nordiclarpyearbook2015

This meant that all players had their “opposite”,
and we tried to create conflicts
there from the workshops before the larp.
The two blackboxes were set up to be the
consciousness and sub-consciousness of
the character of whom the participants
were playing aspects. He was a disturbed
man contemplating killing his 5 year old
daughter, and what the players were really
doing was deciding whether to kill her
or not. So when, at the start of act 3, we
held back 2 players and put them into
the sub-consciousness, only being able to
communicate with the consciousness (the
other blackbox) through a magical mirror,
the players could start figuring out what
was happening and who they were. We
used some riddle-solving and actual puzzles
in addition to the meta-game that was
going on. It is difficult to predict how hard
riddles and puzzles need to be in order to
take the appropriate amount of time to
solve. This is the first crack we have had at
blackboxes and also the first larp we have
made that was explicitly intended for reruns.
Magical mirrors: Two-way mirrors with
connected iPads behind the glass so
that you can see out of the other mirror
through the one you are standing in front
of. - This could also be solved by a window-frame
or some other gateway and
instructions to the players not to speak
through it.
j
CREDITS: Hallgeir Gustavsen - Tim Esborn
- Ståle Askerød Johansen
DURATION: 5-6 hours
ACTUAL PLAY TIME: 4 hours
PARTICIPANTS: 14. Organizers can´t
participate as ordinary players.
ORGANIZERS/HELPERS: 2-3
WORKLOAD: Medium
POSSIBLE LOCATIONS: Black box, gallery,
classroom, conference room
EQUIPMENT: Tables, chairs, sound-system
of sorts, video-projector (not necessary,
but better)
PLAYING STYLE: Realistic, riddle solving,
but with plenty of improvisation
NOTES: Inspired by Agatha Christie´s
And Then There Were None, and the
movie Identity (2003). This larp used
two connected Blackboxes and pre-recorded
video and audio together with
two “magical mirrors”. The players
were not allowed to speak about the
game between acts; a decision we
would change in retrospect, as this
could have helped solving the plot.
ARTICLE FRONT PAGE:
The setting of the game was as enigmatic
as it was abstract.
(Photo: Tim Esborn)
g
The magical mirrors were an efficient tool for creating a surreal atmosphere. (Photo: Tim Esborn)
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