LARP

Live-Action Roleplay

Week Two

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

Topic: Memory

Location: Black Box

feedback and problems from first trail run

  • The overall storyline flow is not smooth, making it difficult to guide participants through the experience. Additionally, the story has many detail and twists we want to add, so the explanation for participants is unclear, causing participants to struggle with fully understanding the narrative and leaving them feeling confused.

  • The storyline should make participants question whether they should escape from the highly controlling government or not. However, the characters' information is not detailed enough, making it difficult for participants to feel motivated to break free from control. Additionally, the agent of chaos was unclear about when and why they should create chaos.

  • Including all the word search puzzles, had some clue-related issues that needed to be resolved. Additionally, adjustments were needed for the uniformity of chair colors at the venue and the information on the character cards. We identified more details to refine and fix.

the final storyline

the final storyline

The story: It is 2030. After five years in cryogenic sleep, you awaken to a world that has drastically changed. A new government and societal structure have emerged, rendering the rules and systems you once knew obsolete.

To adapt to this new reality, you must complete assigned tasks to secure your role in society, uncover the secrets of the past five years, and uncover the truth. Participants have to find out the place that hides the truth(Medical Bay) and discuss together to escape from the control of the government or not.

Characters: There are characters portrayed by us, the scientists, who work for the government to monitor the public. However, a double agent is secretly among them, trying to expose the truth. Additionally, there is a truthseeker who assists participants in solving all the puzzles.

make-it process

We went to the Digital Printing and Printing Finishing Studio to create our props. It was a great experience that helped us better understand the school's facilities while also being really fun!

In the graphical memory challenge, Karolis integrated both software and hardware to create interactive mechanisms, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

result:

In our LARP, we want participants to reflect on the ability to control their own consciousness. Some may consider the benefits, such as securing a stable government job, while others may fear the long-term consequences—having already surrendered five years of their memory, what might be taken next? Some may simply wish to reunite with their loved ones. This mirrors real-life situations, where the convenience of smartphones often comes at the cost of personal data. As we trade privacy for ease, where do we draw the line?

This LARP isn’t perfect nor able to satisfy everyone, but we did our best within the limited time. It was a fun and valuable experience.

Behind the scenes

  • the good scientist

    Chenchen is a double agent in the LARP, secretly providing clues about what the government has done and assisting players in their escape.

  • the mechanism

    Karolis used materials such as wires, buttons, a small speaker compatible with the wires and board, and a can to amplify the sound.

  • The group picture

    We created wristbands for the characters and our team members, allowing them to choose any name they wanted. It gave us a stronger sense of unity as a team.

refLEction

Based on several trial runs we had, I found that participant engagement played a crucial role in how the game unfolded. Initially, we considered adding more details as clues or incorporating additional mini-games to enhance the entertainment of the LARP experience. However, I realized that the key to a compelling and immersive game was maintaining participants' attention and fixing all the details. We needed to pay closer attention to helping them fully engage with their roles and the storyline.