‘For God & Country’

”For God and Country’ is a LARP about the Dutch war of independence. Around the year 1570, the rebellious Dutch almost found themselves in the brink of open war with Spain, and Spanish-loyal countrymen. Important nobility, their servants and city regents meet each other to discuss the future. They take a group of Spanish-loyal countrymen hostage, who will be present in this all deciding meeting about the country’s future. ‘For God and country’ covers themes of religious fanaticism, the cost of war, and the power of propaganda. All characters also have personal storylines such as romances, vendetta’s or hopes to raise a family. The LARP has no written ending; the victors will truly write (alt-)history.

International Run 1-4 October 2026 in Leersum, The Netherlands.

Sign up period is February 2 till 16 in 2026. The design document in English with details will be available by then.

Follow the site, Discord of Facebook-page for updates.

Around the year 1570, the Dutch provinces are on the brink of open war with the powerful Spanish empire. Some fight against oppression, others for money, power or friends. The country is town asunder by deep rifts: between Catholics and protestants, between nobility and rich city regents, between the poor and poorer. In this chaotic time, new ideas about humanism take root and upset the known order.

The LARP tells the story of a meeting of rebel leaders and their followers. They are no friends, and maybe not even true allies. In the first hours of the game, a group of Spanish loyalists (also players) is captured. At the meeting their fate, and the fate of the country is decided. Will it be a bloodbath, or will higher ideals guide the way?

All characters are based on historical sources. The LARP includes stories about emancipation of the poor, women and lgbtq+ people. Characters have loves ones and enemies, and will have to sort out their personal issues within the social rules of that time.

The tone of the LARP mirrors historical stories: sometimes the grim reality of war, sometimes a romantic picture of nationalist unity.

The following aspects tell you about the game’s design choices:

Open ending – Although the LARP is inspired by history, it does not have to end the same way. The motto of the LARP is “History is written by the victors”.
Play to lose & lift – The purpose of the LARP is not to ‘win’ but to experience the small and large dynamics that guide the fate of humanity. All characters are their own main characters, and have their own full storylines and purpose in the larger story. Some characters are more focused on personal tragedy than politics. Characters can only die in the last hours of the game, and only by the victims choice.
Phasing- All of the LARP happens in one continuous event- there are no timeskips. Several times per day; an ‘event’ will happen. This can be something for the soldiers to ‘solve’, or a letter to the nobility. These events help characters to act and change opinions based on a changing world.
Workshops – There will be pregame scenes to co-create memories before the game starts. The game will also have two workshops: OC game techniques, and IC setting.

“For God and Country was a deeply immersive experience, capturing a turbulent period in Dutch history. The characters were created with great care and a strong commitment to historical atmosphere. I loved exploring the norms and values of the era while portraying a commoner with a rich backstory. The “non-face card”(non-noble characters) roles added so much depth to the overall narrative — we truly made history come alive!“
– Lizzie

“Grand history on a human scale. The team made a story that is deeply emotional and personal, set in a time that not only echoes through Dutch history, but gives us interesting parallels for the modern world. Heavy themes are handled very well, which makes this is a story about so much more than just politics.”
– Gijs

‘For God & Country’ was designed and run in The Netherlands in 2025. We want to thank the following people:

Willemijn for writing and being the story director.
Merel for co-writing and for her warm community management and safety.
Jasper for smooth running of general logistics, location and website.
Guy, Jolanda and Esther for the plentiful, historic, delicious food.
Roos, Corne (frivolous engineering) and Saar for amazing props and their intense performance in several NPC roles
Karijn and Sander for valuable feedback and proofreading.
Ork for his wonderful photography.
Tjidde, Sharre, Anne for other tasks that were indispensable to make this LARP happen.