Corporate, apocalyptic, absurdist |
| Designers: Elynor Kamil and Isabella Morris |
| Number of participants: 8-15 |
| Duration: 4 hours |
| The presenter feels that this larp IS NOT suitable for young people aged 16+ |
About the larp
Despite the apocalypse outside, your employment contract is iron-clad and certifiably flameproof. You have been assigned to a critical project; there are deadlines to be met, and you must prioritise accordingly. Worrying about the apocalypse? That’s not on your contract.
As your employer, we will make sure you have the tools you need to work harmoniously as a team, including fun mandatory team-building activities. Just remember: until the project is complete, you cannot leave the office.
Crunch plunges you into a bureaucratic hellscape possibly even worse than the apocalyptic hellscape outside your office. You will be part of a crack team undergoing a series of team-building workshops to ensure you complete an important project. Unfortunately, this means you haven’t been allowed out of the office; and your office was not built for long-term habitation.
Facing the vagaries of bureaucracy, as well as the rapidly encroaching apocalypse you’re all forbidden to discuss, you must find a way to do your job – or, at least, keep the whole thing from crumbling around you.
Communicate with your colleagues as best you can and try to keep a cool head… and make sure you’re following the rules: the company is always watching.
Content Warnings: Unavoidable themes:
– Death, discussions of death, implied mass death (apocalyptic context)
– Exploitation & non-contact abuse at work; oppressive rules & restrictions in office context
– Captivity in a single location (entire office building)
– Control/censorship of expression with regard to specific topics
– Surveillance, including CCTV, phone tapping, email monitoring
– Pain used as punishment/corrective tool by authority figures
Themes that are present but engagement can be avoided:
– Partial restriction of food and water based on inadequate resources
– During the workshop you will create your own character, helping you avoid direct engagement with specific themes that may cause distress; however, these may still be present in other characters, and talked about in-game
Please feel free to speak to the GMs if you have any concerns.
Elynor Kamil: A UK LARPer who’s been running games since 2012, from superhero shenanigans to 90s supernatural conspiracies gone wrong. She likes to explore the impact of medium and setting on the characters stuck there; particularly when things aren’t quite what they seem.
Parameters
| Physical contact | Not relevant for this larp; e.g. just standing in a room and talking |
| Romance and intimacy | Not relevant for the larp |
| Conflict and violence | Shouting and other intimidating actions not involving contact |
| Communication style | Lots of speech |
| Movement style | Sitting or lying |
| Characters | Players build their characters around a predesigned skeleton or archetype |
| Narrative control | Players have some influence over story, but there is basically a script or structure that they’re within |
| Transparency | There are predesigned secrets that the organizers will have from the players |
| Representation | The fictional space is pretty similar to the play space |
| Play culture | Players are in the same team to collaborate towards joint aims. However, players are expected to come into direct conflict with other characters. Players can choose to what extent they conflict with other players and NPCs |
| Tone | Dramatic |
The Smoke 