Freeforms

Once Upon a Time in Tombstone

These are the larps listed in Writing Freeform Larps.

Freeform larps

Café Casablanca is a 70-player weekend freeform set in 1941 Casablanca written by Cruel Hoax Productions.

Death in Venice is a modern-day murder mystery set aboard a yacht and written by Mo Holkar. It is written for 5-9 players, and the GM can play one of the characters. It is published by Freeform Games.

Death on the Gambia is set aboard an African riverboat in 1939. It is for 8-11 players and was written by Steve Hatherley. It was one of the first freeforms I wrote, and despite being marketed as a murder mystery game, there is no murder to solve (although several may be committed during the game). It is published by Freeform Games.

Here be Pyrates is a weekend pirate game set in the Caribbean in 1720. It is for around 60 players and was written by Julie Winnard, Adam Hayes, David Brain, Sue Lee and Jane Winter.

The Highgate Club is set at an exclusive London club for supernatural creatures. It is for 14 players and was written by Philippa Dall, Steve Hatherley, Alan Paull, Adrian Smith, Mark Steedman and Cat Tobin.

Hollywood Lies is set at a post-award party for 16 to 32 players. It includes a movie-making game and was written by Steve Hatherley. It is published by Freeform Games.

Home of the Bold is a six-hour 80-player Gloranthan freeform written by Kevin Jacklin and David Hall. It was the first freeform I played in.

Midsummer Mischief is for 25 players and is set in the world of the 1930s upper class inspired by PG Wodehouse. It was written by Nathan Gribble, Steve Hatherley, Heidi Kaye and Paul Snow. It is a complicated freeform larp with many mechanics (romance, pig judging, biffing), but very satisfying to run. The files are available via my website.

Murder at Sea is set aboard the luxury liner Libertania in 1914, at the outbreak of World War 1 and is for 17 to 33 players. It was written by Chris Boote and is published by Freeform Games.

Once Upon a Time in Tombstone is a 72-player weekend freeform set in Tombstone, Arizona, in 1881. It was written by Steve Hatherley, Heidi Kaye, Tony Mitton, AJ Smith and Paul Snow (and has been expanded by others).

Death on the Gambia

Railways and Respectability concerned building Victorian railways and was written by Nickey Barnard, Jerry Eslmore, Steve Hatherley, Tony Mitton and Mike Snowden.

Reunion with Death is a modern-day murder mystery set at a school reunion and written by Mo Holkar. It is written for 6-9 players, and the GM can play one of the characters. It is published by Freeform Games:

The Roswell Incident, All Flesh is Grass and Children of the Stars are three connected first-contact freeforms for 13 players written by Steve Hatherley.

Torch of Freedom is a weekend freeform larp for 60-70 characters set in 1848 Petronia (a fictional European country). It was written by Bruce Glassco, Brian Altmiller, Rebecca Ellis, Suzanne Miller, Walter Neill and Paul Wayner

Horde larps

The Castleford Ladies Magic Circle Meets Tonight is a not very-serious horde game based on the ribald songs of Jake Thackery. The core characters are the Castleford Ladies Magic Circle, and the horde are ghosts summed by a ritual that has gone wrong. It was written by Suey, Phil Dall, Steve Hatherley, Kevin Jacklin and Christie S.

Victoria Junction is set in a Victorian railway station and hotel. The core characters are the station and hotel staff, with the horde playing passengers and others. It was written by Nickey Barnard, Jerry Elsmore, Alex Jones, Sue Lee, Tym Norris and Mark Steedman.

The Time Travel Review Board is a comedy horde larp dealing with everything from the politics of Ancient Egypt to the King of Rock and Roll. It was written by Susan Weiner, Vito D’Agosta, Jaelen Hartwin, Nat Budin, and Anne Wiltgen. The files can be downloaded from the Larp Library.

Faction games

Venice is for 15 players set in mythic sixteenth-century Venice and concerns five powerful families. It was written by Kate Dicey, Steve Hatherley and Tym Norris with help from Debbie Hollingworth.

St Cakes is a murder mystery party game set in a school for 40 to 200 players. (The factions are school houses.) It is published by Initiative Unlimited.

Workshop games

Mars Attracts explores the nature of romance and space exploration for 12 players. It was written by Graham Arnold, Kath Banks, Graham Charles, Steve Hatherley and Mo Holkar.

What Happened in Blackpool is for 10-12 players and is set at the wedding rehearsal dinner for the family and friends of the happy couple. It’s the night before the wedding itself and a week after the joint stag and hen weekend in Blackpool. It was written by Mo Holkar, Heidi Kaye, Alli Mawhinney, Cat Tobin and Traci Whitehead and the core system (known as Picking Up the Pieces) was used for other games.

Main plot larps

Second Watch is set in the far future aboard the spaceship Acheron which is towing a sleeper colony ark with 10,000 colonists to New Eden. The main plot concerns the threat that now faces the crew of the Acheron. It is for ten players and was written by James Bloodworth, Steve Hatherley, Alli Mawhinney, Ric Mawhinney, and Laura Wood.

Home of the Bold

All Flesh is Grass was written by Steve Hatherley and concerns a strange alien barrier erected around a small American town. It is written for 13 people and is based on the Clifford D Simak novel of the same name.

Sword Day is a 10-player freeform of political intrigue and backstabbing inspired by the world of Game of Thrones. It was written by Mike Cule, Nick Curd, Adrienne Gammons, John Kammer and Charlie Paull.