# LARP: Language-Agent Role Play for Open-World Games

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.17653 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.17653/

## Key facts

- Cited by 24 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in Social simulation and multi-agent debate, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use.
- Builds on 47 of its 67 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 24 Dec 2023.

## Placed in

- LLM agents and tool use / [Social simulation and multi-agent debate](https://mlsanity.com/agents/social-simulation-and-multi-agent-debate/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 30 of 47)

- [Language Models are Few-Shot Learners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.14165/) (2020)
- [Training language models to follow instructions with human feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.02155/) (2022)
- [LLaMA: Open and Efficient Foundation Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.13971/) (2023)
- [Chain-of-Thought Prompting Elicits Reasoning in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.11903/) (2022)
- [ReAct: Synergizing Reasoning and Acting in Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.03629/) (2022)
- [Reflexion: Language Agents with Verbal Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.11366/) (2023)
- [Toolformer: Language Models Can Teach Themselves to Use Tools](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.04761/) (2023)
- [Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behavior](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.03442/) (2023)
- [Self-Refine: Iterative Refinement with Self-Feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.17651/) (2023)
- [Tree of Thoughts: Deliberate Problem Solving with Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.10601/) (2023)
- [A Survey on Large Language Model based Autonomous Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.11432/) (2023)
- [Voyager: An Open-Ended Embodied Agent with Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.16291/) (2023)
- [Improving Factuality and Reasoning in Language Models through Multiagent Debate](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.14325/) (2023)
- [WebGPT: Browser-assisted question-answering with human feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.09332/) (2021)
- [The Rise and Potential of Large Language Model Based Agents: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.07864/) (2023)
- [Gorilla: Large Language Model Connected with Massive APIs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.15334/) (2023)
- [Dota 2 with Large Scale Deep Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1912.06680/) (2019)
- [Measuring and Narrowing the Compositionality Gap in Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.03350/) (2022)
- [Encouraging Divergent Thinking in Large Language Models through Multi-Agent Debate](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.19118/) (2023)
- [ChatEval: Towards Better LLM-based Evaluators through Multi-Agent Debate](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.07201/) (2023)
- [Plan-and-Solve Prompting: Improving Zero-Shot Chain-of-Thought Reasoning by Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.04091/) (2023)
- [MemoryBank: Enhancing Large Language Models with Long-Term Memory](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.10250/) (2023)
- [LLM+P: Empowering Large Language Models with Optimal Planning Proficiency](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.11477/) (2023)
- [Cognitive Architectures for Language Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.02427/) (2023)
- [Describe, Explain, Plan and Select: Interactive Planning with Large Language Models Enables Open-World Multi-Task Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.01560/) (2023)
- [Character-LLM: A Trainable Agent for Role-Playing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.10158/) (2023)
- [TextWorld: A Learning Environment for Text-based Games](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1806.11532/) (2018)
- [Role-Play with Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.16367/) (2023)
- [Ghost in the Minecraft: Generally Capable Agents for Open-World Environments via Large Language Models with Text-based Knowledge and Memory](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.17144/) (2023)
- [How Abilities in Large Language Models are Affected by Supervised Fine-tuning Data Composition](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.05492/) (2023)

## Built on by (most cited first, 24 of 24)

- [A Survey on the Memory Mechanism of Large Language Model based Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.13501/) (2024)
- [Memory in the Age of AI Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.13564/) (2025)
- [Advances and Challenges in Foundation Agents: From Brain-Inspired Intelligence to Evolutionary, Collaborative, and Safe Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.01990/) (2025)
- [AriGraph: Learning Knowledge Graph World Models with Episodic Memory for LLM Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.04363/) (2024)
- [MemoryBench: A Benchmark for Memory and Continual Learning in LLM Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.17281/) (2025)
- [KARMA: Augmenting Embodied AI Agents with Long-and-short Term Memory Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.14908/) (2024)
- [Richelieu: Self-Evolving LLM-Based Agents for AI Diplomacy](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.06813/) (2024)
- [IBSEN: Director-Actor Agent Collaboration for Controllable and Interactive Drama Script Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.01093/) (2024)
- [Emotional RAG: Enhancing Role-Playing Agents through Emotional Retrieval](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.23041/) (2024)
- [Quantifying and Optimizing Global Faithfulness in Persona-driven Role-playing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.07726/) (2024)
- [SurgBox: Agent-Driven Operating Room Sandbox with Surgery Copilot](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.05187/) (2024)
- [STMA: A Spatio-Temporal Memory Agent for Long-Horizon Embodied Task Planning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.10177/) (2025)
- [Do Role-Playing Agents Practice What They Preach? Belief-Behavior Consistency in LLM-Based Simulations of Human Trust](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.02197/) (2025)
- [Dynamic Generation of Personalities with Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.07084/) (2024)
- [Explaining Decisions of Agents in Mixed-Motive Games](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.15255/) (2024)
- [Deriving Character Logic from Storyline as Codified Decision Trees](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.10080/) (2026)
- [WHAT-IF: Exploring Branching Narratives by Meta-Prompting Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.10582/) (2024)
- [Adaptive Testing for LLM-Based Applications: A Diversity-based Approach](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.13480/) (2025)
- [Capturing Semantic Flow of ML-based Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.10310/) (2025)
- [Codified Finite-state Machines for Role-playing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.05905/) (2026)
- [Mastering PokeGym: Graph-Guided Multimodal Evolution at Test Time](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.08340/) (2026)
- [EvolvingWorld: An Open-Schema Framework for Co-Evolving Role-Play Agents and World Model in Interactive Literary World](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.17250/) (2026)
- [Augmenting Dialog with Think-Aloud Utterances for Modeling Individual Personality Traits by LLM](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.09158/) (2025)
- [BOOKMARKS: Efficient Active Storyline Memory for Role-playing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.14169/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Language agents have shown impressive problem-solving skills within defined settings and brief timelines. Yet, with the ever-evolving complexities of open-world simulations, there's a pressing need for agents that can flexibly adapt to complex environments and consistently maintain a long-term memory to ensure coherent actions. To bridge the gap between language agents and open-world games, we introduce Language Agent for Role-Playing (LARP), which includes a cognitive architecture that encompasses memory processing and a decision-making assistant, an environment interaction module with a feedback-driven learnable action space, and a postprocessing method that promotes the alignment of various personalities. The LARP framework refines interactions between users and agents, predefined with unique backgrounds and personalities, ultimately enhancing the gaming experience in open-world contexts. Furthermore, it highlights the diverse uses of language models in a range of areas such as entertainment, education, and various simulation scenarios. The project page is released at https://miao-ai-lab.github.io/LARP/.