Abstract

Alternate Reality Games (ARG) tend to have story-driven game structures. Hence, it is
useful to investigate how player activities interact with the often pre-scripted storyline in
this genre. In this article, we report on a study of a particular ARG production,
Conspiracy For Good (CFG), which was at the same time emphasising the role of strong
storytelling, and active on-site participation by players. We uncover multiple levels of
friction between the story content and the mode of play of live participants, but also
between live and online participation. Based on the observations from the production, we
present design recommendations for future productions with similar goals.