This document discusses alternate reality games (ARGs) and their potential use for learning. ARGs combine real-world and online elements to solve mysteries or puzzles either individually or in teams. Examples provided include i love bees and The LOST Experience for entertainment, and Traces of Hope and World Without Oil for serious purposes. For learning, case studies describe DevLearn 2009 and Constellation Wine ARGs designed to introduce social media tools and reinforce product knowledge, respectively. The document outlines ARG design basics like problem definition, storyline creation, character development, and success metrics. It concludes by inviting readers to contact the author for more information on designing ARGs.

1. Alternate Reality Games: The ABCs of ARGs Distance Teaching & Learning August 3, 2011

2. All About Me Koreen Olbrish, CEO, Tandem Learning koreen.olbrish@ tandem-learning.com SL: Nina Sommerfleck Twitter: @koreenolbrish Blog: www.blogspot.com/learningintandem Website: www.tandem-learning.com

3. ARG: Alternate Reality Game Mix of real world and online competitive elements Collect clues to solve a mystery/puzzle Played individually or in teams Also called pervasive games

4. Alternate vs Augmented Let’s not confuse them…

5. Not Meta Games

6. ARG Terminology Puppetmaster The Curtain Rabbithole Trailhead This Is Not A Game (TINAG)

8. i love bees Chain Factor (Numb3rs) The LOST Experience ARGsfor Entertainment

9. Serious ARGs Examples: Traces of Hope World Without Oil Evoke

12. DevLearn 2009 Zombie Apocalypse

13. DevLearn 2009 Zombie Apocalypse

14. Event-based ARGsvsLearning ARGs

15. Case Study: Constellation Wine Goals: Reinforce product knowledge and messaging Practice selling skills Encourage networking and provide opportunities for relationship building Game structure: Team play Collecting “clues” Online and on site game play

16. Constellation Wine: The Characters

17. Constellation Wine: The Invite

18. Constellation Wine: Roots Hotel

19. Other Recent Examples

20. DevLearn 2010: Dr. Strangelearn

21. Now It’s Your Turn! ARG Design Basics: Problem to solve How to solve it Storyline Characters Scoring

23. What do you want people to know, or do differently as a result of playing the game?

24. Why are people not doing things this way now? (Incentives, barriers)

25. What is the environment that the problem occurs in?

26. How do you know this is a problem?

27. What would things look like if this wasn’t a problem? (ideal state)

28. Why do you think a game is the best way to address this problem?

30. How do characters interact?

31. What is the goal of the game?

32. What are the obstacles to achieving the goal?

33. What are the mechanisms to overcome the obstacle?

34. What tools do you need to play the game?

35. Can the goal be accomplished by an individual, or do people have to work together? Do players play as a team?

36. How do you know you have won?

38. Gender

39. Race

40. Age

41. Family background

42. How would someone stereotype you at first glance?

43. Romantic partner?

44. Friends

45. Socio-economic status

46. Job

47. What makes you happy? Sad?

48. Personality characteristics

49. Fears/phobias

51. How are scores assigned: individual, team, both?

52. How are scores accumulated?

53. Is time a factor?