Worlds in Play is a gathering of play practitioners—game and theatre artists—exploring new forms of agency in storytelling and experience. It is a space to share unfinished work, exchange tools, and test new ideas in a spirit of collective curiosity. The inaugural event took place in January 2024. The 2025 event will take place August 4-7 in Monticello, Illinois.
Worlds in Play is a playful “collective studio visit” for practitioners, researchers, and producers, and curious humans. If you’re passionate about participatory practices, exploring agency, or contributing to this emergent field of play, you’ll likely find kindred spirits—and maybe even new best friends—here!
Practices span a wide spectrum of participatory mediums: Alternate Reality Games (ARGs), immersive theatre, Live Action Role Playing Games (larp), social practice, performance art, XR, Tabletop Role Playing Games, ritual, party, and more.
All of the above, and none of the above. Worlds in Play is a retreat-style convening that combines the spirit of a studio visit, the rigor of a lab, the energy of a festival, and the intimacy of a gathering. There are no keynotes or panels. No passive spectatorship or prosceniums. Just a shared space to experiment.
There’s no set theme. Worlds in Play is designed to respond to the artists and what they are responding to at the moment. The focus is whatever we co-create together.
Artists and attendees from last year said that their experience sparked new collaborations, revitalized their creative practice, and deepened their relationship to participatory work.
- 100% felt inspired to make new work
- 98% said they’d recommend it to their network
- 95% agreed that it creates a much-needed space for exploration across game, theatre, and immersive fields
The inaugural Worlds in Play has seeded meaningful partnerships, commissions, and creative ecosystems. We’re excited to see what this year sparks!
We’re seeking sponsors and partners who want to support the future of participatory storytelling. As a sponsor, you can:
- Support artists through directly sponsoring travel, lodging, and attendance
- Receive public recognition, consulting hours, and opportunities to collaborate on programming
- Join a visionary network of institutions and producers shaping this field
Reach out to producers, Jake (jakepin@gmail.com) or Scarlett (scarlett@scarlett.kim), for details.
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Registration will open in May and will stay open until all spots are filled. Registration fee is $600 + $110/night for 3 nights of stay at Allerton Park & Retreat Center. Meals for the full duration of the retreat are included in the cost of registration.
Allerton Park and Retreat Center is accessible by car or train from Chicago, Indianapolis, and St. Louis. Allerton is a 1,500-acre estate with gardens, woodlands, trails, and historic architecture. Participants will have exclusive access to the site, offering a beautiful and expansive backdrop for experimentation, rest, and play. Although you are not required to stay at Allerton, you are highly encouraged to, as lodging nearby is scarce.
We’ll be sharing more travel logistics soon.
Expect a wide variety of participatory playtesting formats, designed by each artist and supported by the producers. In addition to the official schedule, there will be open programming slots that attendees to offer spontaneous sessions or experiments. Throughout the retreat, there will always be at least two or more sessions happening at once. You’re invited to choose your own adventure: build a path through the gathering that reflects your curiosities. There will also be plenty of informal moments to connect, rest, or spark collaboration. The schedule will be released in waves leading up to the gathering. There will be no advance sign-ups for sessions, but there may be on-site, in-person sign-ups for certain sessions with limited capacity.
Most likely! While some sessions may have capacity limits, the abundance of programming and choose-your-own-adventure structure means there’s always something engaging to jump into.
Yes. Meals will include vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. If you have additional dietary needs, please let us know in advance via the registration form.
We are committed to making Worlds in Play as accessible as possible. Please reach out to producers, Jake (jakepin@gmail.com) or Scarlett (scarlett@scarlett.kim), with any questions, and we will do our best to accommodate. Learn more about Allerton Park and Retreat Center’s diversity, inclusion, and access efforts here, including information about Park accessibility and power chair rentals.
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The retreat will be capped at approximately 45 attendees to maintain depth of engagement.
We’re building in intentionally open blocks in the schedule for attendees to grab space, test ideas, and invite others into their process. You might lead a mini-playtest, host a ritual, ask a group to try out a game mechanic, or facilitate a fishbowl discussion. You can let us know your interest at registration, or just offer something on the fly. Leading up to the event, you’ll have the chance to connect with producers in a studio visit to bounce ideas around, if you’d like.
Yes, and you are more than welcome. You do not need to have a project in order to participate meaningfully. That said, this isn’t a passive or talking-heads context. You’ll get the most out of the experience if you come ready to engage. Your presence helps shape artists’ work, and you'll be part of a rare moment in a project’s developmental journey.
Not at all. If you're curious about participation, interactivity, and how people make meaning together, you’re in the right place.
The official artists line-up is curated through invitation only. We are no longer taking expressions or interest, but you are welcome to bring spontaneous ideas to playtest as an attendee!
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