Reality bites
Henry Northmore looks at the expanding phenomenon of alternative reality gaming as thumb-banditry steps off the screen and into your life.
s technology expands and
becomes eyer more
interlinked. the idea of
games that crossoy'er into the real world are rapidly becoming a reality. Alternatiye reality games this media. the internet. telephones. real life interaction and more to create the ultimate immersiy‘e gaming experience. lior anyone who's eyer seen The (fume starring Michael Douglas and thought that looks kind of cool. read on as (iuy l’arsons of the Alternatiy'e Reality (iaming Network takes tis through the basics. Buckle tip.
What are alternate reality games?
Alternate reality games (or .-\R(isl are one-off massive. collaboratiy'e and interactiye mysteries that use real world media like websites. emails and telephones to iny'ade the player's world. They‘re a cross between a global scayenger hunt. the liction-pretending-to-be-fact of The Blair “TIE/I I’I‘th’t‘l. lllC timeless thrill of the whodunnit. the rampant online speculation of Lust fans and the brainbending qualities of a killer Su l)oku.
How do | get started?
A great way to get started is to Visit the forums at l'nfiction (www. unfiction.coml. a community dedicated to playing alternatiy'e reality games. They‘re a friendly
hunch of people who‘ll happily answer any questions you haye. The collaboration that's so important in :\R(is is usually centred around this
site and it‘s the best place to either join in a currently running game or
to catch a newly launched game at the beginning. You can also read up on preyious games to get a llayour of how [\R( is operate in practice.
What’s it like to play? l'nlike many other gaming. :\R(is‘ are all about community and collaboration. In the l Lure Bees game. for instance. hundreds of players worked together to answer ringing payphones tip and down the country. unlocking audio tiles that were eventually pieced together into a huge radio drama. And not only is it a yery friendly experience. it‘s also tremendously exciting. There aren't any boundaries to how the story can be told. so tomorrow might mean someone driy'ing through the night to pick up a clue or conyincing a character to help someone or (ioogling for ancient knitting practices to soly'e some oblique pu//|e. Finally. because the actions of players affect the story itself. it's one of the most engaging and immersiye forms of entertainment around today. Recently. for instance. players of the Perplex ('ily‘ :\R(i had to decipher a series of pu/zles. find
kinds of
clues in New York and watch for
banner-planes in Manchester. before some ()0 players cony'erged upon London to soly‘e an intricate
web of challenges only for one of
their number to be outed as a spy who ultimately escaped in a helicopter. It sure beats those awkward cut scenes from most computer games.
Does it live up to the concept? :\R(is are almost always a thrilling experience. This unique form has
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THE PEOPLE WHO CREATE THE GAMES ARE KNOWN AS ‘PUPPET- MAST ERS'
something to offer a whole iange ol people. l.o\c to gossip aiotind the water cooler about last night's l\ ’ :\R(is are all about story and speculation. ('an‘t get enouin ol thrillers and my sterics" .\l\’( is ll.t\ c more twists and turns than you can shake a stick at. \\on‘t ptit a crossword down until yoti‘yc darnwell finished it .’ lhen cleai )‘our schedule? .\s for me. well. I'm the one making sarcastic iokes about it all. and there‘s room for a few more like that. I'm suie.
What would you recommend? ()ne of the important things to remember about .‘\l\’(is is that they ‘re one-off. liye eyperiences. so recommending an old game is like adyising people to check out llcndi‘iy ill \Vootlslock ()0.
Here are two currently running games: l’t'r/i/t't (in is a long running game by the l.ondon based Mind ('andy firm. l'llldllet‘tl by selling pu//le cards related to the game. it's already some way into the slot}. but there's [oils of sittll to help you catch tip. and there's still plenty more to come. It's worth
Gamers study a new set of instructions issued as part of Perplex City (above). Clues also arrive in letter form (below)
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' THE LIST 97