News

Posted on

Larp House Presents: Glamourous Night

People dance in a dimly lit room. Two move lean into one another, sharing weight. One person the the foreground thrusts out an outstretched hand to another person.

In the old, old, half forgotten times, magical beings spin helplessly through realms of music and magic. Tragic are they! These wizards, fae, humans, and magical animals do not see that they already possess the power to change themselves. To take control of their vulnerable situation, each group dominates the minds of the others in turn, each more wickedly than the last. Mind control scars both the leader and the follower, but each has a chance to heal. In the end, only True Love can redeem them and break their bonds. When they have the chance to escape, will they want to?

What

Glamourous Night is an immersive game about hurting others, and having a chance to redeem yourself for 8 to 30 players. It is an abstract, mostly non-verbal game that is played to music. Players use two movement techniques to resolve their characters’ conflicts, either mutual spell casting or mind control. Players will be on their feet and moving during most of the three hour workshop and the two hour game.

The setting is a fantastical medieval Europe where all the folk tales are true. The characters are powerful magical beings who go on an accidental journey between dimensions. They are tempted to mind control each other before escaping, scarred. Only True Love can break mind control bonds and redeem their actions. Finally, each character decides which of the three dimensions they will make their new home.

Written by Jon Cole
Organized by Steve Stolpman and Jon Cole

When

Saturday January 28th, 2023, from noon to 5pm

Read on for more details!
Continue reading “Larp House Presents: Glamourous Night”

Posted on

Larp House Recommends: Voting (updated)

Woman megaphone, caption: VOTE Make Your Voice Heard

 

The year is 2022, and it is a world of darkness. The lives of marginalized people are threatened by the cruel and the violent. Unjust social structures grow increasingly brazen in their oppression. Systemic inequality runs unchecked.

Will you sit idly by as selfish monsters assault those less powerful? Or will you stand and be counted among those who demand a more considerate, nurturing, inclusive society? Your chance to play the most important role of all.

What

Democracy, a live-action exercise in civic responsibility for millions of participants

When

Tuesday, 8 November 2022

Where

At your local polling place

Registration

You can check and make sure you’re registered to vote with the Minnesota Secretary of State.

If you haven’t registered yet, it’s not too late. In Minnesota, you can register at the polls, but be sure to bring current proof of residence.

This event works better when you bring friends. Talk to your friends and neighbors and encourage them to attend this event! Sign up for get out the vote canvassing together!

Continue reading “Larp House Recommends: Voting (updated)”

Posted on

Larp House Recommends: Make A Scene! Anthologies Kickstarter

Illustration of a group of brightly colored abstract human figures in various dynamic poses

Back in February of last year, our friends at Minnesota scenario festival Make a Scene! were very hopeful for another amazing festival. The festival selected the theme of gender diversity, and recruited incredible scenarios that were supposed to premiere at the festival in August 2020. While the festival could not happen, all the creative energy of creating seven new scenarios did! As a result, Make a Scene now has a great way to bring those scenarios, and also the premiere scenarios run at the festival in 2019, directly to you in two amazing books!

The books feature original illustrations, and anyone who is interested in larp and role-play will want these in their library. Most of these scenarios don’t require elaborate props or costumes, are suited for small group play and will be ready to run with your friends when social distancing restrictions have ended.

Please come and check out the Make a Scene anthologies Kickstarter, launching February 16th!

Make A Scene Larp Anthologies
Two books of original larps written for Minnesota’s live-action scenario festival
Posted on

Congratulations 2020 Golden Cobra winners!

The winners of the 2020 Golden Cobra Challenge have been announced. Congratulations to our Larp House alumnae!

Best Game that Transcends Distance / Brings Us Closer:
Voyagers: a larp duet, by Margo Gray

Best first weird larp for people who have only played D&D so far:
To Boldly Hakuhō, by Wendy Gorman

You can see all the winners here, and download the submissions here.

Posted on

Larp House Presents: College of Neraidology

girl lying in grass examining something with magnifying glass

This event has been cancelled.

Dearest Members!

We are thrilled to announce an incredible opportunity to advance the burgeoning field of Fae Studies! The Minnesota College of Neraidology is seeking scholars and observers to take part in a field trip to determine the nature of faerie activity. A possible colony of Fae has been reported in the backyard of a home in Richfield. We will gather (with the homeowners’ generous permission) on Saturday, August 29th at 1:00 PM for a one hour Site Inspection followed by a shared discussion of findings.

