Select the buttons below to download the PDFs containing the following:
Note: Player Groups and the Nonviolent Conflict System are optional. So if you are limited in time, we suggest just downloading the Rulebook and Character Sheets. Don’t be intimidated by the number of Character Sheets provided. There are sheets for each of the 6 themes with 3 character types. If you are planning on only running one type of theme (say, Woodland Protectors) just delete all of the other themed character sheets.
More: After the upcoming conferences are complete, those who selected “Yes” for their interest in being on our mailing list will receive a copy of the 1-Hour UGS Lite Adventure and the Handouts so that you can run your own version of the adventure for your camp or group. If you would like to receive this adventure and marked “No” on the previous request form for the mailing list, please fill out the form at the bottom of this page and ask to be added. Each year we plan to release another free adventure for the UGS Lite that those on our mailing list can use. We also release free non-UGS programs regularly for cultural education, staff training, and more.
IMPORTANT: If you plan to run UGS or UGS Lite adventures at your camp, after school, or recreation department this summer and beyond, please let us know with the contact form below. Let us know the following:
We receive over 500 inquiries a year from parents and groups all over the globe looking for our programs. We would like to establish a list of locations where we can direct their inquiries. Yes, this is free of charge as long as there is not a licensed full UGS in your area (they get priority on the leads).
LARP (Live Action Role Playing) is an interactive experience where participants (campers) navigate a story together where they choose their next action. Think of a video game or choose-your-own adventure book, but live acted and without computers. A LARP can be 30 minutes or an entire summer long.
Why use live action role playing (LARP) adventures in your summer camp or educational program?
Learn how to run a LARP with the Universal Game System Lite, a simpler and free version of the complete UGS and watch your programs grow.
Who are we? Guardian Adventures creates online and in person courses for summer camps, school & afterschool programs, and recreation departments which teaches them how to run exciting roleplaying adventures.
Why are we giving away a free game system valued at $295 and sample adventure valued at $120? Because we know, first hand, how beneficial live role-playing is for kids, teens, and adults and we want to help others have access to this experience. Also, we get MANY requests from families outside of our region who are asking where they can find these types of programs.
The Universal Game System Lite (UGS Lite) is a live action role playing (LARP) game that allows you or your staff to create your own adventures based on our interactive rules and included sample module. This game can be used with a variety of themes such as: Fantasy Heroes, Zombie Defenders, Wilderness Protectors, Espionage Spy, Space Adventurers, and Superheroes.
UGS Lite Adventure: We also include an adventure that runs from 1-1.5 hours and can be modified for longer or shorter. Players are asked to explore a forgotten area where they are transported to and trapped in another world. They must solve puzzles to escape, defeat the creature that holds them captive, and get home.
Age Range: Adventures can be designed for ages 7 and up (although instructors can also run an even more simplified version for ages 4 and up).
Staff to Camper Ratios: We recommend a minimum ratio of 1:5 for ages 4-5, 1:6 for ages 6-7, 1:8 for ages 7-10, 1:10 for ages 11 -15, 1:15 for ages 16+ However, we also suggest that there is either an older teen or another adult present to be the Antagonist for each group. If you are running a summer camp, your state may mandate lower ratios.
Nonviolent Conflict Option: We have also included a simplified version of our Nonviolent Conflict System in the UGS Lite for organizations that prefer to not use foam swords or NERF blasters.
Previous Experience: Unlike our complete UGS, where experience in running a a role playing game (RPG) or live action role playing game is suggested, the UGS Lite is simple enough that it does not require any previous experience.
If you would like to request a free version of the Universal Game System Lite, please fill out the form below. Once your verified, we will send you the following:
UGS Camp Leads: If you run a UGS adventure as an ongoing part of your camp or afterschool program, please let us know so that we can send you camp leads for our parents inquiring about LARP camps outside of the protected radius of our official UGS Licensees.
The Complete STEM Adventures are self contained courses that are quick to implement and designate which age range the program is designed for. These courses are geared towards teachers and counselors who want to spend minimal time learning.
The Online Birthday Parties are self contained courses that teach you how to run a fun and collaborative online adventure geared towards ages 8-11. Almost everything you need is provided including marketing materials, training, and digital assets. You just need a laptop with internet access, camera and microphone, zoom, and of course, your heroes!
The complete Universal Game System is a full game system that allows you or your staff to create your own programs based on our interactive rules and various themes. Adventures can be designed for ages 7 and up (although instructors can also run a simplified version for ages 4 and up).
“Simply put, Guard Up changed my life. From the first moment I stepped into the ‘tavern,’ to my last glimpse of the camp before I left, I was totally engulfed in the story, characters, and experience.” – Saul Rosenthal
“What some might dismiss as a geeky alternative to more traditional camps, where sports and art classes rule, is actually a precious, even irreplaceable resource to the population it serves… these kids get to engage in more physically challenging and socially interactive versions of the [computer] games they already love. For many, the excitement comes from playing characters of their own creation in a multilayered adventure story their actions help shape. For others, it’s about sword fighting. But everyone seems to agree on the value – and fun – of turning video-game materials into real-life play,” – The Boston Globe
“The affordance to play in a responsive environment is key to engaging players in video games, but [Guardian Adventures] exports the method off the screen and into the real world. Immersive narratives and embodied actions combine to engage players in a range of learning. This illustrates how an informal, story-driven environment can motivate students to take ownership of their learning. Research supports the approach,” – NPR
“What (Guardian Adventures has) accomplished, seems to me, is to have done what Campbell would want us to with his work: synthesize it into our own work which puts us in service to our passion to the fulfillment of not only ourselves, but to the larger community,” – Joseph Campbell Foundation