four letters at random: Larps

I've been playing, writing and running larps since the early 90s. The larps I like are what are often called "freeforms" in the UK.

Freeforms are single-session larps with 8-100 prewritten characters that last from a couple of hours to a whole weekend. You might have heard them called "interactive theatre, " "palor larps," or "lit larps. " But we've been calling them freeforms in the UK since before 1992, and that's what I still call them.

Writing Freeform Larps

Writing Freeform Larps is a 154-page book outlining a structured process for writing freeform larps, covering the initial concept through to running the game. Topics covered include writing plots and characters, character sheets, and rules and mechanics.

Get Writing Freeform Larps as:

A book from Lulu

A pdf and epub from DriveThruRPG or Itch.io

I write about Writing Freeform Larps on my blog. Key posts include:

Freeform Games

I am one-half of Freeform Games. We have been selling murder mystery games (actually thinly-disguised freeform larps) to the general public since 2001. We currently have over thirty games.

Here's our website.

Death on the Gambia

Death on the Gambia is a 1930s murder mystery game set aboard a river boat for 8 to 11 guests and a host. Venture into the heart of darkness in this 1939 murder mystery game set on the River Gambia.

Click here to learn more about Death on the Gambia.

Hollywood Lies

Hollywood Lies is a movie-themed murder mystery game for 16 to 32 guests and one or two hosts. It is set at a modern-day Hollywood post-awards party, and the characters include producers, directors and actors. It comes with Halloween and Christmas-themed versions of the game. (Some characters by DeAnna Knipling.)

Click here to learn more about Hollywood Lies.

The Roswell Incident

The Roswell Incident is a 1940s murder mystery game with an alien theme for 10 to 13 guests and one host. Set in 1947 Roswell, New Mexico. Find out what really happened in Roswell. Did a flying saucer crash – or was it something else?

Click here to learn more about The Roswell Incident.

Other Larps

Various larps I have co-written, along with links to design notes.

All Flesh is Grass

All Flesh is Grass is the second in a series of first-contact larps and follows The Roswell Incident. This time, we are in 1965 Wisconsin and a strange barrier has appeared around the small village of Millville.

Get All Flesh is Grass on Itch.io.

Design notes on All Flesh is Grass.

Casting All Flesh is Grass.

Running All Flesh is Grass for the first time.

Blog posts that mention All Flesh is Grass.