Larp Typology

This extended abstract, presented at DiGRA 2018, proposes a unified typology of larps and larp games to address the confusion created by informal, organically evolved category names within the European, Polish, and American larp communities. The authors argue that existing labels such as "blockbuster larp" and "gra terenowa" can denote radically different experiences, and that genre labels alone fail to convey practical information such as the physical effort required. Their stated aim is a classification that serves both game studies theory and practical use by designers, organisers, and prospective players, and that may lower barriers for newcomers familiar only with adjacent activities like escape rooms.

The proposed system departs from Stenros's method-genre-style-focus framework, in which the same notions can recur across categories, and instead uses a classification matrix built on thirteen attributes. Fourteen types of larps and larp games are defined by the necessary presence of a minimum set of these attributes, though the typology is described as open to expansion. Examples include the T6 "gra terenowa," defined by social roles, narrative structure, scene division, group goals, shared time and diegesis, witnessed actions, and physical challenges, and the T7 chamber larp, defined by predefined characters, individual goals, and immediate player interaction within a unified time and space. The authors note that attributes do not accumulate in a way that makes some larps inherently "most complicated," and that several categories had not previously been recognised as distinct.

The abstract's methodology is qualitative and conceptual rather than empirical: no survey sizes, sample data, or quantitative measurements are reported. The project originated in a brainstorm at the Hardkon Larp Retreat workshops in September 2017 and draws on contributors from culture and game studies, game design, and information technology. The authors conclude that the attribute analysis reveals borderline cases that sit closer to other forms than expected, and that several attributes highlight how far larps have diverged from traditional theatre.