Character booklets for The Elderflower Inn spread across a wooden table, titled the Maintenance Lead, the Head of the Historical Society, the General Manager, and the Visiting Guest.

The Elderflower Inn

A cozy mystery game you can play in a small space. Someone at the hotel has been busy hiding money. Play as a local character at this friendly little inn.

6-8 · Parlor larp

Playtested, most recent playtest August 2026


With fresh apple cider, pumpkin donuts, and live music played in front of a hay-bale maze, the local inn’s Harvest Festival should be the most celebrated event of the season. But this year, mid-celebration, the owner stepped onto the porch of the hotel and killed the music. Someone has been siphoning money from the inn for months. The people gathered here are the only ones with access, and nobody leaves until the sheriff arrives. Everyone but the thief has a reason to want this mystery solved before then.

Playtesting started in July 2026. Pricing and release date are still to be determined. Join the Harvesters to be the first to hear when the game is released (and for upcoming playtests).

What players said

The Elderflower Inn is joyful, heartfelt, and farcical, like LARPING a Christopher Guest movie. The pacing is perfect and the instructions lend themselves to the development of very fun and fun-to-inhabit characters; you will feel a real urgency to protect your secrets and uncover everyone else's, you will get lost in eachothers lore, and you will never truly rule out a suspect. Some of the funniest, sweetest, and most memorable moments of my gaming career.

Jamie Robinson a theater person in Chicago

Refreshing and Cozy and still Complex. You will enjoy your stay at the Elderflower Inn.

Anthony D. Evanston playtest, August 2026

A lot of fun and a great intro to LARPing, if you've been intrigued about trying it.

Lisa Cohen Evanston playtest, August 2026
Jim Markus

Jim Markus

Jim makes games and events that invite people to embrace a shared fiction.