Protected: What to Expect

What is Hawkins?

Step into Hawkins, an interactive theater and live-action roleplay event set in a quintessential 1980s Midwestern town, inspired by the eerie allure of Stranger Things, Stephen King’s IT, and other 80s sci-fi horror.

In Hawkins, you’re not just a player; you’re part of a rich tapestry of characters, each with their own intricate backstories, conflicts, and connections. Forge deep, lasting relationships as you join forces to weave a captivating tale of action, fear, sacrifice, heartbreak, perseverance, and joy.

Play your role: become the rebel with a heart of gold, the high school teacher dreaming of rock stardom, the cheerleader yearning for adventure, or the kid who’s discovered the thrill of staying out after dark.

Throughout the weekend, you’ll have the opportunity to shape your character’s journey and determine their destiny. Whether you play as an adult, a teenager, or a kid, Hawkins is a 21+ experience, designed to offer mature, immersive storytelling at its best.

What is a LARP?

Short for “live-action roleplay”, larping is an immersive social experience where attendees play characters in a given setting, often with costumes or props. You are generally expected to be in character most of the duration of the event. It is a collaborative and interactive game, where players work together to tell the best story, feel feelings, and explore a fictional world.

What is a Pre-Cast LARP?

For Hawkins, staff are designing a lush cast of characters to populate the small town of the game. Using your casting survey, we’ll find a role that ticks the most boxes for the kind of experience you want; do you want to play a hero or a bully? Do you want to find true love or unravel mysteries? This guarantees everyone has their own unique part to play and plots to care about, but it does mean Hawkins is an ensemble to make the town feel real. If every character is part of The Craft, then who are the weirdos, Mister?

Combat or boffer at Hawkins?

Hawkins is not a combat oriented game or one where combat strategy will be needed. Mostly you will be feeling feelings, having interesting narratives with other players, solving puzzles, and escaping monsters. There may be light boffer (foam-weapon fighting) elements to simulate combat, but they will be few and entirely optional.

Handling Fears & Triggers

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 character’s consent.

This game is...

A 1980s Sci-fi Horror Larp.
Set in a small town in rural Wisconsin.
An immersive “blockbuster” game, complete with set dressings and costumes. While costumes are required, strict historical accuracy is not.
A “litform” game with precast characters, complicated character relationships, and conflicting goals.
A game with plots to unravel and some mysteries to solve, some of which are beyond the control of player decisions.
Rooted in the genre conventions and tropes of 80s media.
A horror game with monsters, distressing scenarios, and creepy or upsetting backstories.
About characters; their relationships, their dynamics, their feelings, and their stories.

… This game is Not

A magic or urban fantasy larp.
A ‘kids on bikes’ or Goonies light-hearted romp.
A larp where you play ‘canon’ characters from the media; nobody will be playing Hopper or Eleven, and they don’t exist in this world.
A game focused on boffer (foam weapon fighting) with strict combat rules or battle sequences; any combat will be thematic rather than strategic.
A sandbox game. There are limitations to what your characters can, or will, do.
A game without consequences. Actions may present challenges, scandals, or concerns. As a player, you can always negotiate the consequences of your actions, but players should lean into the drama of their choices.
“Immersion above all else”- while we ask you not to use your cellphone in public spaces and try to stay in character as much as possible, this larp is not ‘what you see is what you get’, and you are encouraged to put players first.
An escape room or action-adventure game where you’ll be solving puzzles and fighting monsters constantly. We focus on roleplay and character arcs.
A history test.

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.