My book, Writing Freeform Larps, covers writing and running freeform larps. However, it doesn’t cover turning a freeform from your notes into something that other people can run.
So, assuming that you’ve run your game and incorporated feedback, what else should you do to get your freeform into a state where others can pick it up and run it?
This is what I do.
Files and formats
I usually publish games as pdfs, and I assume the buyer will print the game at home. If I’m happy for my work to be edited, I’ll give away the MS Word files. (In either case, I embed the fonts I’ve used.)
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| My game files for All Flesh is Grass |
File naming I usually do like this: GameName_XX_Name_of_File. Where:
- GameName is the name of the game – or an abbreviation
- XX is a number, starting at 01 for the instructions
- Name_of_File is the name of a file, such as a character name or “Setting”
The instructions file is file 01 because that’s the first thing I want the GM to read. It introduces the game and explains how everything works. More on instructions below.
The setting and background file is (for me), normally file 02. It contains the overall setting and probably a cast list. It’s the pre-game stuff I will send out when I’m advertising the game.
Individual files for each character. These are individual files so they can be easily emailed to players in advance. If you don’t expect your GMs to do that, you can put all the characters in a single document.
I might have separate files for cards, name badges, contingencies or handouts, depending on how complex the game is. (If the game is relatively straightforward, I will put these in the instructions file.)
At Freeform Games, we have a separate summary file of key things for the host (so the timetable and answers to key questions) that can be used to run the game on the day (rather than the much longer instructions file). But I’ve not done that for other games.
One thing that’s been brought to my attention recently is that if someone is using a print service, it’s worth keeping stuff that needs printing single-sided in different files from anything printed double-sided. (That’s not something I’ve thought about before.)
Fonts and layout
Fonts: I use fonts from https://fonts.google.com/ as they have a good range and don’t have any copyright or licensing issues. I like EB Garamond as a body font, and then I use something suitable for headers. (I should probably try and find a font that I like that is more dyslexia-friendly, but I'm not there yet.)
Justified or ragged right: I find ragged right (ie, text aligned left, like this blog post) easier to read and looks better if you use Word to prepare your files. (If you know what you’re doing, then go for justified text. If you don’t know what I mean by “if you know what you’re doing,” then stick with ragged right.)
Line length: The ideal line length is 50-70 characters. Long lines are harder to read, as are short ones.
One column or two: That’s personal preference, and you may find the line length and paper size dictate your options.
Font size: As I age, I usually prefer a larger font that is easier on my eyes. I usually use EB Garamond at 14 points for body text. Or even bigger if I expect character sheets to be printed at two pages to a single sheet.
Page numbers: I put the file name and page number in the footer on each page. (Such as “Instructions page 1 of 12”.)
And use “curly quotes/apostrophes” (like these) rather than straight quotes or apostrophes.
Consistency and proofreading
If several authors contributed to your game, they almost certainly have different writing styles. Some might be verbose, others terse. Maybe someone types two spaces after a full stop, while others don’t. Maybe there are spelling differences, such as realize/realise (and many, many more.) Perhaps one person writes in active tense and others write in the passive tense. These differences all stand out.
I recommend that one person give everything a final polish, and they also arrange for a proofread by someone who hasn’t read the game before.
(Apps can help - I use Wordrake, Grammarly and PerfectIt. They’re not free, and you have to learn how to interpret them rather than follow them blindly, but they’re a great start and highlight things to look at.)
Instructions
What are you including in your instructions file? This is important - if GMs can’t follow it, they can’t run your game. This is how I structure mine:
- Intro: A brief introduction explaining the game in broad principles. This is an elevator pitch, including how long the game is likely to take and how many players and GMs are needed.
- Contents: A list of all the files that come with the game and a brief description of what’s in each. (For example: “AFiG_02_Setting – the setting and cast list for All Flesh is Grass. I also use this as pre-game publicity.”)
- Printing and preparation: What needs printing and preparing for the game.
- Casting: How to cast the game, including optional characters, if any. (This may need its own files or an appendix if you have casting forms or casting is complicated.)
- Venue: notes about the venue or game space – what does the game need?
- Game timetable: The timetable for the game, first in summary (perhaps as a table) and then each section in detail, finishing with how the game ends and debriefing.
- Rules: Talk about any game rules or mechanics - such as contingencies.
- Plots: Talk about specific plots – particularly details the GM needs to know. Give the GM an overview of what’s going on; don’t force them to read through all the characters to figure out what’s going on.
Other points
Try to make things easy for whoever is running your game. Remember, they’ve never seen it before – and they don’t know the game the way you do.
Make things easy to print. Group sections together where possible to make it easier to manage.
If your game has many handouts, make sure they are identified at the top of the page so they are easy to find during play.
A nice cover helps your game stand out. (I’m not an expert at this - I mostly just fumble around a bit.)
Publishing
If you’ve done all that and everything is ready, the next stage is deciding where to host your files. Broadly, four options.
Your own website: This is the easiest, if you have one. If you don’t have server space on your website, you can always link to a shared file on Google Drive or Dropbox or whatever.
Larp libraries: There are a couple of larp libraries keen to host your files. They include larplibrary.org and https://alexandria.dk/en/
Itch.io: I find Itch.io easy to use but there’s so much on there that it’s hard to stand out. My Itch.io page is here: https://stevehatherley.itch.io/
DriveThruRPG: The best source for all things RPG online – but there’s so much on it. You can also get your game published in hard copy, but you need to know what you’re doing. DriveThruRPG has stricter rules than Itch.io. I haven’t put any larps onto DriveThruRPG – just some tabletop RPG stuff and my Writing Freeform Larps book. My DriveThruRPG page is here: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/21683/steve-hatherley
Getting the word out
Then get the word out. This is something I’m not so good at…
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