The Larpwriter Challenge is ended - see our new project

After two years and two rounds of Larpwriter Challenges, this project has now ended. However, Fantasiforbundet's collaboration with Education Center "POST" continues on the project The Larpwriter summer school!

Please see the separate project site for more information.

Playing the learning game - the book

After two years of Larpwriter Challenge projects, and even more years before that using larp as an educational tool, we have gathered some of our experiences in a book. Playing the learning game - a practical introduction to educational roleplaying is a full-color, 112-page beautiful and easy-to read introduction to educational roleplaying. 

Within the book, you’ll find all you need to get started using this method. Included are four ready-to-play larps, several short articles highlighting different uses of roleplaying games in educational spheres and a multitude of methods and exercises to improve your games. Much of the content is based on experiences from the Larpwriter Challenges. If you are a teacher, activist in an NGO or a larper interested in using roleplaying games for education and reflection, this is the book for you. 

The book is sold non-profit at lulu.com, and will also be available from Fantasiforbundet and at Solmukohta in Finland.

Let´s play the learning game!

Successful larp conference in Minsk

Last weekend, parts of the project group for "The Larpwriter Challenge" travelled to Minsk to participate in the larp seminar organized by Education Center "POST". With us, we brought J. Tuomas Harviainen and his winner game the Tribunal, as well as the runner-up game The Roads Not Taken written by Mike Young and Aaron Vanek. The modern classic The Family Andersson was also played. The games were played a total of three times each, some runs in english and some in russian.

Some of the participants at the end of the seminar.

The conference was a genuine success with more than 90 enthusiastic participants. POST had managed to gather participants from different parts of the larp community in Belarus, which was very inspiring. We also launched the next part of our project The Belarus Larpwriter Challenge, in where we challenge belarusians themselves to write short, re-runnable educational games, and the local organizers are expecting massive participation.

Thanks to our friends in POST - we´re looking forward to the continuation of the project!

You can also check out J. Tuomas´ blog post from the seminar.

Media coverage for "Grenselandet"

A journalist from Universitas, the student newspaper, took part in When Our Destinies Meet during Grenselandet, and wrote an article afterwards. Read the article (in norwegian) and see the pictures at Universitas´ website.

The student radio also made an interview with Martin and Katrine from the organizer group before the festival - hear it here, although this is also in norwegian.

...and the winner is...

At Grenselandet, the international short larp festival organised by Fantasiforbundet and Laivfabrikken in Oslo this weekend, the jury of the Larpwriter Challenge announced the winner of the competition. Three of the contributing games were chosen to be played on the festival, and the jury played all three games before deciding upon the winner.

The winner of the Larpwriter Challenge is J. Tuomas Harviainen with the game "The Tribunal", which according to the author himself is a " A participatory scenario about the mechanics of oppression "

In their annoucement, the jury writes of The Tribunal:

The Tribunal aims to be a participatory scenario about the mechanics of oppression. This it manages to do with an elegant and easy to grasp design. The character design is in particular effective in how it establishes distinctive characters for a short game of this type. The Tribunal clearly shows how ordinary people become accomplices in the oppression of themselves and others in the machinery of an authoritarian society. 

Th winner will receive a game developer grant of NOK 4 000 and the possibility to go to Minsk, Belarus on a conference on educatinal larping to hold the game and a workshop on educational game design. The game, along with several other contributions, will also be translated to russian and/or belarusian to be used by belarusian NGOs in their work with young people.


The two runner-ups were The Road Not Taken by Mike Young, and Screwing the Crew by Trine Lise Lindahl and Elin Nielsen.

The Road Not Taken is, according to the author, "an experimental larp of decisions and emotions". Of this game, the jury writes: "The Road not Taken provides a solid and interesting framework for the investigation of difficult moral choices people face as members of society. The instructions are clear and well designed as a learning tool. The system is also easily adjustable to accomodate different types of groups and thematic areas."

Screwing the Crew is a short larp about open relationships, monogamy and a group of old friends, according to the authors. The jury believes that the game "is a very well written manuscript guiding the facilitator through all aspects of running the game. The game provides a good framework for telling interesting stories about complicated human relationships".


The Larpwriter Challenge committe thanks all contributors, congratulates the winner and is looking forward to start using the new games that has been produced. Who knows, maybe there will be a possibility for furter Larpwriter Challenges?

Welcome to Grenselandet & the Larpwriter Challenge Conference!

In collaboration with Laivfabrikken, Fantasiforbundet presents


GRENSELANDET
Chamber larp festival 2010

On the 19th and 20th of november, you can try the best of foreign chamber larps at Chateau Neuf in Oslo. As part of the conference, the jury of the Larpwriter Challenge will play the best games from the Challenge and announce the winner. In addition to this, the participants can play four swedish larps inspired by the scenography of Lars von Trier´s movie "Dogville".

"Dödens ventrum" is a game of a group of prisoners on death row, waiting for their execution. However, one of them will be released - the winner of a reality show directly from death row. In "When Our Destinies Meet", the participants create a web of stories in where they all play the roles as audience, player and directors. "Growing up" is a game of love inspired by the novels of Jane Austen. Last but not least, in "Familiene Olsson, Karlsson og Nilsson" the players meet three families with their different dysfunctions on their annual barbeque party...

On saturday there will be a party, where also those not able to come to the festival can attend. All games will be played in english, and the festival is open to everyone. Looking forward to see you at Chateau Neuf on the 19th and 20th of november!

New submission deadline: 30.09

The submission deadline for the Larpwriter Challenge has been extended to september 30th. This is because the jury won´t choose the winner until november. We´re still hoping to get your game submitted!