During a short larp, everyone present plays an improvised game at the same time.
Because it’s improvised, things may happen that are less than ideal: A character might say something that touches a nerve, you yourself might blurt out something unkind in your role, or someone might react differently than you expected…
To make sure we can all play freely, we have rules. We assume that you will read and follow them.
Emotional Safety
We expect all participants and organizers to behave respectfully and kindly toward each other outside of character, so that everyone has the freedom to be themselves. We do not tolerate any form of bullying, intimidation, or discrimination before, during, or after the event.
Respect everyone’s physical and emotional boundaries.
No form of bullying or out-of-character intimidation is tolerated.
Assume the best intentions behind others’ actions and words. Respect that people have different ways of interpreting situations and experiences.
Calibration Mechanisms / Meta-Techniques During the Game
You are primarily responsible for your own well-being. “You do you,” as it is phrased in the international larp scene.
Where possible, we will support and assist you. There will always be someone from our team available to talk to.
If you get stuck, or feel you need something in relation to your game, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Signaling
To indicate your emotional state during the game, we use the traffic light method. This is, to our knowledge, the most common method for this type of emotional roleplay.
The Traffic Light Method:
There are, in principle, three signals. Each signal can be communicated both physically and verbally:
“I am okay with this scene, and it can get more intense.” Thumbs up or “Green.”
“I am okay with this scene, but not more intense and maybe slightly down, but continue playing.” Flat horizontal hand or “Yellow.”
“I am no longer okay with this scene.” Thumbs down or “Red.” Other players in the scene step back from the scene. Apologies or other contact with the player at that moment are not necessary; this can happen later if the player wishes. We advise the signaling player to contact the game master or a trusted person.
If you are in an intense scene and are unsure how the other person feels, you can check using the “OK” signal (thumb and index finger forming an O, other fingers loose) or by asking for a “check-in.” The other person in the scene can then respond with one of the signals mentioned above.
Leaving a Scene / Looking Down
A player can choose to step out of a roleplay at any time by looking down, covering their eyes with a hand, and leaving the scene. No player should be stopped or questioned when they choose to step out using this method. The departure and absence of the character of the player who used the “look down” signal should be treated as unremarkable by the remaining characters in the scene.