Tech needed for LARP Mission Control Game (Wellington/Remote)

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Dagtar

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#324647 7-May-2026 23:58

Kia Ora,

I’m looking for help to build the interactive systems for an immersive LARP. I have the game design, storyline, and hardware blueprints mapped out, and I'm now looking for someone to help execute the technical build or tell me if i can do it.

The project involves building out a "Mission Control" room entirely on a closed LAN with zero internet dependency.

The Proposed Tech Stack:

Backend / Server: A custom Node.js/Express server (or Node-RED) to act as the "brain" of the game holding the master game state and listening for Socket.io messages.

Microcontrollers: Wiring and coding Arduino Pro Micros or Pi Picos (ATmega32U4) to heavy-duty arcade buttons and audio patch cables. These need to natively emulate a USB HID to send keystrokes to the server.

OBS Studio Integration: Using WebSockets so the server can automatically trigger video scene changes on a projector without manual input.

Environmental Controls: Using local UDP packets to trigger WiZ Smart Bulbs based on game events.

Frontend UI: Lightweight HTML/CSS interfaces for tablets in "Kiosk Mode", styled to look like 1980s CRT monitors (phosphor glow, scanlines, VT323 font).

Open to Alternatives: I've specced this out based on what I know, but I’m totally open to other ideas to get the job done. If there's a better way to skin this cat, whether that's using a different tech stack, swapping Node for Python, using different microcontrollers, or taking a completely different approach to the hardware integration, I’m keen to hear your thoughts. As long as it works reliably and delivers the experience, I'm happy to look at other options.

Ideally, you have some experience in hardware/software integration and aren't afraid to get hands-on with some basic wiring. Location-wise, Wellington Region is highly preferred so we can test the physical hardware and props together, but I am open to hybrid/remote for the software/server side.

If this sounds like a fun side-project or contract to get stuck into, drop a reply here or PM me with a bit about yourself and any similar projects you've worked on!

Dagtar

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#3488584 8-May-2026 00:16

To give you all a better idea of i'm trying to do, it’s less about LARP players sitting at a keyboard and more about chaotic, tactile problem-solving under pressure. Think Apollo 13 meets a physical escape room/Theatre game.

What the players are actually doing:

The Tactile Stuff: The "Systems" team are physically unplugging and re-patching a patch bay to route power across the ship. They're turning physical O2 valves and smashing heavy arcade buttons to vent fuel, that will determine if the ship falls apart, the crew survives and if the "Navigation" team have the right math.

The Puzzles: The "Navigation" team has to physically sprint to a lightbox, stack transparent acetate map overlays, and argue over the geometry to find a safe drop zone, then run to a central pedestal to punch a PIN into the Mainframe, that will determine where the ship splashes down.

The Sabotage: While this is happening, VIP players are wandering the room handing out physical bribe envelopes to convince engineers to crash the ship, or hitting a physical "Go Live" button to lie to the press and pump their corporate stock prices.

The Capsule Crew: Three players are locked in a separate room, frantically cross-wiring an actual electronics panel to bypass relays so they don't die, while screaming to the other room over headsets.

What the hardware needs to do to make this work:

To make all that happen without needing a Game Master to manually click stuff behind the scenes, the hardware handles the automation on a strict, offline local network.

The Network: Everything runs off a standard Wi-Fi router with zero internet connection. It needs to be bulletproof against external lag.

The Brain: A central server on the GM laptop holds the master state of the game and listens for WebSockets.

Microcontroller Inputs: I'm thinking about using Arduinos (Pro Micros or Pi Picos using the ATmega32U4 chip) wired up to those patch bays and buttons. When a player patches a cable, the Arduino natively emulates a USB keyboard and fires a hidden keystroke (like CTRL+SHIFT+X) to a hidden tablet. That tablet’s web interface catches it and slings a WebSocket message back to the GM laptop.

Automated Outputs: When the server gets that message, it needs to make the room react instantly. It talks directly to OBS Studio via WebSockets to change the main projector scenes (e.g., from normal to a red 'MASTER ALARM'). It also blasts local UDP packets to WiZ smart bulbs to instantly cut the room lights or turn them blood-red.

Independent Audio: Comms run parallel over a local TeamSpeak/Mumble server, so players can keep yelling at each other even if the main game server falls over.

So basically, the hardware and software just need to reliably bridge the gap between physical button mashing/cable patching and the digital game state on a closed loop.

Let me know if that makes sense or if you want to geek out over any specific part of it!

Dagtar

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#3488585 8-May-2026 00:19

Just to add to this and give a better picture of the exact vibe I'm aiming for, I was hoping to run something like Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes on the screen in the ship room. Ideally, I'd like to use a mod (or tweak one of the custom code mods out there) so that surviving a module spits out a specific alphanumeric code.

The whole goal of this project is to create a massive, chaotic feedback loop between digital software, tactile physical hardware, heavy paper manuals, and people just absolutely yelling at each other.

Here is how I see that playing out: The Capsule crew sees a weird flashing sequence or module on their screen. They have to scream what they are seeing over their headsets to CAPCOM in the main Mission Control room. But there's a catch, CAPCOM can't even hear them unless the Systems team has physically patched the 1/4-inch audio cables into the Arduino board to give the comms array power.

Once comms are actually online, CAPCOM has to frantically flip through a giant physical paper binder on their desk to decipher what the Capsule crew is yelling about, and then scream back instructions on which physical wires the crew needs to cross on their tactile puzzle box to bypass the relay.

So it's not just sitting at a PC playing a game. It's using a digital game state to force players to interact with physical hardware and paper manuals, bottlenecking their ability to survive until they communicate properly. If anyone has experience modding existing games, or just wants to help build out that overarching tactile ecosystem, I'm all ears!