Roman Schramm

Experimental Role-Playing Game
“The Language of Plants”

by Omi-peah Ryding and Roman Schramm, 

written for the exhibition Unternehmen Pflanzen at Museum Sinclair-Haus, Bad Homburg

for 2-6 players / Duration: 3 hours

This role-playing game invites participants to discover the ancient art of communicating with plants and to experience the non-human world as alive, powerful, and full of agency. It encourages players to pause, listen, and unlock the wisdom of plants through mindful encounters.

During the game, participants take turns embodying both a human and one of four powerful plants—nettles, oak, yarrow, and mugwort. These plants are not only widespread in Northern Europe but are also well-known for their healing properties. For thousands of years, they have accompanied humans, valued by shamans, witches, and in household remedies.

The role-playing game creates pathways into the world of these plants and invites players to explore the boundaries between human and plant consciousness. The goal is to experience a deep connection with plants and a mutual understanding through playful interaction. The structure includes an introductory workshop, four immersive encounters between human and plant, and a concluding reflection round, providing space for sharing and processing the experience.

A mindful and respectful atmosphere forms the framework of the game. Gentle touches on hands and arms, as well as the sharing of personal stories, are part of the experience. Through this game, we invite participants to see nature from a new perspective, to sense its forces, and to expand their own horizon—an opportunity to reconnect with the living wisdom that has always shaped the relationship between humans and plants.

This role-playing game follows the tradition of Nordic Larp. In Scandinavia, Live Action Role-Playing (LARP) has evolved into a distinct artistic form over the course of the 2000s. Nordic Larps range from lighthearted adventures to explorations of intimacy, collectivity, and politics. This tradition blends influences from psychodrama, theater, performance art, and video games.