LARP stands for Live-Action Role-Play. It's like role playing, but instead of sitting around a table and describing what your character is doing, you generally actually get up and do it (or act it out). Think of it as cross country improv theatre.

LARPing has multiple sub-genres. In the US, these include Boffer (which generally includes actually swinging padded weapons at one another)^note note that boffer weapons are also used in games with no role-playing, live-action or otherwise, ie. you just try to hit the other guy and Theater (which is generally based around pre-written characters accomplishing social and political goals, with combat frequently represented by abstract mechanics. Theater LARPing also goes by a variety of other names.) It should be noted that most boffer games also include a fair amount of roleplaying and that logic puzzles also play a large role in both types.

In Europe, LARP usually sits between these genres, mixing character development and role-playing with combat. Weapons are far more realistic than their American counterparts, manufactured using latex-covered foam, or harder, unpadded plastic in some systems; consequently, the style of combat includes taking care not to hit too hard; some variant on "Pull your blows" is a standard rule.

In Democratic Russia, LARP is often indistinguishable from historical reconstruction, not that anyone but hardass living-history types (and, more importantly, Jerk Jocks who are in historical reenactment for the fighting) tries to enforce the distinction much. There is a huge sliding scale, from theater RP, where the absolute worst thing that can IRL happen to you is a rubber knife somewhere uncomfortable, to buhurt-style faintly-story-driven mass violence, broken bones included.

The main distinction of ex-USSR LARP scene lies in players' attitude. Around one third of the players treat it as combat sport with lots of DIY. Other two thirds are composed of teenage counterculture wannabees who are in it for the chicks, said chicks, escapists (mostly teenage, though there are quite a few more mature players) and plain old fantasy fans.

Ex-USSR LARP Weapons are made from aviation-grade glass-fiber plastic, running-track rubber, duraluminum, reforged leaf springs, PVC piping and hardwood, with repurposed sports implements and furniture parts considered a thing of shameful past and frowned upon. Western-style padded weapons are slowly gaining ground in the ex-USSR, but many people still view them as "sissy" and "cowardly" and limit their use to players below the age of maturity (and thus unable to give consent to broken bones). The "pull your blows" rule either only applies to unarmored targets or is absent altogether, and wearing armor is considered the manly way to avoid injury. Likewise, armor has evolved from cardboard, wood and plastic to complex sets of canon-accurate gear tailored to a specific setting, historically-accurate getups brought over from living history and historical combat (which are either past or future hobbies of more than half of LARPers around this parts), sports\hidden armor kits, replicating the construction pinciples of ballistic armor with DIY-store materials, and wide use of fencing, motorcycling and other off-the-shelf protective gear.

Worthwhile games are either multi-day (up to a week) forays into the wild, far from any civilisation, with a large part of baggage being vodka (no, really — and this applies to LARP worldwide, not just Russia!), or sizeable social events with elaborate costumes and convoluted plotlines held in university ballrooms.

Settings are often some variant of the standard fantasy setting (of varying levels of "yeah, we nicked this straight out of The Silmarillion"), possibly with a dash of Alternate History, or taken directly from a popular RPG.

LARPs have their own set of common tropes, including some form of Closed Circle or Enclosed Space (which give players an excuse to stay in game even if their character's smartest option would be to leave) and Time Travel (regardless of genre.) However, the largest LARP events (sometimes called "fests", for festivals), who host thousands of players, occur on large swaths of land, which gives players space to flee while remaining in the game.

LARP, especially boffer LARP, is considered one of the easy targets of nerddom. This is mainly due to the widespread popularity of the "Lightning bolt" video on YouTube, which features boffer combat in all its anarchic "foam weapons and spell packets" glory. Strangely, LARP makes an easier target among nerds than outside of geekdom. The occasional small-press article on LARPing is usually sympathetic, and Role Models, while pointing out the inherent goofiness of LARP, still treats it as a great way for people to socialize and build confidence. On the other hand, the "Lightning bolt" video is usually circulated around message boards and geek-oriented blogs, often as a way of saying, "I may be a nerd, but..."

