What is Zombie LARP?

Another ace zombie photo by Antony White.

Zombie LARP is a physical action game which recreates the thrills and atmosphere of zombie horror movies. The dead are returning to life and eating the flesh of the living. The question is: what are you going to do about it?

Zombie LARP events are designed to be as accessible as possible: you don’t need props, costume or equipment of your own, and you don’t need to know anything about the dark arts of live-action roleplay. It’s all provided and explained on the day. You turn up with your ticket, and we smear you with fake blood and shove you in!

How does it work?

Our events usually take place in a big empty building. Each “run” of the day begins with most players alive, armed and desperate to escape. Zombies and other unpleasant creatures hunt the humans through darkened hallways, attacking and infecting the humans until they’ve all become undead or until the stragglers have made it to safety. When a round ends we swap the roles around a bit and start again, so that everyone gets to experience the terror from both sides.

(Sometimes, smaller events start with the outbreak already more advanced: a large crowd of zombies pursues a small team of humans. When the humans are all dead – or have escaped – we swap the roles around as above.)

The game is run by referees who herd the zombies and devise goals and challenges for the humans. But the outcome depends on the human players’ daring, intelligence and survival skills. We’ve kept the rules to a minimum so that the game is as immersive as possible. Fighting is done using foam-rubber weapons, guns which fire foam darts, and (in the case of zombies) bare hands. This isn’t the type of game which stops to check the rulebook: if you’re surrounded by zombies, you have to fight or run for your life.

Zombie LARP: a mix of team sport, roleplaying game, improvised theatre, carnival funhouse, tactical combat simulation, recurring nightmare, and historical re-enactment of events that will hopefully never happen. But if they do, you’ll be ready.