Despite being entirely isolated from the Nordic world, the Wayfinder Experience of New York has evolved a style of larping far more similar to many Nordic larps than the majority of its geographic compatriots. This talk traces the influences and impacts of that parallel evolution, from Wayfinder’s birth as the Adventure Game Theater in the 1980s up through present day, and explores the idea that the community around the game is just as important as anything about the game itself.
Ben “Books” Schwartz is a professional larp organizer specializing in larps for kids and teens, and has been designing and running their own larps since 2006. They have worked as an organizer and event director for the Wayfinder Experience, Trackers Earth, New World Magischola, and now Dziobak Larp Studios. Their focus is on exploration, empowerment, and empathy development through play.