List of alternate reality games


An alternate reality game is an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often involving multiple media and game elements, to tell a story that may be affected by participants' ideas or actions.
NameYearDeveloperPromotingStory summaryGameplay summaryScaleStatus
Ong's Hat1999IndependentN/AA predecessor to the traditional ARG, Ong's Hat encompasses a conspiracy theory and urban legend about Princeton professors in the ghost town of Ong's Hat, New Jersey discovering a means of interdimensional travel.Puzzle solving by online communities.Very influential.Complete
Majestic2001Anim-XN/AScience fiction thriller based on a Majestic 12 shadow government conspiracy theory.Receiving clues and solving puzzles to unravel the story. Sent messages via AIM, and via voice phone calls.Very influential. recognized as the "Best Original Game" at E3 in 2001 and one of the five "Game Innovation Spotlights" at the Game Developers Choice Awards in 2002.Complete
The Beast2001MicrosoftA.I. Artificial IntelligenceA murder mystery set in the future featuring artificial intelligences.Puzzle solving by online communities. Rewards in the form of new websites and videos.Very influential.Complete
I Love Bees200442 EntertainmentHalo 2An AI from the Halo 2 universe is stranded in our world and needs help.Puzzle solving by online communities. Information released by phone calls to public telephones. Rewards in the form of new websites and videos.600,000+ players.Complete
Last Call Poker200542 EntertainmentGunA cursed gun, passed down through generations, threatens the granddaughter of its last owner.Puzzle solving by online communities. Real world missions in cemeteries. Online poker with dead characters. Rewards in the form of new stories and videos.Over 500,000 active participants.Complete
Perplex City2005Mind Candyn/aThe Receda Cube has been stolen and buried somewhere on Earth.Hidden clues on collectable puzzle cards directed players to various websites, blogs, emails, phone calls, and SMS messages, originating from Perplex CityComplete
The Charlotte Mystery2006AFIFive people leave messages to each other about five types of flowers, which led to invitations to private shows by the band AFI.Clues containing URLs, phone calls, MySpace and Aim profiles, in-person visits to a comic store and a park, a riddle in French, Craiglist listings.Complete
The Lost Ring2008AKQAMcDonald'sSix Olympians from another world came to help us save this one.Puzzle solving by online communities. Real world missions. A new Olympic sport "The Lost Sport" was introduced.3,000,000 players from over 150 countries.Complete
Commander Video2008Bit.Trip BeatA mysterious persona known as Commander Video issued missions to a group of ten "recruits."Puzzle solving done by online communities. Email correspondence, Twitter, and various Internet interactions are the areas of play.Complete
Year Zero200742 EntertainmentYear Zero Set in a dystopian future where the government surveys everyone.Players solve puzzles, listen to recordings, and watch movie clips to gain more info and find sites.Complete
Xi2009nDreamsPlayStation HomeSet in secret areas in the world of PlayStation Home where users helped to find Jess and the meaning of Xi.Users solved puzzles, watched video clips, and did objectives in and out of Home to gain more information. Users searched in Home as well as in the real world depending on the puzzle or objective.Over 5 million visitsComplete
The Davenport Papers2009Brigham Young University studentsThe Book of Jer3miahA tie-in to the Webby award-nominated webseries The Book of Jer3miah.Clues were hidden in the webseries itself, related websites, and around the Brigham Young University campus.Complete.
'2010ReebokCentered around Lewis Hamilton, a secret agent in the game, showcasing a new Reebok technology such as RunTone or ZigTech.Players worked together to solve puzzles and complete tests online, on mobiles and in the real world.637,000 players from over 154 countriesComplete
Conspiracy For Good2010The company PVarious charitiesTim Kring's narrative focused on charity and against the fictional corporation Blackwell Briggs exploiting AfricaPlayers cooperated online, on mobiles and in the real world. Four big events took place in London during summer 2010.Gamers on Unfiction, on the game web and in the streets of London during the summer eventsComplete
A Map of the Floating City2011Thomas DolbyA Map of the Floating City Set in a dystopian dieselpunk past, a global cataclysm has left the world's inhabitants suffering from amnesia and struggling to move north to the "Floating City" to escape the rising temperatures.Players worked cooperatively and competitively as tribes to collect items, make inventions, solve a mystery, and move north. The game was unique in that the inventory was all based on lyrics from Dolby's back-catalog and upcoming album of the same name. The winning coalition of tribes received a private concert as a prize.WorldwideComplete
Potato Sack2011ValvePortal 2 and 13 indie gamesGLaDOS of Portal is attempting to reboot herself. Clues were hidden in a selection of 13 independent games.Solving puzzles using clues found in aforementioned gamesComplete
Oxenfree2016Night School StudioOxenfreeBased on the game, the Oxenfree ARG delves into the true ending of the game and the secrets that the teenage characters face.The community of the game work together to translate Morse Code, keep up with Twitter feeds, travel to locations, and call phone numbers to solve the mystery.~900 members of the subreddit, though no community headcount has been taken.Complete
Frog Fractions 22014TwinbeardFrog Fractions 2A sequel to the Flash game Frog Fractions funded through Kickstarter, would only be revealed at the conclusion of this ARG, with clues hidden in a number of other games.Podcasts by the developers, an Obama Shaving Simulator, real life events such as Indiecade and ARG-specific events around Berkley and LA.Complete
The Black Watchmen2015Alice & SmithN/ABilled as the first permanent Alternate Reality Game, players join the ranks of The Black Watchmen, a paramilitary group dedicated to protecting the public from dangerous phenomena beyond human understanding: including ritualistic murder, occult secret societies, and the paranormal.Puzzle solving mainly by individuals, but acts in a similar fashion to community puzzle solving ARGs.Complete
2015Edmund McMillen'An ARG that began with the release of the Afterbirth DLC for . Upon conclusion, a new playable character called "The Keeper" was implemented.Puzzle solving by online communities.Complete
Sombra2016BlizzardOverwatchClues and ciphers referencing Sombra, a new playable character, were found in various developer updates and short animations released by Blizzard.Puzzle solving by online communities.Complete
Hello Neighbor2017tinyBuild, DynamicPixelsUnknownClues in the Alpha releases of Hello Neighbor are leading to the announcement of a new release. Incomplete.Puzzle solving, horror, adventure and general entertainment.Ongoing
Waking Titan2017Hello GamesNo Man's SkyPuzzle solving.Complete
2018Twenty One PilotsTrenchThe story of a man named Clancy, escaping from an oppressive organization called DEMA.It included a cryptic series of websites with images, letters from the main character, and codes to decipher. It was discussed and solved in both a Reddit megathread and a Discord server. The ARG ended when Twenty One Pilots announced the end of their hiatus and released two songs from the album Trench, "Jumpsuit" and "Nico and the Niners".2,000+ Twenty One Pilots fansComplete
The White Door2020Rusty Lake, Second MazeRusty Lake GamesA man awakes in a mental health facility called the White Door with no memory. The player needs to follow the instructions to find the secret of the main character and help him restore his memory.The ARG involved people finding cubes from around the world. During the gameplay, a phone number appears after completing a puzzle. When called, a recording states that White Door is closed now, but suggests visiting another website to continue playing.Complete

Media with ARG themes or elements

Television