassekampen|year=2008|language=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311211842/http://klassekampen.no/54499/mod_article/item%26sl%3Dno%26tl%3Den%26hl%3Den%26ie%3Dutf-8|archive-date=2016-03-11|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Communities have formed around the creation, play and discussion of LARP. These communities have developed a [[subculture]] that crosses over with role-playing, fan, reenactment, and drama subcultures.<ref name="Leppalahti2004" /><ref name="Copier2005">{{cite conference|last=Copier|first=Marinka|title=Connecting Worlds. Fantasy Role-Playing Games, Ritual Acts and the Magic Circle|book-title=Proceedings of DiGRA 2005 Conference: Changing Views--Worlds in Play|publisher=Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA)|year=2005|url=http://www.digra.org/dl/db/06278.50594.pdf|access-date=2009-04-26|archive-date=2006-10-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061010084831/http://www.digra.org/dl/db/06278.50594.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Early LARP subculture focused on [[J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]-like fantasy, but it later broadened to include appreciation of other genres, especially the horror genre with the rapid uptake of the ''World of Darkness'' setting in the 1990s.<ref name="Copier2005" /><ref name="Montola2007SpaceTimePlay">{{Cite book|last=Montola|first=Marcus|chapter=Urban Role-Play: The Next Generation of Role-Playing in Urban Space|year=2007|editor-last=von Borries|editor-first=Friedrich|editor2-last=Walz|editor2-first=Steffen P|editor3-last=Böttger|editor3-first=Matthias|title=Space Time Play. Computer Games, Architecture and Urbanism: the Next Level|publisher=Birkhäuser Basel|isbn=978-3-7643-8415-9|quote=That Lord of the Rings-induced stereotypical image of LARP started to crumble in the 90s as LARP based on anything from science fiction to Jane Austen began to emerge, taking gameplay from forests and castles into industrial halls, idyllic villas and city streets.}}</ref> Like many subcultures, LARP groups often have a common context of shared experience, language, humour, and clothing that can be regarded by some as a lifestyle.<ref name="Leppalahti2004"/>

LARP has been a subject of academic research and theory. Much of this research originates from role-players, especially from the publications of the Nordic [[Knutepunkt]] role-playing conventions.<ref>(Waern, Montola & Stenros 2009:1550) "The community is well documented through annual self-reflective books published by the annual "Nodal Point" events where theorists and practitioners meet to discuss larp"</ref> The broader academic community has recently begun to study LARP as well, both to compare it to other media and other varieties of interactive gaming, and also to evaluate it in its own right.<ref name="MontolaStenros2008"/><ref>{{Cite news|last1 =Drachen|first1 =Anders|last2=Smith|first2=Jonas Heide|year=2008|title=Player talk—the functions of communication in multiplayer role-playing games|periodical=Computers in Entertainment (CIE)|location=New York|publisher=ACM|volume=6|issue=4|url=http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1461999.1462008|issn =1544-3574|access-date =2009-04-25}}</ref> In 2010, William Bainbridge speculated that LARP may one day evolve into a major industry in the form of [[location-based game]]s using [[ubiquitous computing]].<ref name="Bainbridge2010">{{cite conference|last=Bainbridge|first=William Sims |title=Online Multiplayer Games|book-title=Synthesis Lectures on Information Concepts, Retrieval, and Services #13|publisher=Morgan & Claypool|page=3|year=2010|volume=1 |quote=With ubiquitous Internet connectivity, and mobile access through cellphones or PDAs, it is possible this genre could grow into a major industry, possibly integrated with traditional activities such as history-oriented tourism, nature trail hiking, or stock market trading.|doi=10.2200/S00232ED1V01Y200912ICR013 }}</ref>

In [[Denmark]], Østerskov Efterskole uses LARP as an educational method of teaching subjects to high school boarding students through interactivity and simulation.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pearl |first1=Mike |title=At This Danish School, LARPing Is the Future of Education |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/at-this-danish-school-larping-is-the-future-of-education-482/ |website=Vice |access-date=17 May 2019 |date=2015-10-07 |archive-date=2020-01-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131060601/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/yvx4zb/at-this-danish-school-larping-is-the-future-of-education-482 |url-status=live }}</ref> LARP groups are also using simulations of current and historical events and topics like refugees and the AIDS crisis to roleplay and explore these subjects.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Reith-Banks |first1=Tash |title=Beyond Dungeons and Dragons: can role play save the world? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/26/can-live-action-role-play-larp-save-the-world |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=17 May 2019 |date=2018-03-26 |archive-date=2021-04-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420220027/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/26/can-live-action-role-play-larp-save-the-world |url-status=live }}</ref>

