An Alternate Reality Game (ARG) is an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform and involves collaborative storytelling between players. ARGs are often elaborate mystery stories played out across multiple real-world mediums like websites, emails, and phone calls. A notable example is the AI: The Somnium Files ARG which involved over 3 million active participants in a science fiction murder mystery story. The document then describes the Existenz ARG created by the author for 30 friends in 2014 which used fake websites, social media accounts, 3D printed objects, and live events to tell an immersive transmedia story.

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What’s an ARG?
Wikipedia:
An Alternate Reality Game (ARG) is an interactive
networked narrative that uses the real world as a
platform and uses transmedia storytelling to
deliver a story that may be altered by players'
ideas or actions.

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ARG Elements
• Storytelling as archaeology
• Platformless narrative
• A whisper is sometimes louder than a shout
• "This is not a game” aesthetic
• Real life as a medium
• Collaborative storytelling

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AI: the Beast
• elaborate murder mystery played out across
hundreds of websites, email messages, faxes,
fake ads, and voicemail messages
• hired Sean Stewart, an award-winning science
fiction/fantasy author, to write the story and Pete
Fenlon, an experienced adventure game "world
builder," to serve as developer and content lead
• involved over 3 million active participants

6. eXistenZ ARG
• Surprise ARG for 30
friends in Feb 2014
@eesmyal
!
• Made with friend Alex
Grünenfelder

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eXistenZ ARG
• fake websites, social media accounts
• working phone numbers (SMS / call)
• 3D printed game objects
• real game characters
• live events

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antennaresearch.ca

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antennaresearch.ca

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Twilio & OpenVBX: for SMS, robo calls

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Call / SMS flows

16. It started with an SMS invite to beta test a new game…
@eesmyal

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Realist Manifesto

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Realist Recruitment Process
text “in vivo veritas” to 647.496.6422
(Latin for “In a living thing there is truth”)

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First Realist Agent (Tom Wynn)

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thank you!
Twitter: @eesmyal
invent@eesmyal.com
www.eesmyal.com
Want to play an ARG?
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Text “play [your city]” to 844.325.4700 (toll-free)