TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE

The LARP game

This LARP Game was developed by the LARPifiers. This LARP game serves as complementary material to Chapter 2. “Time management”. It is meant to be a transformative experience that the participants can reflect upon, which may be used before or after the introduction to the BE YOU Guide. You can download the full manuscript below.

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What is LARP?

LARP stands for Live Action Role Playing, and it has been employed as an educational tool for informal and non-formal education. It is a very engaging experience-based learning activity, that allows participants to delve into the subject from a place where they feel rather than study, making it easier to understand and empathize with the subject discussed.

During a LARP game, participants take on roles that they act out as, in a discussed setting. This may be done for a variety of reasons, ranging from play fun to psychotherapy. Imagine it a little bit like an improv theater performance, only instead of having performers, you have a bunch of people interacting with each other. The players are called upon to act as their roles, and let the game unfold. The rest is up to the facilitator to set the stage for the objectives of the game to be realized.

Please read the full manuscript before you run it, making sure you understand what you need to do, and you have all the necessary steps ready before the run.

HOW IT WORKS

Time is of the Essence is a game designed to help players reflect on their time management skills, putting them in a position where they will need to organise and prioritize‘tasks’, within a very limited time frame.

During the game, players will be the brightest minds of the world in the area of health science, invited to socialise and talk about the future by a multimillionaire who is determined to see his vision come to life. Each player will have their personal goals and agenda, but during the game they will discover a bomb. They will need to deal with the crisis at hand, while trying to achieve their personal and group objectives.

Specifications

Thirty of the world’s brightest minds have been invited to a secluded mansion, owned by reclusive multimillionaire and visionary, Robert Green. Each of you is an expert in your respective field – technology, medicine, psychology, engineering, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and more. The invitation was mysterious, offering little detail beyond a promise that this gathering could lead to a project that would change the world forever.

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facilitators

2 people

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PLAYERS

11 – 30 people

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TIME

3 hours approximately

MATERIAL NEEDED

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Envelopes (normal and small size)

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Printables

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Masking tape or labels

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Pens

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1 cellphone

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Optional: Snacks and Drinks, plastic cups

PREPARATION STEPS

Before the briefing starts, hide a cell phone with a 135 + preparation time minutes countdown. Make sure there is sound at the end of the countdown, because it will signify the end of the game. Make sure that the countdown is visible when the screen is locked, and put the phone in aeroplane mode, disconnected from the internet, to minimise out-of-game distractions. Set the lock screen password to 3195.
Separate an in-game area from an out-of-game area, limiting the area where people can play.
If it is available to you, prepare a ‘ bar’ area with juice and snacks.
Before the activity starts, tell your players to dress as fancy as possible, as if they were going to a party.
If it is possible, have another phone connected to a loudspeaker with a countdown sound that will exist in the background, which will start in Phase B of the gameplay. If the players manage to disarm the bomb, stop the countdown sound.

BRIEFING (APPROX.35 MIN)

During the briefing, you will introduce the players to the premise of the game, to the rules and the mechanics of the game, and eventually, character distribution, character personalisation and enrolling.

Safety

Emotional safety: No matter the game, emotional safety should always be a priority. While this game is not designed for heavy emotional play and it is not triggering itself, if for any reason a player feels overwhelmed, triggered or unsafe, they are allowed to remove themselves from the game by using the out-of-game signal and taking as much time as they need.
Physical safety: There are no combat mechanics in this game, and there is no reason for physical contact in this game ( such as searching, restraining, etc). Before any kind of physical contact is initiated with any player, make sure they are comfortable and you have consent.

Out-of-game signal: Closed fist above the head means that this player is out of the game. Assume that this player does not exist.

RULES & MECHANICS

CARDS

Each player will have a smaller envelope distributed to them, to be opened when instructed in the game, that may contain some cards. They are one use, and players need to follow the instructions to the T. Under no circumstances will physical force be needed. Types of cards:

Action cards – they will describe an action that needs to be taken.
Role Cards – they will indicate the role and a group objective.

CHARACTER SHEETS/OBJECTIVES/ROLES

Character sheets and objectives are secret and are not meant to be shared openly, except the case that a card instructs it. That being said, players are allowed to expand on the story given to them, hint at their secrets should they want to. Roles are also meant to be kept secret, except if a card requests that it be revealed.

OBJECTIVES

Each objective will give some amount of points at the end of the game. For an objective to be valid, something will need to be filled in the ________ space.

CHARACTER DISTRIBUTION

Randomly distribute one envelope to each player, the contents of which they need to keep secret, and out of the game. The envelope contains:

Robert Green’s invitation to the event.
A passport that is their character sheet. The passport contains a very basic backstory and a secret. It also contains spaces that will need to be filled later in the game.
A smaller envelope that contains their role, clues, if any, and special cards. This envelope will be opened in Phase B. Players are not allowed to open it at this moment.

