Play the Part: What LARP Teaches Us About Player-Driven Storytelling
LARP (Live Action Roleplaying) is one of the most player-driven storytelling mediums out there – players don’t just engage with a story, they live it. This talk explores what game devs can learn from LARP’s improvisational, collaborative approach to narrative design. How do you craft compelling stories when players can (and will) go off-script? How do you encourage emotional investment without railroading or overbearing NPCs? What happens when the best moments aren’t ones you planned? By looking at how LARP designers build engaging, reactive narratives, we can uncover fresh ways to approach player agency, emergent storytelling, and worldbuilding.
NARRATIVE
Learn more about Sarah
Sarah Daymond is a storyteller with a passion for figuring out what makes narratives click. As a Narrative Designer at PikPok, she often draws on her background in research and analytics to better understand what resonates with audiences. She loves exploring the intersection of structure and spontaneity – how stories take shape through a mix of careful design and player agency. She’s fascinated by how people interact with stories, and she’s always up for a good discussion (or debate) about narrative design’s role in game development.
Pikpok
She/Her