Designing Reusable ARGs

Derek Hansen, Elizabeth Bonsignore, Marc Ruppel, Amanda Visconti, Kari Kraus

CHI 2013

?Alternate Reality Games

Video GamesNOT

Pervasive

An ARG is…

An ARG is…

Storytelling as Archeology“Alternate Reality Games.” Wikipedia.

Sherlock Holmes

… as an ARG

An ARG is…

Collaborative Sensemaking

Why make ARGs reusable?

Challenges to Reusability

SOLVED?

Methods

Interviews

15 ARG & Transmedia Storytelling experts

ARG review

Framework: Types of Reuse

Replayable

Adaptable

Extensible

Replayable

Games Stories

Adaptable

Games Stories

Extensible

Games Stories

Replayability Design Strategies

Cyclical, event-driven play

Ongoing Exhibit

Pre-scripted TransmediaTouches

Multiple Story Paths

Adaptable Design Strategies

Secret Player Community

Open-ended ParticipatoryPre-enactment

Location-based Gamewith common structure

“Play it – before you live it.”

Extensible Design Strategies

Multiple seasons

Frame Narrative

In-game missions

Spin-off Products

Implications & Future Work

Design Patterns

Field Tests

Preservation

Framework + Design Strategies