LARP Red Flags
Introduction
Finding a safe and healthy LARP to join can be both daunting and difficult -- and much more so for someone who is new to the hobby and lacks experience. Often, problematic aspects of a game are discovered too late, after someone has invested a fair amount of time, energy, and money into a game. At that point, it can be harder to leave, as by that point it is likely that friendships have developed and a feeling of sunk cost has begun.This article seeks to help by pointing out some red flags that can be used to help identify possible problems.
It is important to note that some of the below red flags are more or less dire than others. Games are organized by humans, and humans sometimes make mistakes. Perhaps they have no ill intent, but simply never thought to write a Code of Conduct. In this situation, you might ask yourself if it is likely they would be willing to do so based on your experience with them so far.
Unfortunately, determining whether some of the red flags below exist is not as easy as simply asking someone who plays or staffs the game in question. If you ask any LARP community if they are new-player friendly, welcoming, inclusive, and so forth basically all of them will excitedly tell you “yes!” even if the game is riddled with problematic elements.
So how do you find out whether a game is safe for you to play? Generally, you’ll need to do some research. Look at the materials they present. Focus on what they *do* as opposed to just what they say when you ask them questions (though, depending what they say, that could still be indicative of problems all on its own). Unfortunately, you may just have to trust your feelings on the matter in some cases -- but hopefully this article will help.
#1 - No Code of Conduct
A Code of Conduct is an incredibly important document. A good Code of Conduct will describe the expected behavior of players and game staff and (hopefully) reinforce a game’s commitment to providing a safe space for participants by explicitly noting that the game supports marginalized communities. As an example, a Code of Conduct may note that Nazi or Confederate imagery is forbidden in any game space and that behavior that is transphobic in nature will not be tolerated. It may also be called something else (Code of Behavior, etc).
#2 - Claims of Being “Apolitical” or “Politics-Free”
Everything is political.
An organization stating something along these lines is likely attempting to open the door to players with problematic opinions or attitudes, wishing to not drive these people away by having their organization be too ‘woke.’ This is tantamount to a statement of preferring the money and/or participation of such players over the safety of players from marginalized communities. It could also potentially indicate that the game runners themselves share in these problematic attitudes.
#3 - Led By a Dictator (Benevolent or Otherwise)
An organization led by a person with absolute veto power over all other staff members is dangerous. Even if that person has the best intentions, the reality is that everyone will eventually be wrong about something…and in those cases, someone needs to be able to say “no” with force behind it.
There are other potential abuses that can occur in this sort of situation. It gives the Dictator an immense amount of social power, whether that is intentional or not. For many people, the LARP that they participate in functions as the space where they interact with the majority of their friends; anyone who has a problem with the Dictator could potentially be forced out of their friend group. Needless to say, this is likely enough to intimidate many people into staying on this person’s good side, regardless of what is required for them to do so. The problematic and despicable behaviors possible in this situation are many.
#4 - Game Staff Lacks Diversity
This red flag should be evaluated alongside the size of the game’s staff. For a very small LARP with only two staff members, it may not be indicative of anything in particular if they happen to be two white cis-het men. If the game staff has half a dozen people and all six of them are white cis-het men, that is a good reason to be suspicious.
A game staff that is more diverse will be less prone to creating offensive content, unintentionally or otherwise. A good organization will make an effort to recruit these diverse perspectives, and won’t simply use an excuse such as “well, these people are all we could get!”
#5 - Playerbase Lacks Diversity
Similar to #4, consider the playerbase. How many people of color and women do you see? What is the sample size, with larger playerbases expecting greater diversity? If the game has mostly or only white men playing it…why might that be?
One way that you can check this before attending is to find pictures taken at events or for promotional purposes. In the latter case, who are they choosing to feature?
#6 - Setting and Lore Materials Excessively Western/White
Does the game take inspiration from a variety of sources, or only ones that are Western and/or White? Many games have nations or worlds that incorporate elements from various historical nations on Earth (Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, etc) or from various legends and myths (faeries, many types of monsters, and so forth). Taken as a whole, what have they used?
#7 - Insensitive Makeup/Costuming/Etc Requirements
Many games have different species which are represented via makeup (ie, elves requiring pointed ears). What are these requirements? Are any of them “race face” such as drow or “dark elves” who must wear what amounts to blackface? Does the game allow appropriative or insulting elements such as white people wearing long beards when portraying a martial arts master?
#8 - Hostility or Apathy Towards Inclusivity
Do the game staff and/or playerbase have an apathetic or hostile attitude towards diversity and inclusion? Do they use words like “woke” derisively? As mentioned in #1, do they not care enough to openly state where they stand? Have they failed to employ sensitivity readers? Any of these things could be indicative of an unhealthy or toxic organization.
#9 - No/Weak Covid Policy
The Covid-19 virus has changed the world. There is generally little reason for a game to not have a strong policy in response to it. Generally this means requiring updated vaccinations for all players (excepting those with a true medical exemption) and some sort of plan for what happens if someone has symptoms and tests positive after an event. Negative tests before an event (particularly rapid tests) are not sufficient.
Any organization that refuses to do this does not care about your health and safety. They also may have dangerous anti-vaxx or anti-science beliefs floating around in their community.
Conclusion
Finding a LARP where you feel safe and welcome can be challenging. Not all games are intentionally acting poorly; what is more important is how they react to good-natured critique. Hopefully this article will be of benefit to you in your search.