LARP: How a Game Event Unfolds

May 13, 2025

You've signed up for your first LARP event, your preparation is done, your stuff is packed and you're ready to go. But what can you actually expect from a LARP event? In this blog I'll try to clarify that a bit, based on the flow of a fairly typical weekend event at a Dutch low-budget high fantasy LARP. The event starts on Friday afternoon and ends on Sunday afternoon. Just keep in mind that events that are shorter or longer can look a bit different.

Friday: start of the LARP event

Once you've packed all your stuff (go through your checklist one more time, because you always forget something), it's time to leave. Maybe you've arranged to carpool, you're driving yourself, or you're even taking public transport, either way you'll have to take your bags and/or suitcases with you to the LARP location. When you travel together with others, it can be nice to discuss what your expectations and plans are for the event and build up the enthusiasm in yourself and your fellow travelers.

Then you arrive at the location. Here you'll be told by the organization where you can sleep, either indoors in a (designated) sleeping area, or outside in the IC or OC tent camp, after which you can bring your stuff to your designated sleeping spot and possibly set everything up and/or prepare it and make your bed. When you sleep in a sleeping area, try as much as possible to make sure you can easily find your sleeping supplies and keep your bed as clear as possible. The chances are good that you won't go to bed until late in the evening and that someone is already sleeping who you don't want to disturb.

Most participants arrive around the same time, so this time is also used to greet everyone. Many participants only see each other at LARP events, so the first few hours before game time starts are often spent extensively catching up. You slowly feel the energy go up as more people arrive at the location. Often, if you arrive early, you're also asked to help unload and set up the supplies of the LARP organization. Think of the costumes, makeup and weapons of the NPCs, cooking equipment, props and decorations for the play area, etc. The actual setup of the play area is mainly done by the game masters/organization and the NPCs, so that this remains as hidden as possible from the players, and the surprise elements are preserved.

Once everything is set up and ready, it's time to eat. On Friday evening this often happens OC, because just before and during the meal many people will still arrive, who may have just worked or been at school. The evening meal can be provided by the LARP organization, but it's also possible that you're expected to provide your own food. Keep this in mind when planning for the event! During dinner, the game masters often hold a final meeting before the event starts, with any last-minute changes or additions and also the distribution of who takes on which task when game time starts. So keep in mind that the SL may not be available to speak with other participants during dinner.

After the meal, a general game start speech is given. This is done by the SL, and it will cover the most important things, such as the most important terms, rules regarding the play area and safety, contact persons, but also a brief explanation of what happened during the previous event or previous events, how much IC time has passed since the last event and this event, and where in the game world everyone is now. At the end of this explanation, a time is given for when game time starts and everyone must be IC. Often after the game start speech you have a little time to get changed and get into character.

When game time starts, often an intro quest takes place. You're taken by one or more game masters and must pass a number of trials to reach the location where this event takes place. Such an intro quest has a double function: firstly, it explains and clarifies the location where you're playing this event, but secondly, and certainly not unimportant, it gives players the chance to switch to the mindset of their character.

Of course, it's also possible that you're at the same IC location as during the previous event. When this is the case, there usually won't be a specific intro quest, but you'll be drawn into your character in another way through the game that comes from the game masters to the players. Whether or not there is an intro quest, there will be NPCs sent into the game by the SL who help clarify the storyline, or the plot. Sometimes these NPCs play a hostile role, but often there are also allies that come from the NPCs to help. Often, on Friday evening there's also a fight, which advances the plot. During a fight, for example, an important enemy can be defeated, or the game masters choose to let the player group lose, for example by making the NPCs much stronger than the players, to show that they need to gather more allies or solve a conflict in another way. Around this, small, personal plot pieces often take place on Friday evening, where alchemists, wizards, priests or trainee warriors learn from their masters, or political, personal or even romantic intrigues are played out.

If the weather cooperates, a campfire can also be held on Friday evening, where you can either sit IC, which is usually the case at the beginning of the evening, or OC, usually from around 2 AM, around it. Here, drinking, singing and chatting often continues deep into the night, after which everyone goes to their bed.

