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Developing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) education curricula encouraging participation from underrepresented groups is crucial for diversity in computational fields. Many existing programs attract cis-white males, to the exclusion of other groups. This paper discusses a camp where participants, primarily female youth ages 10-14 (N=45), engage in crafting social wearable technologies within a live-action roleplay context. Our findings from four camp sessions show increased self-reported competence and interest in STEAM among participants, alongside enhanced feelings of community and social support. The camp’s innovative approach integrates design thinking, iterative design, and collaboration, proving effective in fostering inclusivity and engagement in STEAM. We adopted an iterative Research-through-Design process, with researchers embedded in the camp to observe and conduct surveys and interviews with participants. Researchers and educators can benefit from reading our results, which demonstrate the value of a playful, socially-engaged curriculum in attracting and retaining diverse students in STEAM fields. 

Live action roleplay (larp) has a wide range of applications, and can be relevant in relation to HCI. While there has been research about larp in relation to topics such as embodied interaction, playfulness and futuring published in HCI venues since the early 2000s, there is not yet a compilation of this knowledge. In this paper, we synthesise knowledge about larp and larp-adjacent work within the domain of HCI. We present a practitioner overview from an expert group of larp researchers, the results of a literature review, and highlight particular larp research exemplars which all work together to showcase the diverse set of ways that larp can be utilised in relation to HCI topics and research. This paper identifies the need for further discussions toward establishing best practices for utilising larp in relation to HCI research, as well as advocating for increased engagement with larps outside academia. 

My doctoral research examines the use of biometrics as a design intervention in games to increase social closeness. I have built an overlay for Twitch that reveals streamer biometrics to spectators (All the Feels [16]). Using this tool, along with additional design interventions, I plan to explore and expand communication possibilities between players, streamers and spectators in order to facilitate social connection. In this abstract I briefly describe the three projects I am currently working on through my doctoral work: In the Same Boat, Twitch Plays 'All the Feels', and Turnin' the Beat Around.