These LARP-ers Prove That You’re Never Too Old To Play Pretend

In a culture that leaves little room for everyday whimsy, everyone’s craving an escape. Some travel, others binge television, and a brave few live out their wildest dreams in real time. The last are LARPers, or Live Action Role‑players. And if you’re wondering, they probably touch more grass than you do.

If you’ve ever been around Kallang Wave Mall at the weekend, you’ve probably caught a glimpse of them: adults dressed in lavish medieval garb, play‑fighting on a grassy field with swords and shields in tow. It feels out of place and almost absurd against the backdrop of modern Singapore, but it isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s Live Action Role‑play, better known by its abbreviation, LARP.

LARP has its roots in the US as an offshoot of tabletop role‑playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, popularised in the 1970s. Once stereotyped as the domain of older men rolling dice in their basements, it has since taken on a life of its own. Today, LARP sits at the intersection of performance, sport, costuming and collaborative storytelling, drawing a younger, more diverse crowd motivated by everything from its fantasy aesthetics to immersive narratives and, crucially, sense of community. And even here in our pragmatic city, this once‑fringe subculture has picked up pace.

Singapore’s first‑ever Renaissance Faire, Ren Faire SG: The Origin, will take place at Fort Canning Park this Jan 31 and Feb 1, for example, and has drawn plenty of buzz since it was announced last August. A concept with a cult following in the US and Europe, a Renaissance Faire is essentially an outdoor festival that recreates a medieval‑esque town with the likes of games, performances and a marketplace, with visitors encouraged to come suitably dressed (though no judgement if you decide not to). According to its Gen Z‑coded Instagram account @renfairesg, early‑bird tickets to Ren Faire SG: The Origin sold out within two days of their release.

This June, there’ll be another similar event, Lion City Faire, this time with a Southeast Asian bent and organised by a different group of LARPers. If you’re looking to indulge in such fantasies on a more regular basis though, there’s Hearthhart Inn, a fantasy‑themed cafe in *Scape that incorporates role‑play into its service and doubles as a hub for LARP‑related events, and Jiwa Creative, a creative agency that hosts LARP‑centred workshops and events. Both are founded by under‑30‑year‑olds.

No surprise, this movement coincides with a broader cultural shift towards experiential hobbies and analog forms of connection. In a digital world dominated by algorithms and passive consumption, LARPers are choosing something refreshingly hands‑on: creating original characters and building a shared reality that exists distinctly offline.

And, perhaps more importantly, LARP helps its participants imbue whimsy into their everyday lives – something that, she adds, seems increasingly elusive for young people.

And don’t just think of LARPing as simply playing pretend. What’s easy to miss if you only clock the foam swords and flowing cloaks is how thoughtfully constructed this world is. Krishnan’s business partner and Jiwa Creative co‑founder, Muhammad Syamim Ameen, 29, explains that as more people get involved in LARP, community guidelines have only become more robust. For one, there are rules – from how exactly to engage in safe combat to the language and actions that help create a welcoming space for all. At its core, LARP is collaborative, not competitive, and that’s exactly what keeps people coming back.

Ahead, we speak more with Syamim and Krishnan as well as three other members of Singapore’s LARP community about the worlds they build and the lives they lead beyond the field. Prepare to be surprised.

NAME: Regina Chow

AGE: 32

OCCUPATION: Financial adviser

A LARPER SINCE … “More than a decade ago” (Chow is also a cast member and performer at Ren Faire SG: The Origin, the Renaissance Faire being staged in Singapore this Jan 31 and Feb 1.)

ON WHY SHE LARPS: “It’s a way to let go and be someone else entirely. Plus, I love dressing up and creating costumes that are outside of the norm.”

HER DREAM COSTUME IF MONEY WERE NO OBJECT: “I’d love a look with animated wings that can move and are synced to my brain waves because I play a lot of fairy characters. Unfortunately, it involves too much engineering that I’m not personally capable of pulling off at the moment.”

ON BALANCING LARP AND REAL LIFE: “It’s like flipping a switch. A good majority of my characters are very ditsy and silly – I use a lot of brain cells at work and don’t wish to do so when I LARP. It’s not difficult though. I just take a moment to compose myself and get into character mode if needed – or vice versa.”

HER ADVICE ON GETTING STARTED WITH LARP: “A lot of people worry a lot about their outfits, equipment or looking silly … I think that worry prevents people from doing a lot of things. Just come down to a gathering and don’t worry about it!”

NAME: Anna W (she prefers to keep her last name private)

AGE: 28

OCCUPATION: Veterinarian – which makes her Dr Anna W, FYI

A LARPER SINCE … August 2025, though she has been playing tabletop role‑playing games since her university days

HOW SHE GOT INTO LARP AND RPG, OR ROLE‑PLAYING GAMES: “I’ve always been a bit nerdy and loved dressing up, so becoming a cosplayer as a teenager was kind of inevitable. Then I saw a stall with a bunch of people in sick armour during my university’s freshers’ week and was instantly sold.”

