How to make an ARG

In this article, you will learn how to start making your ARG! We will cover this at a high level, as most ARGs tend to have their own flavor, twist, and methods. You’ll also find links to other articles, tools, and resources that may help along the way. I’m excited, and I hope you are too!

What is an ARG?

So, before we jump into making one… What is an ARG? ARG is an acronym, standing for Alternate Reality Game. It’s usually some sort of a puzzle-based game, that takes place across various media platforms. It oftentimes uses something known as Transmedia storytelling, which is the use of wherever/however platform it can reach. At times, using multiple platforms simultaneously, to convey the story.

Be advised: This article is not complete. There’s plenty more information to be added soon!

What makes a Good ARG?

When looking at ARGs, there’s a VERY large selection of flavors to consider, for quality. And a lot of them illustrate that ARGs are successful for a wide variety of reasons. What’s more… good ARGs are subjective to the player base.

Some players love a deep, immersive, seemingly real story.

This is a trait of the parent genre, Unfiction, that ARGs generally belong to.

Other players love to dig through puzzles. Ciphers, encryptions, hidden messages, cryptic websites… ARG puzzles take on many forms, and these players love uncovering clues.

So… what makes a good ARG, then? The safe bet is probably to take the middle road between the two. With that assumption, we’ll say a good ARG contains a rich story, with immersive puzzles. But it’s worth noting that amazing ARGs HAVE existed leaning toward one side. There’s no rule attached saying you’re going to need to be centered between the two examples.

With all that said… Let’s get started!

How to Make An ARG:

Create a Compelling Idea

Determine what your story is about. Maybe it’s about fighting mental health demons, in some sort of materialized form. A pretty popular trope in ARGs. So we’ll go over that, as our example. This part is extremely subjective, and part of what helps a game stand out, so take your time. Make sure you love the idea. You’ll be spending a LOT of time with it. I have an article about evaluating your idea, to see if it’s worth pursuing. You can find it right here: Evaluate ARG ideas

If you’re feeling especially froggy, check out our ARG generator here for some ideas to get a foot in the door: ARG Generator

Decide how you want to tell it.

Now that you know what it’s about… How do you want to tell it? Visually, through media like youtube? Textually, like on Twitter? Both? Neither? Whatever works, it’s good to get a game plan early of what platform(s) you’re going to use.

We have an article dedicated to platforms (ARG Platforms), but we’ll summarize it for the sake of simplicity. Some popular methods (Feel free to mix and match as you see fit, and remember this is not a comprehensive list):

• Youtube
• TikTok
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Standalone Applications
• Standalone Websites

We talk a bit more about this here: ARG Puzzle Guide

Make a list of everything you Need.

Now decide what resources you’ll need for your ARG. If it’s video, are you going to use a phone? Camera? Webcam? All of the above? What sort of props will you need? Will your demons be practical effects, digital effects, or both? Neither? Figure out what tools you’re going to need for your medium(s) and compile a list of them. Also, compile a list of your current skills and skills you may need to develop to accomplish your goals. Having all this “on paper” will give you a good idea of what sort of production timeline you’re going to be looking at. You can factor time in for the good ol’ learnin’ process.

Start making story Block-outs.

Now that you have a story topic, foundation, and a skill assessment, start creating a block-out of your content. Do quick writeups of the who what where and whys of your chosen media. If film, scout locations, and develop ideas around these places, to put your content together. Take photos of potential shooting locations, scribble ideas over those photos, and document all the things. Determine what pace you want to release at, and create a timeline for the release of the start, and subsequent moments.

Blockouts can include(but are not limited to):

• Character Sheets (check out some of our character tools for inspiration: Character Worksheet, Character Questions list, & Character Creation Guide)
• Scene descriptions (Include any fancy work involved, like SFX, audio, props, etc)
• Event lists (and order)
• Puzzle types and tools (as well as implementation)

We cover how to use Twine for Blocking out and project organization here, if you’re interested: Twine Basics Guide

Flesh out and Demo Ideas.

Now you can start putting the story together! Take your quick writeups, and flesh them out. Turn them into scripts. Start making notes for any clues you may give, and document puzzles (If you’re using ciphers and the like… make sure to write down what they are, what keys you may use, etc., and check them against multiple tools to verify they are indeed what you want them to be) We cover testing ARGs a bit more in-depth here: Testing ARGs

Start Making your ARG!

Execute content creation! Now you have all the necessary things to start creating props, filming content (if filming), working out sound effects, audio, etc. Make sure you go through and knock out MORE THAN ONE bit of content, before releasing the first bit. The LAST THING you want is for people to be on your heels the entire time.

Stick to your Plan.

Now you want to take your timeline and stick to it as best you can. You should be a few bits of content ahead of the game (if not already fully complete) so release them consistently, as the puzzle/story unravels. Long periods of time between releases can create tension, but can also create a massive falloff for attention. So try and time it in a way that keeps people active and intrigued, without losing them to attention faltering.

(Certain social media platforms allow scheduled posting of content. If things like that exist and are handy, don’t hesitate to use them!)

Further Reading:

We go into some more technical aspects in other articles, as well as some more advanced project planning techniques, here on ARGC. Below you’ll find a few links that I feel are especially valuable to beginner and advanced creators alike:

• Create a Game Design Document(GDD)
• ARG Rules and Best Practices
• ARG Launch Guide

Conclusion:

Making ARGs is a LOT of fun. The challenge of finding and solving puzzles is a rewarding experience for the player, and… I’d even venture to say… making them is even more so rewarding for the creator. While I know this article is more of a project planning type of article, I do hope you take a look at some of our more in-depth articles, covering particular bits. Now go forth, and make your very own ARG!