alternate reality game
/ˈɔːltərnɪt rɪˈælɪti ɡeɪm/
CommonAn interactive narrative experience that presents a fictional story as if it is happening in the real world, played across websites, videos, and real-world touchpoints.
The full term is used when explaining the concept. In practice, most people just say ARG.
Real-world examples2 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | an alternate reality game is basically a story you participate in without knowing it is fiction | Explaining how ARGs work to someone new to the concept. | reddit, 2022 |
| 02 | the alternate reality game format is underused and I'm tired of pretending it is not | The speaker thinks ARGs are a great storytelling format that deserves more attention. | x, 2023 |
Use it when
- Explaining the concept of an ARG to someone who has not heard the term.
- Describing a specific multi-platform interactive narrative in formal context.
Do not use it when
- Casual conversation where ARG is shorter and everyone knows it.Use “arg” instead.
Variations and related forms
Origin and context
The term emerged in gaming communities in the early 2000s to describe games like The Beast (2001) that used real websites, phone numbers, and emails to deliver a story as if it was real.
- First seen
- early-2000s
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/alternate-reality-gameUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0