In China, the script murder game industry ([[jubensha]]) has continued to grow since 2015. ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported that in 2021 "the number of scripted murder enterprises registered in China totaled about 6,500, a more than 60 percent increase from the prior year, according to state-run media".<ref name=":3" /> The ''[[Agence France-Presse]]'' reported that "the live action murder mystery market appears to have captured the imagination of China's urban youth before the Covid-19 pandemic emerged".<ref name=":1" /> During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], "Murder Mystery Game" (MMG) apps allowed people to play jubensha digitally and were "available to millions of people across" China.<ref name=":4" /> ''[[Dicebreaker]]'' reported that following the easing of pandemic restrictions in China, "more than 45,000 [jubensha] shops" opened with "nearly 10 million active players. It is estimated that soon the Jubensha market will reach 23.89 billion Chinese Yuan".<ref name=":4" /> [[Voice of America]] commented that, per the Chinese market research firm [[IResearch Consulting Group|iResearch]], script murder games are "the third most popular form of entertainment for Chinese people, after watching movies and participating in sports".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-07 |title=China Trying to Snuff Murder Mystery Role-Playing Games |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/china-trying-to-snuff-murder-mystery-role-playing-games/6301966.html |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=VOA |language=en |archive-date=2023-04-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230414145634/https://www.voanews.com/a/china-trying-to-snuff-murder-mystery-role-playing-games/6301966.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The popularization of script murder games and industry growth in China has led to both national and governmental attention with the Chinese government considering formal regulation of the industry.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5" /> In September 2020, the ''Agence France-Presse'' commented that "a report on China National Radio last month voiced fears that too many of the scripts relied on murders, violent plots and sexual content, but others see the games as a way to get young people off their smartphones and back interacting with each other in real life".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2020-09-15 |others=[[Agence France-Presse]] |title=China youth escape reality in 'Whodunnit?' role-playing boom |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3101585/china-youth-escape-reality-whodunnit-role-playing-boom |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918105458/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3101585/china-youth-escape-reality-whodunnit-role-playing-boom |archive-date=September 18, 2020 |access-date=2022-10-15 |website= |publisher=[[South China Morning Post]] |language=en}}</ref> In October 2021, the ''[[South China Morning Post]]'' reported that "advertisements for script-killing are prominent in China. [...] The fact that it is a new industry is precisely the problem in the eyes of the authorities. Since the Covid-19 case that brought 'script-killing' to national attention, the game has been getting mainstream traction, inviting official concerns and possible future regulations".<ref name=":0" /> In October 2022, ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' commented that Chinese "regulators are beginning to take notice of the genre's mature content. A story published Wednesday indicates that municipal and provincial authorities have now begun regulating content and demanding that some retailers remove certain materials from sale. [...] As a result, some store owners are now curating their selection to fall in line with government regulation".<ref name=":2" /> ''[[China Daily]]'', a publication owned by the [[Chinese Communist Party]], reported in April 2023 that China's [[Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China|Ministry of Culture and Tourism]] was beginning to draft regulations for script murder games and "soliciting public opinions".<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last= |date=2023-04-14 |title=China plans to prohibit murder mystery games for minors on school days |url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202304/14/WS6438b5e4a31057c47ebba1a5.html |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=[[China Daily]] |archive-date=2023-04-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415131758/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202304/14/WS6438b5e4a31057c47ebba1a5.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The draft regulations state that "the contents of such games must not smear the traditional Chinese culture or contain inappropriate materials involving obscenity, gambling, drugs, and other elements that could go against moral standards".<ref name=":5" /> The regulations also include additional rules for minors such as not allowing "underage customers on school days" and that "children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by their parents or other guardians".<ref name=":5" />

==See also==
* [[Cosplay]]
* [[List of live action role-playing groups]]
<!-- STOP! Do not list gaming groups in this article. Instead add them to "List of live action role-playing games -->

==References==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist|30em}}

=== General and cited references ===
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}}
* {{cite book
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* {{cite journal
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| author4 = Kavakli, Manolya
| title = Live Action Role-Playing Games: Control, Communication, Storytelling, and MMORPG Similarities
| journal = [[Games and Culture]]
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}}
* {{cite conference|last1=Waern|first1=Annika|last2=Montola|first2=Markus|last3=Stenros|first3=Jaakko|title=The three-sixty illusion: designing for immersion in pervasive games|conference=Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems|book-title=Proceedings of the 27th international conference on Human factors in computing systems|publisher=ACM|date=2009-04-08}}
* {{cite book
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| year = 2003
| isbn = 978-0-9708356-8-0}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==

* The [https://nordiclarp.org/wiki/Main_Page Nordic Larp Wiki] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207220106/https://nordiclarp.org/wiki/Main_Page |date=2022-02-07 }} has extensive documentation of this style of playing, and of specific larps.
{{Fandom}}
{{Pervasive games}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Live-action role-playing games| ]]
[[Category:Combat sports]]
[[Category:Nerd culture]]
[[Category:Role-playing]]