unfiction
/ʌnˈfɪkʃən/
UncommonA genre of interactive online fiction designed to look and feel like real events, including ARGs, analog horror, and found footage.
More of a genre classification than casual slang. Strongly associated with the r/UnfictionDiscussion community and dedicated fan spaces.
Real-world examples3 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | if you like ARGs and analog horror you probably already know what unfiction is | People familiar with ARGs and analog horror are already in the unfiction space. | reddit, 2022 |
| 02 | the unfiction community basically kept marble hornets alive for years after it ended | Fan communities in the unfiction space sustained interest and discussion long after the content was over. | reddit, 2023 |
| 03 | i need more unfiction recommendations. just finished all the Nexpo videos and now i have a void to fill | Looking for more content in the genre after finishing a popular series. | reddit, 2024 |
Use it when
- Categorizing content that spans ARGs, analog horror, found footage, and mystery channels.
- Discussing the broader genre of fiction that presents itself as real.
- Recommending a body of work in the space to someone new to it.
Do not use it when
- You just mean a specific ARG you want to discuss.Use “arg” instead.
- You mean a horror story in any format, not specifically reality-blurring fiction.Use “creepypasta” instead.
Unfiction vs ARG
unfiction
Unfiction is the umbrella genre for all fiction that blurs the real and fictional.
VS
arg
An ARG is a specific interactive format within unfiction, built around player participation.
Origin and context
The term grew out of internet communities discussing ARGs and interactive fiction in the mid-2000s and consolidated as a genre label as analog horror and found footage YouTube channels expanded the space in the 2010s.
- First seen
- mid-2000s
- Confidence
- low
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/unfictionUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0