Allow players to take a few minutes to read their character card and come to you with any questions they might have.

ENROLMENT

Enrolling is the process of getting into your role, and it helps immersion and role playing. Ask your players to sit in a circle. After each of them reads the short intro in theri character sheet, tell them to imagine they are their character and answer in their head the following questions and write the answer in the relevant part of their character sheet:

KEY TRAITS

What are the 3 key personality traits your character has? (3 minutes)

MOTIVATION

What motivated you to get involved in your field? (3 minutes)

JOB

What is your favourite and least favourite thing in your job? (3 minutes)

PERSONALISATION

What is the name and surname of your character? (3 minutes)

NAME TAG

On a piece of masking tape or a label, write your character’s name and their profession. (3 minutes)

PHASE A (APPROX.10-15 MIN)

Phase A of the game aims to allow people to interact with each other, getting more comfortable with their roles and their characters, for smoother gameplay.

During Phase A, Robert Green invites all the people to gather around him so they can raise a cup to the potential of this group of people. He reveals that the reason that he has invited each and everyone is because he needs their contribution and brilliant minds in the implementation of his dream project: the creation of C.A.R.E., a smart microchip that will be implanted in the brain of the client, and will constantly scan the body for significant changes that could be signs of disease, before even symptoms appear. Anything out of the ordinary will be sent as data to the primary physician of the person, resulting in preventive care. C.A.R.E. will act as a personalised diagnostic system, aiming to prevent sickness and prolong life. Robert introduces his sister, Lana, and encourages everyone to mingle and get to know each other before they start official conversations and brainstorming in the following days.

ADVICE: Allow people to interact with each other, possibly working towards their personal objectives. Each character has 2 types of objectives: one professional objective, that requires them to make an official professional agreement or connection with someone (must be sealed with a signature for valid points), and one objective connected to a rumour, where essentially they would need to figure out the secret or as many details possible connected to a rumour of a specific character. They need to write down a sentence that summarises the info, to be considered a successful objective.

PHASE B (APPROX. 85-90 MIN)

During Phase B of the game, the actual challenge starts. Players will have to manage to survive while achieving their personal goals. Players will need to balance their tasks within the given time

At the beginning of Phase B, Robert Green requests everyone’s attention. He announces that something terrible has happened. His security team notified him that his system had been overridden, and the doors that led outside had been locked.

Additionally, they have found a weird note that indicates that outside the door, there is a bomb that will go off in 90 minutes, unless we are competent enough to disarm it. The note says that in their envelopes, there are secret hints that they can look at, but they are not allowed to openly share them. Everyone is under surveillance, so they need to be careful. Each indiscretion will lead to time being cut from the countdown. Robert seems scared, shocked and unsure about what is going on.

Tasks given to the participants:

Unlock the door: Some of the players have clues to find the code to the door, but they don’t know each other.
Find the bomb: The players need to find where the bomb/cellphone is hidden.
Defuse the bomb: Some players have the clues for the code, but they do not know each other.
Reveal the accomplices
Fulfil their personal objectives.
Fulfil their group objectives.

Debrief (approx. 45 min)

During debriefing, players will have the opportunity to connect their in-game experience with the real world, kickstarting a process of self-reflection and learning.

DEROLLING

While this is not a game designed for deep immersive interactions, deroling is always a good practice after a LARP. After 100 minutes have passed or the bomb explodes, signifying the end of the game, ask your players to sit in a circle:

All players must remove their stickers and throw them in the middle of the circle.
All players must put their passports in their envelopes and throw them in the middle of the circle.
All players should take a deep breath, and everybody should say their real name simultaneously on the count of 3.
Facilitators shoudl ask the players if they managed to fulfil their objectives – personal and group – and to count their points: Professional Objective – 3 points, Secret Objective – 4 points, Group Objective – 6 points

DEBRIEFING QUESTIONS

Ask the players to count from 1 to 3 , creating groups of 3 and have them answer the following questions within their groups. Give 5 – 6 minutes to each question so every person can express themselves.

When you realised there was a timer, how did you feel? How did your feelings affect your decisions?
Do you think that the tasks given were manageable in this time frame? What strategy would you use when you feel that you don’t have enough time to fulfil your tasks?
How did you prioritise your actions under the time constraint? How did you prioritise between your personal goals and the group goal?
What do you think you could have done better to reach your goal faster and more efficiently?
Were there moments when you felt time pressure significantly affected your performance? How did you cope with this pressure?
Did you encounter any difficulties in coordinating with others to manage time and tasks effectively? How did you address these difficulties?
Could any of the time management skills you practised today be applied to future real-life situations? If yes, where and how? If not, why?

After the players have finished debriefing in their little groups, ask them all to gather in a circle for the last time, and ask them to answer the following question: In one word, what was the most critical factor in managing your time effectively during the game?

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DICLAIMER

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the ANPCDEFP. Neither the European Union nor the ANPCDEFP can be held responsible for them.