In several European countries, LARP is viewed in a different light. Especially in the Nordic countries, LARP is increasingly considered Serious Business, to the point where it is no longer considered an acronym, but represents an entirely independent concept, "larp" (similar to how "laser", "radar", and "modem" went from acronyms to proper nouns). This is not so much "nerds acting out D&D in a forest somewhere" anymore, but more serious historical/mythological reenactment (in the same way that 18th-19th century reenactment groups like Napoleonic Era, Wild West, Colonial America etc. tend to be taken more seriously). While your mileage may always vary, LARP is creeping into the realm of the mainstream. For example, there are more Danish kids participating in LARPs (often school or daycare related) than there are kids in football clubs and a popular LARP-show is aired on Danish national television (and exported to Sweden) . (Denmark also has a LARP boarding school - see 'Examples' below.) The inter-nordic "Meating Point" or "Node" convention in particular strive to advance LARP as a medium in many ways, and serious academical papers on LARP is becoming an increasingly common phenomenon. In The New '10s, LARP is even becoming a subject of academic studies at the Nordic universities, with a large chunk of the contemporary role-playing theory penned there.

Examples:

• Accelerant - Formerly the nTeraction system, and forms the core ruleset for several New England-based LARPs (a few of which are listed below). Developed by Robert Ciccolini.
• AIR Maelstrom - An alternate-earth Steampunk-themed LARP based in Atlanta, GA, by lead writer G.D. Falksen, lead designer Chris Dodson, and many others at Hatboy Studios. Makes use of nerf guns as well as traditional foam swords, but also features robust economic and social systems for those not as keen on battle, and is well balanced between different player interests. Storylines are set up by the staff but players are highly encouraged to participate in the storymaking process. Also, airships!
• Amtgard
• Dagorhir Battle Games
  • Belegarth — A very closely-related group which spun off from Dagorhir, focusing mainly on the boffer combat aspect but still maintaining subtle RP element.
• The Darkon Wargaming Club - A central Maryland and Northern Virginia based medieval fantasy Sword and Sorcery boffer style LARP. Founded in 1985 and built upon the rules of the now-defunct Emarthnguarth Outdoor Wargaming System, Darkon grew from a handful of LARP enthusiasts to almost 2,000 members in 2005, with a small number of chapters dotting the country.
• The Duchy Of Linnagond
• Dystopia Rising : Dystopia Rising is a nationwide LARP in the United States that takes place after a Zombie Apocalypse. It uses a lightest-touch combat system and features a fairly involved economy which includes resources and blueprints unique to different settlements.
  • Endgame
  • Madrigal
  • The Calling
  • Seven Virtues
  • Valhalla
• Adventurers Wanted : Medeval High Fantasy LARP in East, Central Pensylvania
• Eras Chronicals :Medeval Low Fantasy LARP newly relocated to a site near Montrose Pensylvania [1]
• Knight Realms: A high fantasy LARP which owns its own 200 acre camp[2] in Sparta, New Jersey. It rents the land to other area LARPs including"
  • Dystopia Rising - New Jersey Chapter
  • LAIRE
  • Realm of Adventure
• The Wayfinder Experience, a mainly upstate New York based LARP camp. Falls somewhere in between Boffer and Theatre, depending on the camp.
• Xanodria Productions Incorporated A high fantasy larp located in South Eastern PA, which boasts a simple live combat system combined with high immersion and a focus on roleplay over stats and skills.
• Westfinder, a rules-lite LARPing community in California's Bay Area.
• Adventuez, the Philadelphia offshoot of the above two
  • Uncharted Horizons, a smaller group in the area with many of the same people which split off after internal conflicts
• Lorien Trust - probably the largest in Britain, it is a Kitchen Sink High Fantasy system using high-quality rubber weaponry. The final event of each year, the Gathering, pulls in as many as three thousand participants.
• Curious Pastimes - Originally the same gameworld as the Gathering, there was a split after disagreements between the organisers. Now very different and more deadly, whilst still being the same style of LARP.
• Profound Decisions run large-scale fest LARPs in the UK.
  • Maelstrom, a colonial-era fantasy fest, ran for nine years - Notable for its insanely detailed and complex setting (4 different currencies, a complex and omnipresent economy, a prayer system and a very detailed set of downtime mechanics, as vast skill system (At well over 1000 skills) and an almost entirely player-driven plot)
  • Odyssey, a Time of Myths - era system
  • Empire (website), a classic fantasy setting, with orcs, wizards, etc. More specifically it is about a series of nations bound together in an Empire that has been in steady decline for decades surrounded by Barbarians on all sides struggling to re-invigorate its self or die. Noted for it's interesting take on religion (Focused on reincarnation and the embodiment of certain virtues but utterly rejecting the concepts of Gods) high grade costume, large scale battles and politics as major elements.
• Minds Eye Theater: The White Wolf LARP system. Organizations within the system include
  • Camarilla (now Mind's Eye Society)
  • The Garou Nation
  • Isles of Darkness
  • One World By Night
  • City of Resonance
    • Perfect Gray}}
  • Beyond the Sunset
• NERO (New England Roleplaying Organization) - Originally one system, but internal schisms have resulted in NERO International and Alliance, formerly NERO Alliance. This system or ones inspired by it are what most Americans think of when asked about Fantasy LARPs. As well as the main Heroic Fantasy style, at least one branch has also run games of a Dark Fantasy bent and some games based on the Cthulhu Mythos.
  • Besides the Alliance other LARPs springing from NERO include
    • LIONE (Living Imagination Of New England) Rampant
    • SOLAR (Southern Organization for Live Action Reenactment)
    • Dragoncrest.
• Middlehaven: A medieval dark fantasy American LARP with events most often located in Riverhead, a town on Long Island.
• Fanwar (Fantasy Warplay) is another Long Runner, having existed since the early 1980s as a more accessible version of Dagorhir. The rules are based mainly on a combination of NERO and (strangely enough) Magic: The Gathering.
• The Realms - a New England-based community-run fantasy boffer LARP.
• Squadra dei Falchi di Gradara (Band of the Hawks of Gradara) - an Italian fantasy/medieval/renaissance/steampunk kitchen sink LARP set in the eponymous town. Unrelated to Berserk.
• Systems Malfunction: A small science-fiction LARP played in/around Westchester County NY. Unique in that it emphasizes both Boffer & Spacket combat and Theater-style role-playing & goal structure.
• Relkin: A small low-fantasy boffer LARP run in New York State.
• "Murder mystery games", either at parties or special dinner events, are a semi-mainstream variant.
• Treasure Trap - One of the oldest LARP groups in the UK, beginning in the 1970's. The original system is now defunct but a student spin-offs is still running in Durham and one previously ran for 10 year in Cambridge.