Data may take many forms and we recognize that creative extrapolation is a key part of the scientific method in regard to neraidology. In particular, we wish to know:

  • What species of faerie dwell in the area (sprites, gnomes, leprechauns, brownies, etc)
  • What habits they may have (dances, mushroom tending, animal husbandry)
  • What locations they favour (hidden hollows, man-made structures, natural wonders)
  • What tools, items or trinkets they have used (coloured stones, unusual feathers, shiny items)
  • Is this in fact a true fae colony, or merely a neurotic homeowner plagued by sparrows and mice?

Once the hour is complete, all participants are expected to present their findings to each other and form a cohesive theory to present to the College. We expect that the work of all participants be given equal weight.

To ensure the safety of students, faculty and guests, and of our delicate subjects of study, strict rules for masking will be required to prevent accidental Fae Inhalation and observers will be asked to maintain 6 feet of separation to avoid trampling evidence.

Further details as to the location of the study site will be provided if your application to the observation team is accepted.

Sincerely,
Sir Francis Cobblesworth
Dean of Neraidology (Faerie Studies)

What

A special socially-distanced adaptation of Royal College of Neraidology, a whimsical outdoor game about faerie studies for three to six players.

Written by Ivan Nevill
Organized by Katherine Shane

When

Saturday, 29 August 2020 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Rescheduled: Saturday, 12 September 2020, from 1 pm to 4 pm

This event has been cancelled.

We will set aside Sunday as a rain date.

Where

A private home in Richfield, Minnesota. Details will be provided to registered attendees.

Registration

Continue reading “Larp House Presents: College of Neraidology”

Posted on

Solmukohta 2020 online

Solmukohta 2020, the world’s premier conference for Nordic larp, has been cancelled as the world locks down for COVID-19.

Instead, the organizers of Solmukohta are bringing the lectures and presentations online! These events are open to the public. You don’t even need a ticket to Finland! Set your alarm clock* and hear from some of brightest minds in larp.

*Note that all times are Eastern European Summer Time, 8 hours ahead of Minnesota. The schedule runs Friday morning though early Sunday morning. Be ready to wake up at 3 am this weekend!

Solmukohta 2020 online programme
Solmukohta might be cancelled physically, but that doesn’t stop us! We are preparing...

 

"Please wear clothes on a video or video chat."
This would have seemed like on odd reminder a month ago. #quarantinelyfe
Posted on

Larp House Workshop: Larp Jam ONLINE

Mason jar labeled "Larp Jam"

Have you ever seen a reality TV cooking competition? Each team has to cook up a larp using a secret ingredient. Then the “dishes” are rotated between teams of chefs, who have to keeping working on a “meal” they didn’t start.

LarpJam is great for roleplayers, people interested in game design, and folks who like collaborating in small groups.

In a matter of hours people with no larp design experience can create awesome, fully-playable larps!

What

LarpJam, a collaborative game-design workshop where you create your own live action roleplaying games, for 6 or more participants

Designed by Jon Cole

Facilitated by Katherine Shane

This LarpJam will be run completely online! We’ll use real-time collaboration software like Google Hangouts and Google Docs. You’ll need to have an Internet-connected device that can run these applications, probably something with a keyboard so you can chat and write at the same time, and a webcam.

When

20 March 2020, from 6 pm to 9 pm, CDT Continue reading “Larp House Workshop: Larp Jam ONLINE”

Posted on

Larp House Recommends: Submit a scenario to Make a Scene!

Make a Scene! Call for Program - North America's premiere scenario festial is now accepting scenario submissions! This year's theme: Gender Diversity

Make a Scene! is a live-action scenario festival right here in the Twin Cities. Inspired by the format of larp festivals in the Nordic countries, Make a Scene! was a huge success last year, in large part because of the incredible support it received from the Larp House community. Make a Scene! would love to continue this relationship into the new year, and feature even more Larp House larpwrights at this year’s festival.

Learn more about submitting a scenario to Make a Scene!

Deadline: February 28

If writing a larp isn’t your thing right now, you can still mark your calendar for August 7–9, when we will premiere these scenarios at Make a Scene!, and Like the Facebook page for more information.

Posted on

Larp House at Con of the North

whiteboard scrawled with complex diagram mapping relationships between suspected agitators

Members of Larp House ran larps at Con of the North, Minnesota’s longest-running gaming convention, running 14-16 February 2020.

We also got a chance to meet other local larp designers!

Games ran:

Thanks to all the con volunteers, the friendly hotel staff, and all the rad players that showed up to play!