Culture clash, abstract, mute |
| Designer: Nina Runa Essendrop (DK) |
| Number of participants: 8–18 |
| Duration: 4 hours |
| Genre/style: Blackbox |
| The presenter feels that this larp IS suitable for young people aged 16+ |
About the larp
Strangers is an abstract larp which uses physical methods such as sign language and simple movement routines to create two cultures and the feeling of belonging or not belonging to these.
It aims to explore the situation of refugees trying to fit in, and the reactions among the people who they try to fit in amongst.
There is a full debrief during which participants are encouraged to discuss the way in which the game made them feel and what they got out of it. When I played it, I found it a fascinating insight into the issues raised by immigration and clash of cultures.
Content Warnings: There is no specific mention of the event that is causing people to leave their own country, but players may well experience feelings of isolation and alienation if they end up being refugees.
Costume (optional): No costume required, but black or neutral clothing that it is easy to move in recommended.
Presented by
Christi S (UK): Christi has been playing and running freeform style games for over 15 years.
Parameters
| Communication style | Non-verbal sounds |
| Movement style | Lying on the ground and movement to music. No ability to dance required. |
| Tone | Dramatic |
| Characters | Players play facets of a personality, or something else that is human but less than a full character |
| Narrative control | There is no story as such, it’s more like abstract activity |
| Transparency | Fully transparent – players will, or at least can, know absolutely everything in advance |
| Representation level | The fictional space looks very unlike the play space, but players will use their imaginations |
| Play culture | Players are in rival factions, teams, etc, which are in some sort of competition for success |
The Smoke 