• IFGS: The International Fantasy Gaming Society, inspired by the Larry Niven and Steve Barnes Dream Park series.

• Skullduggery. A medium sized LARP based in the south east of England who have been featured on British TV several times, most notably when Dara O'Brien tried his hand at LARP for the Tough Gig series.
• Model United Nations has been described — including on its page — as LARPing in suits and getting away with calling it "an educational activity". In all fairness, MUN involves a lot less fighting between characters — although there's usually a lot of backstabbing all the same.
• Krigslive("War LARP") is a Danish Warhammer-inspired LARP series currently nearing the 7th game. Examples here and here.
• Conquest of Mythodea, Germany's largest recurring LARP, possibly the biggest in the world.
• Drachenfest, the second largest annual event in Germany.
• Labyrinthe, a high-fantasy system run mainly in Chislehurst Caves for literal dungeon-crawling.
• Tol-Galen, a mid-low fantasy LARP system native to the channel Islands and parts of Manchester, with themes varying by chapter. The Guernsey chapter's setting is quite possibly the most pop-culture saturated LARP in existence with an unusual atmosphere that bounces between tongue-in-cheek comedy, genre deconstruction and in many cases psychological horror. It uses the same equipment and maintains some links with the Lorien Trust system mentioned above. It operates via tavern evenings (In-depth, noncombat/combat-lite sessions that focus on intrigue and character development) and adventures (sessions at various sites with a heavy focus on combat and puzzle solving, usually working through scripted encounters in a linear or branching order, mainly due to monster crew constraints. Overall gameplay is NPC/plot-crew driven and skirmish based.
• Tales of the Crystals, a product of the '90s that was essentially an at-home LARP for young girls. The game provided four player character roles with unique powers and responsibilities, various props, a list of NPCs and places to visit, a cassette tape that guided players through four different adventures, and a journal for recording the highlights of each adventure.
• Swordcraft, a fantasy LARP based in Melbourne, Australia (although other chapters have started springing up around the country), which draws heavy inspiration from the Warhammer mythos. Promises "as much or as little roleplaying as you want". Their major event is Swordcraft Quest, which is structured around an ongoing storyline, and can easily draw a couple of thousand attendees. Is generally regarded as one of the biggest and most successful LARP groups in Australia.
• Hobbitskiye Igrischa (Rus. "The Hobbit Games") are the stereotypical post-Soviet LARP event, the oldest long-running LARP series which started back in the halcyon days of the USSR. They are a yearly event loosely based upon the world of Arda by J. R. R. Tolkien and various plots from its history. The rest is vodka, traumatism, total lack of seriousness and plot driven by inter-team warfare.
• Cambridge LARP Society, is a Cambridge based larp society that previously ran Cambridge University Treasure Trap.
  • No Flag No Country is its current weekly game.
• Lands of Exile*, a North Carolina-based fantasy LARP, in its first active season as of 2015.