ON WHY SHE ENJOYS RPG: “They’re fun and don’t cost much money – and you get to hang out with people offline. Plus, I like to play characters that create mischief, so these games are always funny and entertaining for me.”

HER CHARACTER HERE (PICTURED ON THE RIGHT): “Ain, a scarf seller with a penchant for gossiping, eavesdropping and sticking her nose into matters that do not concern herself.”

THE SILLIEST PURCHASE SHE HAS MADE AS A LARPER: “A foam staff that cost 70 euros (about S$106), which I purchased while at ConQuest of Mythodea (the world’s largest LARP convention, held annually in Germany). I didn’t even end up using it on the battlefield because it was so small compared to everyone else’s – it was like bringing a knife to a gunfight.”

HOW RPG AND LARP HAVE CHANGED HER LIFE: “It’s super easy to make friends in these settings and that helped a lot with my confidence. You can strike up a conversation with anyone when you’re role‑playing and that translates into real life too.”

NAME: Darren Chiam

AGE: 29

OCCUPATION: Primary school music teacher

A LARPER SINCE … 2020

ON WHY HE LARPS: “For me, LARP is three things rolled into one: cosplay, improv theatre and rugby for nerds. Where else can you find a hobby in which a group of people are willing to dress up, hit one another with foam sticks, and not be paiseh (Hokkien for “embarrassed” or “ashamed”) about it?”

THE CHARACTER HE’S MOST PROUD OF CREATING: “My blue‑skinned Orc character (a fictional being from Middle‑earth folklore, similar to a goblin or troll) named Duruk. He plays the drums and has no filter, which has landed him in a lot of trouble, but has also led him on amazing adventures!”

ON BALANCING LARP AND REAL LIFE: “LARP is my escape, but I do let it bleed into my everyday life. As a music teacher, I try to encourage my students’ creativity and self‑expression in non‑verbal ways. For example, if I have to create a slide deck, I tend to go above and beyond to make it more eye‑catching. I hide this hobby from my students though – they don’t have to know about my personal life!”

ONE THING LARP HAS GIVEN HIM THAT REAL LIFE COULD NEVER: “With LARP, you can find your true self for free anywhere and with anyone. Oh, I picked up medieval German longsword fighting too!”

NAMES: Muhammad Syamim Ameen (in the picture on the left, left) and Kira Elizabeth Krishnan (in the picture on the left, right)

AGES: 29 and 24 respectively

OCCUPATIONS: He’s a tuition teacher who has taught special needs children and was formerly in the entertainment field, while she’s a freelance artist with a background in acting. They’re also the founders of creative agency Jiwa Creative, which has been organising LARP‑related workshops and events since March 2024 and was officially registered as a business last July.

LARPERS SINCE … Syamim has been one for 10 years, while Krishnan has been one for two.

ON WHY THEY LARP: “The LARP space is one where you can make mistakes and be shielded from the fallout – if you really hate what you’ve done, you can just kill your character and start anew,” says Syamim. Krishnan, meanwhile, does it for a different reason: “As an artist,” she shares, the space is “a beta testing ground for all of my ideas.”

SYAMIM ON HOW MUCH HE HAS INVESTED IN THIS HOBBY: “At least $4,000 over the past decade. The most expensive item I’ve bought was a custom sui

KRISHNAN ON HER LARP WARDROBE: “It’s much, much bigger than my everyday wardrobe. I’m afraid to count the number of pieces I’ve bought – and will probably never do so.”

MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE LARPING: Both agree that it’s when kids show interest in their costumes. Says Syamim: “I love seeing the glimmer in their eyes when they come up and touch my armour or weapons. I’d usually then show them how to swing a sword – it’s just such wholesome, light‑hearted fun.” Meanwhile, Krishnan gets stopped whenever she’s in a “huge, cupcake‑looking dress”. “Little girls will ask me if I’m a princess,” she says.

A MISCONCEPTION ABOUT LARPERS: “A lot of people think we’re socially incompetent, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. LARP is a predominantly social game where you do nothing but hone your social skills,” Syamim points out. Krishnan adds: “And that we don’t know this is all make‑believe – a lot of us are just here to have fun and don’t take ourselves so seriously!

ALL INTERVIEWS HAVE BEEN EDITED FOR BREVITY AND CLARITY

This article first appeared in Volume 6 (Jan/Feb 2026) of F ZINE.

TEXT & COORDINATION KENME LAM PHOTOGRAPHY ISABELLE SEAH ART DIRECTION JONATHAN CHIA HAIR EC TAN/KIZUKI+LIM MAKEUP SARAH TAN LOCATION SPECIAL THANKS TO HEARTHHART INN