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So, for Dust to Dust, we have introduced a number of games-within-the-game. I've commented at some length about Wizard Dueling before. This works well in LARPs, because even when things are scheduled well and everything is on time, there will be downtime that could stand to be filled. It's just how things are. With help from Kainenchen, Stands-in-Fire, and Sirdrow, I made Stones of the Wall. The game's strong points are that it takes only a minute or two to set up, a game can be finished in five minutes or less, one of its primary game components is a double-six set of domino bones (which many players are already carrying around at all times), and that the "board" is different every time you play. The game's weak points are that it requires a flat surface - you couldn't really sit in a grassy field and play. There are also still a few kinks to work out in the rules; in one game I sat down for this weekend, I had lost the game before my first move, because my opponent sort-of-by-accident picked a place that boxed me in. I have a few different ideas on how to tweak the rules to stop instant-wins from happening. Also, there's a bit that I need to clarify about the opening layout - it's just grammatically difficult to do so.
While feedback on this game is still coming in, it sounds like those who got involved in the tournament to play this game had a good time! Thanks also to the players who spent time teaching each other how to play and committing a bit of their afternoons to playing.
Now I'm wondering if there would be an interesting cooperative variant of this game...