How To Start a New LARP Part 1: The Top 5 Considerations

Introduction

I started preparing for this “How To Start a LARP” blog in mid-2023 and quickly realized that it was going to be a large undertaking to do the topic justice. While I have staffed many games, working through LARP Portal, and working with many game owners who have started LARPs, I have never created a LARP myself. So, like our blog about LARP weapons, we did a lot of research and interviewed a dozen owners and game runners who have a variety of game experiences. 

This will be a series of blogs covering many aspects aimed at players who are thinking about starting their own LARP. I would argue that it is not just for that potential game owner, but the series will shed light for all players and even those that stumbled upon it searching for “WHAT is LARP?”

In PART 1 of the How to Start a LARP series, we share what these experts say are the most important New LARP considerations in their opinions and from their experiences. In subsequent blogs, we dive deeper into the process through a different lens each time.

So You Think You Might Want To Start a LARP

If you have already shared your thoughts with others, you have probably already heard advice like “DON’T”! If you are still considering, here are some initial pre-planning/pre-decision questions that will get you started. We could do a whole blog on each of these, but consider your own personal answers to them before going on.

The Most Important Considerations

Our experts include many current and past seasoned LARP owners, several who are running their first LARP,  and a few new game runners who are planning to or have just launched their first LARP. What they all have in common is a love for LARP, in all its various forms. We wanted to include a broad perspective, not only in level of experience but in type of LARP, so we talked with theatre, vampire and boffer LARPers.  We choose to present this blog series with a stated bias towards recurring, long-term boffer LARPs because they encompass the broadest reach of topics. We feel that much of the content will be relevant and that the reader will be able to discern if an aspect is applicable to their LARP.

Based on our interviews, the most important topics to consider when deciding to start a LARP are:

1. Building a community,
2. Telling your story,
3. Selecting your business structure,
4. Building a core team,
5. Budgeting based on size and location

1. Community

Our experts all agree that the most critical aspect of LARP is the community that you build. In our June 2024 blog “It Takes a Community To Build a LARP” we talked about the many ways LARPers become like a family and how we contribute and support each other.

Rob Ciccolini, creator of the Accelerant system and owner of the long-running LARP Madrigal, gave this advice, “think first about the community when building a game.” He said the success of a LARP is dependent on focusing on the community. The game needs to serve the community and to bring people together.

“It's important to foster the community”, said Dan Comstock, long-time LARPer and owner of DrachenFest-US and Shiretown Shindig. He also shared that good community management is the ability to, with charisma and poise, have difficult discussions and to help players become a community that can self problem solve.

2. Telling Your Story

Several of the people I spoke with shared the importance of defining the type of story you want to tell and the experience that the players can expect. It’s also key to share your expectation for duration - is it a finite campaign or do you expect it to expand and evolve?

“All LARPs are not for all LARPers”, shared Jenn Ferragut, director of a brand new Maryland LARP, MirrorSight.  She advises that you must have a clear vision for your game and that you need a balance between taking and discarding advice. Identify the type of LARPer, your target audience and stick to your vision versus trying to be all things to everyone.

From “idea” to “event”, when you describe your story, the experts say avoid the mechanics and focus on the story and experience. This will equip LARPers to pick the best games for their preferred style of play.

Cottington Woods co-owners John and Michelle Mangio said their primary goal is storytelling. They started their LARP to tell a story. Michelle emphasised how important it is to telegraph the type of game you want to run. It is not simply the style and genre but also the level of immersion, combat, roleplay, political intrigue, etc.

We’ll share more from our interviews in a future blog in this series when we dive into the creative side of running a LARP. 

3. Structure

One of the early decisions to make when creating a LARP is how it will be structured. Structure choice is based on your purpose and mission. Do you want to run a game for a few friends at your local park? Are your plans to run a 3-year arc to tell a story? Is it your dream to own a long-term boffer LARP at your own site?

How you structure your game will influence many aspects as you build and run your game, the number of people involved in decision-making and how decisions are made.

In my research on the topic, I found that clubs share certain similarities with businesses, such as the need to generate revenue to sustain operations, however, the overall model of each is distinct. Clubs provide social and recreational opportunities, operating as non-profit organizations with a focus on member satisfaction rather than profit.

Our experts believe in treating boffer LARPs as a business, not based on expecting a profit, but more based on how you set up as a legal entity for financial and tax purposes. You may decide that a non-profit club works best for you. 

We’ll provide a checklist and some words of wisdom from experienced LARP owners in our blog focused on the business side of “How to Start a LARP”.

4. Building a Core Team

It takes a great team to run a successful LARP. Recruiting the right people with a variety of skills is one of the hardest things about running a LARP. The group dynamics need to be balanced and division of labor is key.

When forming your core team, think about the division of labor, time commitment, and the dynamics of the group as a whole.

These are 5 key skill sets required to run a boffer LARP. There will be overlap and one person can be experienced at more than one skill, but it’s important that your core staff cover these needed skills:

  1. Great Storyteller

  2. Business/Finance

  3. Player Experience

  4. Rules Expert

  5. Administrator/ Logistics/ Organizer

Staffing and running a LARP is a large time investment. You need to consider work-life balance and family/ LARP balance. Everyone we spoke with stressed how much running a LARP was like having another job. Everything takes more time than you think it will. The week before an event is stressful, so don’t over-commit. Always plan more time.

Friends, family and fellow LARPers need to be on-board, on the same page with your vision, timeline, how to resolve conflict, and more. One advisor gave a great analogy, who could you take a long car ride with and still be friends at the end? Your core staff is the nucleus of your game. Build it with care.

The best advice from our team of experts is that your staff needs to be drama-free, work well together, and have clear roles and responsibilities.  

We’ll dive in deeper on our blog dedicated to Building a Team to Start a LARP.

5. Budget and Location

One of the most challenging aspects of starting a LARP is balancing expected costs with expected revenue. Location is the highest cost category when running a boffer LARP, which is why we have bucketed these considerations together.

Understanding your costs for the type of LARP you want to run is foundational to starting a LARP.

Mike Goulston is starting a new LARP, “Cosmic Symphony”, with a target launch in Spring 2026. He and his team have been planning and building the game for over 2 years. Mike told us that budgeting and financial viability based on the current economy were critical considerations in starting his LARP.

We will explore strategies in “the Business Side” of Starting a LARP blog and provide a list of possible expenses and ranges to help you start a budget.

Closing

This blog introduced our new series on Starting a LARP. It summarized the top considerations from our discussions with experienced owners and directors. As the series unfolds, we will share more pointers and advice from the experts. 

• PART 2: The Process - From Idea to Event Aug 2025
• PART 3: Staffing Your LARP - How To Build a Core Team Sept 2025
• PART 4: The Creative Side of LARP - What Story Do You Want To Tell Nov 2025
• PART 5: The Business Side of LARP - Pointer From the Experts Jan 2026
• PART 6: The Logistics Side of LARP - a Checklist for Success Feb 2026

Call to Action

If you have questions or advice about starting a LARP or have any feedback about this article or our plans for the series, we’d love to hear from you. Please reach out to blog@larportal.com.

If you are a game owner or thinking about starting a game, let LARP Portal simplify your administrative processes and give you and your players more time for LARPing. Contact us at demo@larportal.com today for a free demo.