Lights, Camera, L.A.R.P.!
Designing a Live Action Role-Play (L.A.R.P.) themed around a future dead zone of light
20th January - 31st January, 2025
OVERVIEW
A LARP blends improvisation, role-play, and interactive storytelling into a lived experience. Our brief was to design and run a LARP around a near-future dead zone of light; an imagined future where light is absent. We leveraged embodied, speculative methods to explore a critical question about human interaction in such a world.
My Role
End-to-end delivery including research, script writing, playtesting, visual design, art direction, documentation
Team
Diya Paode, Chaitanya Tiwari, Sakshi, Primrose Adam, Stav Perry, Sian, Lancy, Mustafa Motiwala, Uday Goel, Kim Dabeen, Grania Gu
Project partners
THE PROCESS
The First Iteration
Scenario: In a future ravaged by environmental collapse, society has split underground.
The Light Holders; wealthy elites; live in fortified bunkers powered by artificial light. Surrounded by steel walls and guarded by light-based traps, they’ve never needed to adapt to darkness. Light is their weapon, and visibility is power.
Outside these glowing fortresses lie the shadowy tunnels of the Dark Dwellers; resourceful survivors who’ve evolved to navigate the dark. Agile, stealthy, and adapted to lightless life, they scavenge and steal to survive, targeting the bunkers for food and supplies.
Now, the labyrinthine tunnels of the Dark Dwellers are slowly encircling the bunkers. Tensions rise as one side defends with light, and the other strikes from the dark. Every encounter is a test of adaptation, cunning, and control over the unseen.
LARP Iteration 1: Scenario Storyboard
I realised our concept lacked depth; there was no clear question driving design choices. Feedback from our tutors stressed the importance of anchoring the LARP in a provocative research question, where every element of the experience scaffolds that exploration. We decided to pivot towards a blackout scenario.
Exploring the Absence of Light
In an effort to understand how we interact in the complete absence of light, we played blindfolded games.
Playing Marco Polo and Blindfold Races unearthed movement restrictions & leverage points for the LARP
Inspired by the sensory constraints explored in our blindfolded playtests, we transitioned into a phase of individual ideation. Each team member generated concepts independently, which were then collectively clustered through an affinity mapping exercise. This process allowed us to surface recurring themes, identify shared areas of interest, and begin shaping the experiential direction of our LARP.
Affinity Mapping
The question that emerged through the common themes mapped was;
| Can humans build trust without sight?
Humans instinctively feel safer in the light, as visibility allows us to assess surroundings and potential threats, reinforcing control and security. Exploring the Effects of Light and Dark on Crime in London by Erturk, Raynham, and Unwin highlights how well-lit environments reduce crime, suggesting darkness fosters uncertainty and fear. Out of Sight,Out of Trust? shows that reduced visibility and interaction, such as in workplace isolation, erodes trust. In darkness, where facial expressions and body language vanish, the cues we rely on for trust diminish (van Zoonen, Sivunen, and Blomqvist, 2023).
| Our LARP thus explores if and how humans build trust when sight is compromised
The Complexity Trap: Simplifying Through Iteration
As we built out our LARP, it became too complex. There were too many mechanics, too many character layers. We traced this back to two factors:
• Thinking in terms of game-heavy systems like Dungeons & Dragons, where elaborate rules govern play.
• Disconnect in approaches; some focused on characters, while others prioritised props and mechanics.
• Discussing but not playtesting!
To fix this, we restructured our process. Instead of designing top-down, we built bottom-up, constantly play-testing and iteratively adding / refining elements.
Iterative addition / elimination / refinement of game elements based on constant play-testing
To address the disconnected POVs while character building; we moved away from screens and use pen and paper instead of FigJam. Sketching and writing keywords brought focused attention and helped us align.
THE OUTCOME
Scenario
London, 2030. Climate change has overwhelmed flood defences, submerging large parts of the city. A group of survivors are trapped inside a flooding tube station.
