Larp Design Series (4 of Series): You’ve Got a Game. Now Build A Team

So, you've got your game off the ground. Maybe it's running monthly. Maybe it's pulling decent numbers. Maybe you're still in that thrilling, chaotic phase where you're doing everything yourself—writing plot, managing finances, wrangling props, posting on social media, and trying to keep a smile on your face while loading bins into your trunk at midnight. Here’s the truth: you can run a game solo... but not forever. And definitely not if you want it to grow.

If your goal is long-term sustainability (something that builds momentum instead of burning you out) you need a team. Not just friends who help when they can. A real structure. A team with roles, responsibilities, and accountability that lets you scale without losing your mind. This isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” solution. It’s not a corporate playbook forced onto LARP. But after years of designing and supporting games that grew from living rooms to multi-hundred-player monthly events, I’ve found this five-role framework to be remarkably effective.

Now, some people bristle at the idea of defined roles and structured responsibilities. There's a perception that applying any kind of organized framework—especially one that feels like it comes from the corporate world—somehow stifles creativity or crushes the soul of the game. It’s not an unfounded fear. We’ve all seen moments where rules and policies get weaponized, or where rigid chains of command become a shield against flexibility and collaboration. But that’s not what this structure is about.

This framework doesn’t exist to box people in or force a hobby into a business suit. It exists because when something is “everyone’s job,” it almost always ends up being “no one’s job”. Without clear responsibility, even the most well-meaning teams end up dropping balls. Not because they don’t care, but because they’re each assuming someone else is handling it—or they’re too unsure of their authority to take action. Clarity creates empowerment. Accountability creates trust. And trust, more than anything, is what gives a team the freedom to actually focus on the parts of the game that matter most to them.

In the absence of role definition, you start to see the same pattern repeat. Some people check out entirely, not because they don’t want to help, but because they don’t know how—or worse, they’ve tried before and felt like they were stepping on someone else’s toes. Others will do as little as possible, because without expectations in place, there’s nothing pushing them to do more. And then there’s the most common trap of all: the over-functioner. The person who quietly picks up every piece that falls through the cracks, who volunteers before the question is even finished, who puts in endless hours because they love the game too much to let it suffer. That person burns out. Or they get bitter. Or they leave. And when they do, the game takes a hit that could have been prevented.

And if you’re a game owner who’s still resisting this kind of structure—if something about it feels like giving up the freedom or spirit of how your LARP has always worked—take a moment to look back. Ask yourself how many of your rockstars, the team members who used to light up with energy and ideas, have quietly stepped back or outright burned out. How many are still with you, but clearly running on fumes, teetering toward bitterness because they feel like they’re carrying too much with too little recognition or support? How often do you find yourself rushing through last-minute fixes, assuming that the chaos is just part of the job, when in reality it might be the direct result of a lack of structure? And most importantly, how many times are you taking on extra work not because it’s your job, but because nobody else is doing it—and someone has to? These aren’t signs of failure. They’re signs of a system that needs help. And you can change that. Not by making things colder or more corporate, but by giving your people the clarity and support they need to succeed together.

Building a leadership structure isn't about pretending you're running a business. It’s about protecting your volunteers. It’s about honoring the work that goes into running a live event month after month. And it’s about making sure that when someone gives their time, energy, and creativity to the game, they aren’t just filling gaps that shouldn’t exist in the first place—they’re contributing to something built to last.

These five focus areas cover the essentials:
Finance. Story. Community. Operations. Integration.

1. Finance Director (Finance, Site, Ordering)

Theme: Stewardship, infrastructure, and legal compliance.

Core Responsibilities:

• Financial Oversight: Manage budgets, track revenue and expenditures, pay debts, and ensure event profitability.

• Site & Logistics Management: Secure event locations, manage site rentals, coordinate vendor payments, and ensure logistical needs are met.

• Compliance & Accountability: Handle taxes, maintain records, and ensure all business operations adhere to local and national laws in alignment with the licensed IP agreement.

2. Story Director (Narrative Management)

Theme: Worldbuilding, continuity, and emotional engagement.

Core Responsibilities:

• Narrative Development: Oversee long-term story arcs, ensuring alignment with licensed IP and emotional engagement beyond mechanics.

• Content Coordination: Recruit and organize a writing team, assign writing duties, and maintain continuity across arcs and characters.

• Event Documentation: Archive major plot beats, NPCs, and decisions per event to ensure world and lore continuity.

3. Community Director (Community Management & Recruitment)

Theme: Player health, culture-building, and outreach.

Core Responsibilities:

• Community Wellness: Foster a healthy, inclusive, and welcoming environment; act as a mandatory reporter and trusted liaison in social disputes.

• Recruitment & Outreach: Set and meet goals for new player attendance (e.g., 5 new players per event), run introductory content, and partner with marketing to grow the base.

• Culture Stewardship: Maintain the tone and values of the branch, mediate through structure, and support human-to-human interaction when guidance is needed.

4. Operations Director (Operational Management)

Theme: Execution, immersion, and logistics.

Core Responsibilities:

• Physical Resource Management: Order and track all supplies and materials, from costuming to props to paperwork.

• Event Infrastructure: Organize setup and breakdown crews, maintain morale, and ensure environmental immersion through aesthetics and layout.

• Team Coordination: Manage event-day Guides, delegate tasks efficiently, and support consistency in experience delivery.

5. Integration Director (Project Management & Interdepartmental Liaison)

Theme: Strategy, alignment, and momentum.

Core Responsibilities:

• Project Management: Track progress across departments, set deadlines, hold team leaders accountable, and ensure smooth coordination between teams.

• Support & Intervention: Step in where friction, gaps, or burnout appear to remove blockers and offer hands-on assistance.

• Communication & Alignment: Ensure consistent, clear communication between all leadership and teams; turn reactive patterns into proactive systems.