What is LARP?

In recent years, LARP has become a huge hit among youth in Asia, as evidenced by the rise of Larp-related mobile games, stores and variety shows, such as the hit Korean programme Crime Scene (2014-2017). Live Action Role Play (LARP) is an acted, immersive, social game, which combines acting (performative arts), gaming, social interaction, and immersion. The principles of embodiment in LARP require participants (players) to live their character and interact with other characters within a given scenario—historical, fantastical, futuristic—as if they were living in that specified space and time. These principles are akin to the “role-taking” in educational drama, especially for experiential purposes; role-taking helps players develop experiential knowledge of being in “someone else’s shoes”.