In the chaos, all have lost vital belongings, without which they cannot leave. Most crucially, the exit requires the TFL worker’s keys, which is also lost in the chaos. Floodwaters are rising, and time is running out. The blackout makes it impossible to verify identities or read facial expressions.
Gameplay
Players must go underwater to retrieve their precious belongings, every 2 minutes they must come back to the “safe” zone above water to “catch their breath”. The TFL worker’s keys are the way to escape, and players can only leave when they have retrieved their item.
Left: Vision of Space and Sound Setup in the LCC Canteen Space | Right: Group Roles during LARP
Onboarding
After a safety and rules briefing, players received their Character Cards, costumes, and ‘precious belongings’. They had one minute to step into character before being told that they were trapped. Then, blindfolds were placed on them, and the runtime began.
Left: Rule Card handed out to Players [designed by me]
Right: Character Cards given to players. Prompts allowed them to think about their character’s backstory and immerse into the LARP. Visual styling matches TfL aesthetic, adding to the immersion. [designed by Uday Goel]
Characters in Costume and their Precious Belongings; items are tied with bells to help navigate by sound
[shot by Chaitanya and I, assisted by Stav, Uday, Mustafa, Sian, Lancy]
Lights, Camera, LARP!
The Set-Up: Transforming the LCC canteen space for our LARP
Key Moments from our Live Action Role-Play
On-Boarding
Runtime
Off-Boarding
Offboarding
With snacks at the table to replenish after a physically demanding LARP, we encouraged participants to explore their thought processes, decision-making strategies, and emotional responses throughout the game.
Insights from Player’s Responses from Off-Boarding Phase
THE FEEDBACK
What Worked ✅
Seamless Onboarding: Players felt guided into roles smoothly, making immersion natural.
Design Details Mattered: Costumes, character prompts, and environmental sounds deepened engagement.
Player Commitment: Even in short gameplay, characters felt real, decisions felt meaningful.
What Needed Refinement 🔄
Sound as a Game Mechanic: Water sounds were meant to obscure voices, but did not work as intended, highlighting the need for iterative sound testing.
Language Constraints: A non-English-speaking character led to isolation rather than innovation, raising questions on accessibility in role constraints.
Trust vs. Chaos: Did the LARP test trust, or simply create chaotic navigation? A longer runtime might deepen interpersonal trust dynamics.
IN RETROSPECT
Throughout the LARP, I tried to align the process to its practical implications in my professional practise.
LARP as a “Carrier Bag” of Possibilities
A particularly striking analogy of the LARP was to Le Guin’s idea of an experience as a bag; not something rigidly designed with a fixed outcome, but a collection of opportunities for players to explore, interact with, and expand upon (Le Guin, 1986). Instead of designing for a singular narrative, LARP invites improvisation and emergent storytelling.
World Creators Are Not Always in the World
One key realisation was that those who design systems often do not experience them firsthand. LARP offers decision-makers a chance to step into the world they shape. By immersing themselves in real interactions, struggles, and behaviours, they gain a deeper understanding of how their systems truly function.
Players Shape the World
Once participants entered the space, they took what they liked and made it their own. Some created a fictional “turkey language”, while others used objects as sound cues for navigation. This emergent creativity reinforced that design is never static; a designer sets rules, but players define the experience.
Onboarding is Omnipresent
The way participants are onboarded into a LARP mirrors onboardings in apps or even jobs. Just as digital products guide users through features and functions, our onboarding helped understand rules, roles, and mechanics before stepping into the experience. Similarly, LARP can serve as a tool for onboarding in workplaces, helping new employees navigate company culture and collaboration in an experiential way.
A Research Tool for Sensitive Topics
Stepping into character was unexpectedly freeing, making me realise that LARP can be a powerful tool for user research on sensitive topics. Participants can share experiences through role-play rather than direct exposure, reducing discomfort, bias, and personal stakes.
BACK TO ALL WORK