Saturday

On Saturday morning when you wake up, and breakfast is provided by the organization, breakfast is ready for you. If the organization doesn't provide breakfast, you'll need to arrange it yourself when you wake up. Because of the late time most participants go to bed on Friday evening (or night, or even Saturday morning), most participants need some time to wake up properly, but between 10 and 11 AM the NPCs are slowly sent back into the game to possibly continue the storylines from the previous evening, or to start new storylines. Once everyone is up and running, the heavier parts of the plot come into play. This can manifest itself in several ways, such as a fight, a large group of NPCs arriving, an expedition, etc. So the game continues until around dinner time, when it eases off again. During dinner, the game masters meet again to see how things stand and whether any changes need to be made to keep the players happy and keep the story on track. Also on Saturday: when all the game masters are together, you can assume that they're in a meeting and are not available to speak with other participants.

After dinner, work continues on the plot that was already running in the afternoon and new pieces are sent into the game, this can, as mentioned before, happen in different ways. Often there's a big fight or another way the players are really challenged on Saturday evening to get the players thinking and move the plot forward.

Just like on Friday evening, there's sometimes room for a campfire on Saturday evening and to gather around it. Again, the setup around the campfire is fairly free, as long as fighting doesn't happen for safety reasons. Saturday evening is often the longest evening at a LARP event, since the story is going well by then and participants are often half IC, half OC at the location. Sometimes a player has been OC for a while "hanging out" (lounging around, chatting, drinking and/or snacking), when an NPC walks by who is very relevant to that player, and the player gets pulled back IC. So it's not uncommon for participants to go to bed after Saturday evening between 4 and 6 AM.

Sunday

On Sunday most participants wake up pretty "hungover", either because of alcoholic treats the evening(s) before, or simply because of lack of sleep and physical exhaustion. During Sunday breakfast, players and NPCs are therefore often less enthusiastic than in the days before. Sunday breakfast works the same way as on Saturday: it's either arranged by the organization or by yourself. On Sunday morning and early afternoon, all ongoing smaller plot pieces are wrapped up, and often just before game time ends there's a big fight or another plot piece to determine the climax and outcome of the event. Once the winner of this fight is known and the loser has left, died or been captured, the SL announces that game time is out. Everyone is now OC again for the game end speech.

In the game end speech, it's often briefly mentioned what happened during this final climax, for participants who couldn't be there or didn't quite catch it. In addition, the rules and expectations for cleaning up and breaking down the location are mentioned. Often all participants help with this, so that members of the organization can also go home on time. It's generally intended that you leave the location as you found it at the beginning of the weekend, whether you LARP at a group accommodation, in a castle, in a field or in a forest. Once the game end speech is over, everyone cleans up their own stuff and puts it in a recognizable place where it doesn't get in the way. After that, you can help with breaking down, cleaning up and tidying the general locations that were set up by the organization and SL. Think of cleaning the toilets and shower rooms, sweeping the tavern, packing props, etc. The organization often really appreciates getting as many helping hands as possible, because like the players and NPCs, they've had a heavy weekend and want to get home on time.

Once everything is cleaned up, it's time for the return journey. Many participants choose to eat somewhere together on the way back, especially if multiple participants are traveling in the same direction. Over food they can then do their very first evaluation of the event: how did everyone experience the event? Were there major issues that need to be discussed right away? What are the wishes for the next event?

When you get home afterwards, it's usually early evening. You bring your stuff inside, take an extensive shower or bath to give your body some rest and warm it up again, and then you can choose how to deal with cleaning up your stuff: do you do it right away, or do you only take out what you really need, to continue tidying up at a later time? I usually collapse from sheer exhaustion on the couch or bed and start, a few days later, after my post-LARP slump has passed, with the cleaning.

If you're now wondering what a post-LARP slump is: this will be covered in the next blog, where I discuss what happens after a LARP event.

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