Salon du Larp House: Charm School playtest

It’s 1925 and some experienced grifters—hustlers, sharps, and general crooks—gather to teach a group of younger, less-experienced con artists the tricks of the trade. Of course everyone brings their own bag full of secrets, and sometimes the best con is the one you don’t even know you are running…

Professors teach their signature cons, honed over years of practice, to promising new comers.

Students can gain experience, insight, and possibly a mentor as they learn various cons.

And as anywhere old and young gather, stories will be shared, grudges aired, and feelings bared.

What

Charm School is a game about being low-down dirty-rotten crooks who exchange tips, stories, and grudges. Sometimes the best con is the one you don’t even know you are running.

Run Time: 3 hours, including 90 minutes active play time
Players: 6–10
Facilitators: 2, who play as well
Tone: Self-serious characters played in a light-hearted way

You might enjoy this game if you are a fan of such films as: The Sting, The Usual Suspects, Reservoir Dogs, Now You See Me, Catch Me If You Can, The Brothers Bloom, or the Ocean’s Eleven franchise.

Written by Jason Morningstar
Organized by Kevin McIntrye and Kelley Vanda
With admin support from Katherine Shane and Jon Cole

This event is a playtest. Charm School isn’t totally finished, though it will be a complete play experience. There might be some missing pieces or rough patches in play. If this game sounds interesting to you even though it is not in its final form, we will be very glad to have you join us!

When

Saturday March 25th, 2023, from 1 to 5 pm Continue reading “Salon du Larp House: Charm School playtest”

Local designers featured in The Guardian

Larp House members and local larp designers Kelley Vanda and Jon Cole have been prominently mentioned in this article in The Guardian about women designing games about reproductive rights.

Through video games, live-action role-playing games and interactive documentaries, developers are challenging the conversation around reproductive rights

 

You can get a PDF of The Abortionists here.

Documentation for Paratopia

Documentation for Paratopia, a larp design nano-con

Organized by TLS and Katherine Shane

3 November 2018
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Seven attendees

Events

  • Playtest: The Abortionists by Jon Cole and Kelley Vanda
  • Playtest: Better Tell Todd by Josh Krehbiel
  • Roundtable: game concept feedback for unfinished design by Shawn Stokes
  • Workshop: Ars Tegumi, presented by Jon Cole
  • Roundtable: creative process, facilitated by Tayler Stokes
  • Playtest: It Was a Beautiful Mistake by David Rothfeder
  • Playtest: Magnum Opus by Tayler Stokes

Larp House Presents: Inheritance

Ten years ago, Daxo murdered his beloved older brother, Baldr. Exiled by his father for his crime, he’s spent a long decade wandering. But now he’s heard that his dear grandfather has died, and he’s returned home to claim his inheritance.

WHAT:
Inheritance, a larp for exactly 9 players
Designed by Luke Crane
Organized by Kelley Vanda

WHEN:
Saturday June 24th 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Continue reading “Larp House Presents: Inheritance”

Larp House Presents: Soulful Sinners

You’re invited to the must-attend event of 1922. Mega-Metro-Mammoth
Studios announces the Premier of
“Soulful Sinners”! Directed by European Genius Vladimir Vorst, and
featuring the leading stars of the MMM Studio – Lawrence Seland and
Mable Thrush. Rumors

swirl through Hollywood regarding the film … long delays, the
difficult director, elaborate sets … and hushed whispers of even
darker scandals barely covered up. You are one of the lucky few to
receive an exclusive invitation to the pre-release screening. Hang on.
It’s going to be a bumpy ride!

WHAT:An evening larp for up to 20 players
Written by Janyce Hill
Organized by Kelley Vanda

Continue reading “Larp House Presents: Soulful Sinners”

Larp House Presents: I Say A Little Prayer

“We’re all going to go crazy, living this epidemic every minute, while the rest of the world goes on out there, all around us, as if nothing is happening, going on with their own lives and not knowing what it’s like, what we’re going through. We’re living through war, but where they’re living it’s peacetime, and we’re all in the same country.”
– Larry Kramer, American playwright and AIDS activist

LARP HOUSE PRESENTS: I SAY A LITTLE PRAYER​​

Five gay men live together in a shared apartment in New York City. We follow this group of friends over a couple of years in the early 1980s when the AIDS epidemic hit gay communities hard. These men will be personally affected by the AIDS crisis over the course of play.

This larp was written to be a bite-size version of Just A Little Lovin’ a 6-day long larp about friendship, desire, and the fear of death. Larp House is supporting an independent team of organizers in bringing the acclaimed Nordic larp to Minnesota in summer 2017. I Say A Little Prayer covers many of the same themes and is written by the same author.

WHAT: A freeform larp for 5 players
Written by Tor Kjetil Edland
Organized by Jon Cole and Kelley Vanda
WHEN:
noon — 6pm on Saturday, July 30th
TAGS:
AIDS crisis, based on a true story, friendship and death

Continue reading “Larp House Presents: I Say A Little Prayer”

Larp House Presents: Soulful Sinners

You’re invited to the must-attend event of 1922. Mega-Metro-Mammoth
Studios announces the Premier of
“Soulful Sinners”! Directed by European Genius Vladimir Vorst, and
featuring the leading stars of the MMM Studio – Lawrence Seland and
Mable Thrush. Rumors

swirl through Hollywood regarding the film … long delays, the
difficult director, elaborate sets … and hushed whispers of even
darker scandals barely covered up. You are one of the lucky few to
receive an exclusive invitation to the pre-release screening. Hang on.
It’s going to be a bumpy ride!

WHAT:
A Freeform larp for up to 20 players
Written by Janyce Hill
Organized by Kelley Vanda

WHEN:
7:30 pm — 12:30 am on Saturday, August 27th

Continue reading “Larp House Presents: Soulful Sinners”