The first ARG I played was probably 20 years ago, it was in the early stages, and let's be honest. It was mostly hidden pages, some early ECMAscript and a digital rabbit hole. Still, it piqued my curiosity. I've always enjoyed puzzles.
Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) are immersive and interactive storytelling experiences that blend elements of the real world with a fictional narrative. Participants engage with the game through various media, such as websites, social media, emails, phone calls, and even physical locations.
ARGs often involve solving puzzles, deciphering codes, and collaborating with other players to uncover the unfolding storyline. The boundary between the game and reality becomes blurred, as players work together to piece together clues, navigate challenges, and unravel the mysteries embedded in the narrative.
ARG elitists and purists
There are some purists out there that claim that there needs to be a specific list of criteria for something to be an ARG, but I disagree. All that is required is a good wrapper, some challenges and puzzles, and people who want to find out what is hidden, which is the whole reason why people commit to these.
Uncovering secrets together with other people is such a big part of why anyone wants to join in. For me, as an old-school dungeon master since the early 1990's, watching people doing just that is such an enjoyment, I cannot not do it.
Recent ARGs I've co-created
For the game Bloodhunt, me and my working-colleague, Mozzy, created an ARG in ten parts. It spawned an entire "hatch-cult" (the final challenge was locating a particular hatch in the game).
We're currently working on an ARG for the game [link url="https://www.exoborne.com/"]Exoborne[/link] that we've titled RE_HACK. Feel free to check that out if you'd like to experience one first-hand.
