Bleed

Bleed is when feelings or thoughts from your character seep into your real self, or vice versa, and is a normal part of emotionally engaged larp.

Bleed describes the two-way flow that can happen between you and your character during or after a larp. Bleed-in is when something from your real life colours how you play — if you are genuinely nervous, for example, your character might come across as more anxious than you intended. Bleed-out runs the other direction: emotions your character experienced during play, such as grief, joy, or conflict, linger with you after the game ends. Neither kind is a sign that something has gone wrong; they are natural results of deep imaginative engagement. What matters is noticing bleed and having ways to handle it. Many games build aftercare and debrief time into the event for exactly this reason, giving players space to shake off a heavy role or process a tense scene together. If you feel unsettled after a session, talking to a trusted fellow player, taking a walk, or doing something comfortably ordinary can help ground you. If bleed ever feels overwhelming or difficult to shift on your own, reaching out to a friend, organiser, or a professional is always a reasonable step.