China youth escape reality in ‘Whodunnit?’ role-playing boom
- After a pause caused by the coronavirus pandemic, young people are returning to live-action mystery games in droves
- Concerns raised about the emphasis on murder and violence but many say the break from smartphones is welcome
A scream echoes from behind a black door, while inside a young woman cowers as she hides from an attacker. But Zeng Tian is not in real danger – this is an elaborate role-playing game.
The 26-year-old and her seven friends are spending their afternoon locked away in a Shanghai basement to take part in murder mystery game “The Haunted Mansion”.
“Every time I join a new play and read the script, I get to live a new life,” says Zeng, who is unemployed but hopes to work in the live action role-play (LARP) industry.
“I can spend his or her entire life within four hours and have a taste of their love and hatred,” she added, wearing a frilly hooded cloak, part-European medieval, part-Red Riding Hood.
The friends sometimes use their mobile phones to help them with clues but they are mainly reading from scripts and debating who could be the killer on the loose. Prices for the experience vary around the country, but in Shanghai players pay from about 300 to 800 yuan (US$45-$120) each to take part.