Live action roleplay (larp) has a wide range of applications and can be relevant in relation to HCI. While there has been research about larp in relation to topics such as embodied interaction, playfulness, and futuring published in HCI venues since the early 2000s, there is not yet a compilation of this knowledge. In this article, we synthesize knowledge about larp and larp-adjacent work within the domain of HCI. We present a practitioner overview from an expert group of larp researchers, the results of a literature review, and highlight particular larp research exemplars which all work together to showcase the diverse set of ways that larp can be utilized in relation to HCI topics and research. This article identifies the need for further discussions toward establishing best practices for utilizing larp in relation to HCI research, as well as advocating for increased engagement with larps outside academia.

Body maps are a popular tool in body-centric design, facilitating a sensitization and expression of felt sensations and emotions. Yet, they also bring forth assumptions about the body and our somatic experience. Based on an open and exploratory design ideation inquiry, we have started to explore how body maps could be advanced so as to cater to a plurality of bodies and aspects that shape somatic experiences. We present an annotated portfolio featuring six design themes (temporality, sociality, representativeness, granularity, context, focus). These themes help us examine implicit assumptions of current body maps, and offer possible alternatives for what future body maps could become. We contribute our themes, inspirational design ideas and practical design techniques to help craft novel body maps. Our contributions can serve as inspiration to others, towards advancing body maps as a research tool for body-centric interaction design.

Location-based games are highly dependent on the physical environment. One important but often overlooked factor is weather. In this paper we focus on winter weather, as this is a common weather that is often not designed for specifically. By performing a qualitative observation, interview, and questionnaire study of families during and after playing a GPS-based mobile game in a winter setting, this paper studies how winter conditions affected the gaming experience. Three main factors were observed to have a big impact on the gaming experience: snow, ice and cold. We outline ways these weather conditions were found to be both obstacles, and adding value to the game. Finally, we suggest design implications for winter weather, mainly; the need for short games due to cold, adaption of gameplay for movement in snow, to avoid interactions based on handling the phone, and to adapt maps to the effects of snow and ice. By explaining how winter conditions affect the gaming experience, location-based games can be better adapted for these weather conditions, and thereby help in making better design decisions.

Concepts and theories that emerge within the social sciences tend to be nuanced, dealing with complex social phenomena. While their relevance to design could be high, it is difficult to make sense of them in design projects, especially when participants have a variety of backgrounds. We report on our experiences using role-play scenarios as a way to sensitize heterogeneous designer teams to complex theoretical concepts related to museology as social and cultural phenomena. We discuss design requirements on such scenarios, and the importance of connecting their execution closely to the context of the design and the current stage of the design process.