Protected: Content Warnings

What’s the scariest thing that can happen at Hawkins?

We have an extensive list of content warnings available below so you can gauge if Hawkins is or is not for you.

While we can avoid casting you directly into certain plots, we can’t guarantee you won’t discover scenes you find upsetting or won’t get scared by something at game. We don’t anticipate high-intensity fear, but if you can’t stomach a haunted house, you might want to think twice about Hawkins. You will always be able to opt out or remove yourself from any situation or scene, no questions asked, if it becomes too intense. Player characters can die, but only ever at that player’s consent.

You probably won’t encounter all of these themes, but you may encounter any of them. Hawkins is a player driven game, and any of these themes may come up in play or discussion. There is a list of excluded content at the bottom.

Universal Content

Content that you may discover or experience at Hawkins.

Violence and Gore
  • Depictions of physical violence
  • Blood and gore
  • Harm to children or animals
  • Physical or psychological torture
Sci-Fi Horror
  • Monsters and other supernatural entities
  • Possession and mind control
  • Disturbing paranormal activities
  • “Alien” abduction
Psychological Horror
  • Fear of the unknown
  • Paranoia and mental distress
  • Mind games and manipulation
  • Jumpscares
  • Characters swept up in group panic or irrational behavior
  • Themes of being stranded or cut off from the outside world
  • Themes of surveillance or loss of privacy
Medical/Body Horror
  • Depictions of unethical medical experiments or procedures
  • Hospitals, doctors, or medical equipment
  • Themes of infection or decay
  • Transformation or mutation of bodies
  • Mushrooms/roots/vines growing out of or into bodies
Child Endangerment
  • Threat and harm or death of children or teens
  • Missing children
Themes of Death
  • References to or depictions of death
  • Grief and mourning
  • Resurrected or undead characters
  • Player character death (you can decide for yourself if your character dies or not- but other characters may die without discussing it with you first!)
Disturbing Imagery
  • Creepy dolls, clowns, or other unsettling figures
  • Dark, ominous environments
  • Distorted realities or dream sequences
Mental Health
  • Depictions of insanity, psychosis, or mental illness
  • Themes of anxiety, depression, or trauma
  • Fear of losing one’s mind & characters questioning their sanity
  • References to historical events with traumatic implications (e.g., wars, disasters) & potential PTSD
  • Characters experiencing partial or total memory loss
Moral Dilemmas
  • Scenarios where characters must make difficult ethical decisions
  • Themes of betrayal, sacrifice, or loss of innocence
  • Questioning one’s own morality or the morality of others
Sound and Sensory Overload
  • Loud or jarring noises
  • Navigating in the dark and low light
  • Auditory effects, like eerie music or thrumming sounds
  • Flashing lights, colored lights, or strobe effects
  • Smoke or fog effects

Character-Specific Content

Content around certain plots or characters, but that any and all characters might stumble upon at any time.

Drug and Alcohol Use
  • References to or depiction of substance use
  • Characters under the influence
  • Hallucinations
Sexual Content
  • Implied or off-screen sexual situations
  • Suggestive themes or language
Racism and Prejudice
  • Depictions of low grade racism or prejudice
  • Period-accurate bigotry & homophobia
Bullying and Abuse
  • Verbal, physical, or emotional bullying
  • Domestic or familial abuse
  • Scenes involving power dynamics and control
  • Conflicts involving parents and children, such as neglect or overprotection
Claustrophobia & Isolation
  • Tight, enclosed spaces
  • Scenes of imagined entrapment or confinement

Excluded Content

Content that is banned from Hawkins.

Extreme or Violent Prejudice
  • While we will touch on bullying, era-appropriate homophobia, and small-town racism based on player interest and consent, we do not allow violent prejudice as content in this game. We will not be playing out hate crimes, such as in Stephen King’s IT.
AIDS Crisis
  • This had a huge impact on the LGBTQ+ community, and there are other larps that explore it in depth and examine the full breadth of how our community suffered, such as Just a Little Lovin’. We don’t think our little horror game is the place to do so.
Sexual Assault or Sexual Abuse
  • This will not be included in game or in backstory. While domestic abuse may occur, and slut shaming may occur, sexual assault is forbidden content.
Cannibalism
  • Good for horror, not for this game.
Incest
  • Found in Stephen King’s works, not found in this game.