PLAYSTYLE AND TONE

We are aiming for a mixture of character drama, psychological horror and symbolism: Relationships take centre stage, fear is generated by what you can't see, and many details have a metaphorical layer. Players are actively encouraged to charge small moments and gestures with symbolic meaning, but can also just dive in and reflect on the meta-level later.

The larp is mostly transparent. There is no plot, no big secrets and no unexpected twists other than those that the characters themselves bring into play. The few small surprises that we have included aim to develop individual characters, relationships or the atmosphere - never an overarching story.

Focus on emotional immersion

The design aims for emotional immersion and flow rather than a perfect story or cinematic scenes. The environment and mechanics simulate how something feels, not how something looks. Parts of the larp - such as the monster and the time prison - ask you to play intensely alone with your eyes closed.

Drama and intense scenes serve the inner experience of the participants and the development of their personal story, not as a show for bystanders. It is important to create play for others and to play each other up - but it is better to include a few individual players as an active part of your story than to make everyone the audience. Big scandaly or revelations of the characters dark pasts are not part of the game, either.

SHADOWS OF THE PAST

All characters are running away from something. Something that is so bad that in their mind, they suppress it, justify it or distort it because admitting it could cost them everything. Something that destroys them internally. In most cases, this is about guilt, about mistakes they have made, crimes they have committed and people they have hurt. This is their monster. Every encounter with the monster is also an encounter with their own demons, every horror moment is personal.

In addition to the monster, there are various design elements and mechanics that serve to bring the past into the present and blend times. Will the characters make the same mistakes again - or have they really changed?

HOPE AND BEAUTY

The colony signifies hope for a better life, new beginnings and light. Everyone on the spaceship brings along their own ideas and dreams of a better future. And everyone has their own idea of what gives life meaning.

Even if space and the ship seem vast, cold and hostile, they can also be beautiful. We want to create moments where you can feel small and insignificant in a positive sense. And even if all characters are lonely in one way or another, that gives moments of closeness and connection more meaning.

FEAR AND DESPAIR

In the end, their monster will catch up with all characters - and very few of them are ready. What remains when nothing is safe? How far will your characters go to survive - and will that ultimately cost them their lives?

Blankspace works with different methods to build a sense of horror through atmosphere, a concrete threat and the dark sides of the characters themselves. There will be creepy music, lighting and environmental effects, but also cruelty between characters and hide-and-seek with the deadly monster. We will not deliberately use jumpscares caused by people/NPCs, but such caused by environmental effects (e.g. noises) are possible.