You might have heard the term ARG flying around social media these days, so what is it? Simply put, an alternate reality game (ARG) is an interactive networked narrative that uses the real and digital world as a platform to employ multimedia storytelling. A majority of ARGs fall under the horror, mystery, action, role-playing, and puzzle genres. Rather than watching a mystery at home, viewers have all the resources needed to solve them on their own. ARG creators utilize a broad variety of methods to lay out clues, plot and simple memorabilia.
Online, creators use videos, websites and even games. Videos are the trending method amongst the most popular and well-known ARGs. The story is ambiguous, where a seemingly normal video may flash clues and codes for the viewer to decipher. Other times, the entirety of the video will be flashed with horror or interesting visuals. Websites and games are either a supplementary resource to videos or are where viewers first interact with an ARG. Other popular online elements include emails or voicemails and social media for discussion or mass distribution of the story. In the real-world, creators have utilized real locations, people or live actors, physical mail or papers, and direct interactions. Overall, creators have lots of flexibility to allow their creativity to shine and for viewers to find great stories.
For both parties, solving an ARG is a fun, undervalued way to challenge and strengthen your mind. As noted, ARGs aren’t your typical Rubik’s cube or board puzzles, but a multidimensional playing field with variety in complexity and conclusions. Some aspects include connecting multiple, seemingly unrelated dots, deciphering code in various languages, and critical thinking into every possible meaning. For example, a string reading “fxWIPvVTLg” may seem random, but it is in fact the ending sequence assigned to a specific YouTube video. Under deep thinking, your brain will engage with both the left (analytical) and right (intuitive) hemispheres of the brain, which strengthens your overall cognition. ARG puzzles also help strengthen your memory, improve problem-solving skills and develop a skill most puzzles do not offer: visual-spatial reasoning. Visual-spatial reasoning is an essential skill used in daily life, such as navigating or organizing, and enhances each of the other cognitive benefits. It is enhanced by mentally manipulating images to see how they fit together, or how they “fit the big picture.”
With the internet’s grand size, there are dozens of places to find an ARG. The easiest way to ease yourself into the genre is by searching up “ARGs” and simply picking the one that catches your eye. I personally recommend ARGs created by a Minecraft Youtuber named Wifies because of his great attention to detail and captivating stories. With over three million subscribers, an on-going education at Harvard and years of storytelling, you can trust that he will produce high-quality stories.
Works Cited:
Wifies. “The Yellow Door,” YouTube, 24 Oct. 2025, docs.google.com/document/d/10ltKQdQhUXXQvzw3oglyO6OHzTW6oLGzkdyuSXNZk5c/edit?tab=t.0.
Wifies. ““What Happened to Xtremegamer11,”” YouTube, 19 July 2024, youtu.be/YISnxMg1nNM.
The Age of Accelerated Reading