Out of the Frying Pan, or, Murder at the Chefs' Retreat

It should have been a dream vacation. A private retreat for the greatest chefs in the world, to relax and prepare for the World Culinary Championship. A week out of the public eye, with nothing to do but rest and enjoy each other’s company. But then –- tragedy. There has been a murder!

A fair-play murder mystery larp set at a larger-than-life chefs' retreat. A mechanics-light game with custom sheets written based on player surveys.

Long Description

It should have been a dream vacation. A private retreat for the greatest chefs in the world to relax and prepare for the World Culinary Championship. A week out of the public eye, with nothing to do but rest and enjoy each other’s company. But then -– tragedy.

There has been… a murder!

A secluded lodge becomes a deadly trap. Friends and professional rivals suspect one another of the unthinkable. Long-buried grudges and secrets come to the surface. With no way to leave, and no way to call for help, can these supreme gourmands band together to solve the mysteries before them? Or will their raw feelings boil over and yield a second helping of disaster?

The investigation begins.

Game Overview

Out of the Frying Pan is a fair-play murder mystery larp inspired by the works of authors such as Agatha Christie and Yukito Ayatsuji. More serious than Clue but more over-the-top than a Sherlock Holmes story, the game draws heavily on classic mystery tropes, from gathering evidence and comparing alibis to hidden rivalries and blackmail schemes.

This game is intended to evoke similar feelings to reading a murder mystery. There will be melodrama and tension, and from the perspective of the characters, everything happening is deadly serious. As players, though, we recognize the inherent over-the-top absurdity of the circumstances and, as with many good murder mysteries, suspend our disbelief in the gravity of the situation in favor of savoring the story as it unfolds and the solving of the mystery.

Mechanics

• The murder will have already taken place at the start of the game, and further investigation of the crime will be facilitated by non-diegetic mechanics such as locating evidence cards in the physical space of the game. However, Out of the Frying Pan is for the most part a conversation- and improv-driven larp, not a hidden roles game or mystery-solving tabletop game.
• Players will be asked to familiarize themselves with the specifics of their character's involvement in the murder, but are welcome to bring any notes or memory aides they'd like for the game.
• Sometimes, in the course of a murder mystery, there are additional murders! Players will be provided with a small visual item, such as a button or pin, to opt-into possibly dying. There will also be small props representing possible murder weapons. You can revoke permission to be killed at any time, and there will be backup characters for you to play if your character dies.
• You may indicate interest in playing the killer on your character survey.

Other Details

• This larp is set in the present day, at a private retreat for world-class chefs before they're whisked away to film the cooking competition of the century. Costuming is encouraged but not required.
• All character sheets will be custom-written for the player based on their survey responses. As a result, once your survey is submitted, please do your best to be in attendance, barring any unforeseen circumstances!