Nordic Erotic Larp: Designing for Sexual Arousal

Abstract

Erotic larp is an emerging trend in the Nordic countries. Sexuality and socio-dramatic play have been combined <br/>in numerous ways in the past; what is new about this concentration of erotic embodied adult pretend play is that it is emerging <br/>from a culture of reflexive, critical, and bespoke design, as a tradition of art games. By studying 25 design abstracts of Nordic <br/>art larps from the last decade, this article seeks not only to map, classify, organize, and understand the phenomena of erotic larp <br/>design, but to discuss how norms of sexuality are reflected in the Nordic larp community through looking at how sexuality is <br/>thematised, described, signalled, and designed. The analysis in this article is rooted in game studies and informed by sexuality <br/>studies. In the design abstracts, we uncover how sexuality is thematised by the designers and signalled to the players, as well as <br/>how larp rules, mechanics, and expectations are designed for erotic role-play interactions. The article shows that a Nordic tra-<br/>dition of larps with design for erotic and sexual play has emerged during the 2010s, how new larp mechanics scaffold erotic <br/>role-play in ways that give room for sexual arousal through layered alibis, and that these form of larps are inclusive of people <br/>of marginalised genders and sexualities, as well as of sexual kinks. The discussion also addresses the tension between liberation <br/>and oppression of sexuality in erotic larp design, as well as tensions around player agency and compelling game mechanics.<br/>Keywords: Role-play, larp, sexual arousal, design, design abstract, Nordic larp, sex in games, queer games, alibi, make-believe <br/>oppression Nordic larp, marketing