• Following on the late-2000s craze for Zombie Apocalypse themes, at least one "haunted hayride" Halloween event now incorporates elements of this trope, arming its passengers with paintball guns and letting them shoot at (well-protected) live targets in zombie outfits during their ride.

• Humans vs. Zombies is (of course) a Zombie Apocalypse-themed LARP/tag hybrid popular in college campuses across the United States that's primarily played on a seasonal basis (usually one week-long game per semester/term). It arguably has the most mainstream popularity/recognition out of all the LARP-based activities in the USA, thanks in part to one of the simplest rulesets in all of LARPing and a very low entry barrier in terms of equipment (though NERF blasters are popular, many of even the best players bring only a bandana and some balled-up socks, and zombie players don't even need the latter).
• Illuve LARP is the LARP club run on the SUNY New Paltz campus in New York. It is a unique high/dark fantasy system featuring several unique continents, races, religions, and character classes. The main storyline focuses on a group called the Crusaders, who fight to protect the world. The club has had several sub-campaigns over the years, including an urban low fantasy military campaign, a dystopian fantasy campaign, and an "evil" campaign that runs alongside the main system, but features the villains creating the problems that need to be fixed in the main storyline by the Crusaders. The system has been running since late 2011.
• Østerskov Efterskole is an efterskole (boarding school) in Denmark dedicated to roleplaying of all kinds, but most especially LARP. Essentially, the school sets up different LARP scenarios and has the students learn the national curriculum by playing through those scenarios.
• Ravn, possibly (traditions differ) the oldest LARP community in Norway, began as a small fanbase for Medieval Fantasy in Oslo in 1989, and grew immensely over the years, spawning a number of subgroups. The group also spawned their own fantasy setting, Ravnariket (The Raven Kingdom), rapidly expanding to cover an entire continent with several countries, a complicated backstory and a lot of tribes, conflicting interests and politics. This happened over the years because the game masters involved understood the need for more plot. The different groups involved in the different settings also improvised to make the world more complicated and somewhat crazy at times. From this group sprang the [[Laiv.org]] site, a netbased forum for new ideas and new groups. The different settings, apart from said fantasy world, covers contemporary settings, historical settings, horror, vampire and western.
• Oldtown (outside link), the biggest yearly postapocalyptic LARP event in Stargard, Poland. Since its beginnings in 2006 as a local Fallout fans convention, it has grown to become a week-long event, including a 72h LARP, with almost a thousand participants from all over Europe.
• Waking Nightmare is a small scale UK system that started out as "could we do an XCOM-style larp?" but evolved into something more like "Les Miserables meets Hammer Horror".
• Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World's version of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is a mix of non-combat LARPing and Dinner Theatre. While the story is largely driven by the crew of the "cruise ship" that the guests are passengers on, said guests are given missions to assist either the Resistance or the First Order in their goals.

Fan Conventions

• Otakon has the Otakon LARP, a Theatre-style LARP which has been going on for decades.
• Katsucon has the Katsucon LARP/Katsu LARP, which runs on a modified version of the G Otaku system with the blessing of the previous LARP staff.
• In general, many sci-fi/fantasy cons feature LARP modules.

Media Examples