On 7 October 2026, Sarah Lynne Bowman, Senior Lecturer at Uppsala University’s Department of Game Design, Campus Gotland, explored this question in the online seminar How can Live Action Role-Playing (LARP) cultivate Democratic Engagement?
The seminar addressed the potential of role-playing games to support awareness, resilience and critical thinking at a time when disinformation and challenges to democratic principles make meaningful public dialogue increasingly urgent.
A central example was The Assembly, a role-playing scenario developed within Larpocracy. Designed by Sarah Lynne Bowman, PerOla Öberg, Josephine Rydberg and Kjell Hedgard Hugaas, the scenario brings participants together as fictional community members to deliberate on a contested political issue. Its design encourages players to articulate their positions, listen carefully to others, and work toward mutual understanding, even when disagreements remain. As the scenario’s learning objectives explain, its broader purpose is to “practice necessary skills for a functioning democracy.”
This approach connects directly with Larpocracy’s investigation of how live action role-playing can support democratic values and civic skills. The Horizon Europe project examines how the design of participatory experiences might create inclusive spaces for deliberation, political expression and democratic learning.
Bowman’s work also forms part of the Transformative Play Initiative, which brings together research and education on the potential of games to support personal and social transformation. Its activities connect game design, facilitation and reflection with questions about how experiences in play may influence everyday relationships and practices.
Her educational contributions were recognised through Uppsala University’s 2026 Distinguished Teaching Awards. Bowman received the Independent Award for “Assessment that promotes student learning,” recognising her work in transformative game design and LARP, particularly her integration of continuous feedback into assessment.
The seminar addressed a question at the heart of Larpocracy: how might practising dialogue, listening and collective decision-making within a fictional setting support democratic engagement beyond the game?
Watch the presentation
Read Sarah Lynne Bowman’s presentation Transcript.
Further reading
Download The Assembly: full scenario.
Bowman, S. L., Öberg, P., Johansson, K., & Waern, A. (2025). Mapping the design terrain between live action role-playing games and deliberative events for democratic skill development. In Education and Analog Role-Playing Games (pp. 232–279). CRC Press.