Benoit Mongrain

Alternate reality games: Quick summary

What is an alternate reality game?

An Alternate Reality Game (ARG) is a form of entertainment that mixes the real world with fictional elements and puzzles. Players interact with the story through various media, such as websites, e-mail, encrypted messages, phone calls, videos and so on. The plot often unfolds in real time, requiring players to collaborate to solve complex puzzles, uncover hidden clues and progress through the story. ARGs can be created to promote films, series, video games, or simply to offer participants a unique immersive experience.

A game that takes place in real life
Online and physical game play
A community of players
It's not augmented reality or virtual reality
Using multiple media and technologies to tell a story
The game comes to us
Pretend it's real
Puzzles and riddles that can be solved in community
The original concept was for marketing

Examples and inspiration

Escape rooms
The game (movie)
Majestic (PC Game)
Analog horror
History of Alternate Reality Games
The Blair Witch Project
ARGNet

Alternate reality games: Quick summary

What is an alternate reality game?

Examples and inspiration

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