LARP

Live-Action Roleplay

Week One

Team: Anwesha, Karolis, Izzy, Zoe, Jiayi, Yanshan, Oluwabukola, Dylan, Chenchen, Lissy, Ellen

Topic: Memory

Location: Black Box

Random Musings

Speaking of memory, The Bourne Identity comes to mind—a film about Jason Bourne, who, after losing his memory, struggles to uncover his identity while evading the CIA. Using a package of tools, he navigates dangers, regains his past, and rescues his girlfriend.

Similarly, the book The Binding explores memory’s connection to books. In this world, painful memories can be "bound" into books, erasing them from the mind. This practice, carried out by Bookbinders, is shrouded in moral and social controversy.

brainstorming

  • ✔ The Memory Police (1994)

    by Yōko Ogawa is a dystopian novel set on a secluded island where an authoritarian force, the Memory Police, systematically erases objects and the memories tied to them.

  • ✔ Memory (technology)

    With mass production of data-storage technology no longer feasible, societies must reduce data generation and develop new methods to store information within limited memory constraints.

  • ✔ Value of memory

    People discover the truth about memories during the game, using cues and interactions to reveal parts that have been hidden or tampered with.

  • ✔ disease of memory

    Alzheimer’s disease has complex causes, but a key factor is the buildup of two proteins, amyloid and tau, in the brain. Under certain conditions, these proteins clump together, forming plaques and tangles that disrupt brain function.

  • ✔ Cluedo (board game)

    Murder mystery background. People are assigned characters, there are clues with the tools that were used to murder someone, multiple rooms/scenes

  • ✔ False Memory

    In psychology, a false memory is a phenomenon where someone recalls something that did not actually happen or recalls it differently from the way it actually happened. 

ideation

ideation

After brainstorming together, we extracted interesting elements from various stories to build our LARP storyline. For example, the idea of the government controlling people's free will became a central theme. Inspirations came from Dark Water and the Paris Olympics, both of which highlighted water as an essential part of life—making it a compelling medium for spreading toxins.

Premise: Political

Nemesis: Government

Murder Mystery

initial sturcture

After a group vote, we unanimously agreed that the theme of memory should focus on recovering lost memories rather than altering existing ones. With this in mind, we developed a potential structure for the LARP.

The concept is inspired by an escape room. The game will accommodate ten players, with puzzles and challenges set up on both sides of the room. Each player will independently solve different sections, gathering clues along the way. They can choose whether to share information with others or keep it to themselves. In the end, they must collectively decide whether to escape together or face the consequences of their choices.

site inSpection

Then, we conducted our first site inspection at the designated location- BLACK BOX. We set up tables and chairs for each puzzle, discussed the movement paths for props, identified usable spaces, and planned how to arrange props to enhance the atmosphere.

detail discussion

We had discussions with Al, receiving valuable suggestions and guidance. Additionally, we frequently used the body storming method and played Werewolf(Mafia), immersing ourselves in different roles and games to understand potential participant experiences. Considering space, material limitations, and atmosphere, we adjusted the design by keeping a single open space and adding the scientist and agent of chaos roles, aiming to evoke feelings of betrayal and challenge for participants.

props & charactors

By the end of the first week, we began making props and worked on finalizing all the puzzles and challenges. Everyone drew inspiration from familiar variety shows and games while we explored different ideas. We tested various games, ensuring they were engaging while also considering time consumption and difficulty. Ultimately, we wrapped up the week with each person designing and preparing their respective props.

refLEction

The first week was quite challenging and intense as we were brainstorming ideas while simultaneously trying to understand what LARP is. We played numerous games together to develop characters and identify those best suited for our LARP. From my perspective, LARP closely aligns with the TUX design I read about, as our planning and execution encompass an entire UX system. This made the process even more complex—learning to design something new while ensuring it was cohesive and immersive. The planning stage gave me a lot to think about.