An Alternate Reality Game
“Online Friendship / Upside Down”
Game Overview
You are an Archivist, tasked with protecting memories, places, and people from being lost. You do this by exploring hidden clues, recording real moments of friendship, and using old-school media like cassette tapes, letters, and folders.
The game happens in the real world and online:
- Old or “dead” websites
- Physical mail
- Audio recordings
- Real-world locations
- Interactions with other players
There is no single main character. You are both watcher and watched, and your success depends on your connection with another player, your Online Friend.
How to Start
- Find the “dead” 1990s tech company website.
- Inspect the site’s source code.
- Locate a hidden PO Box address.
- Mail a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Rule: If you don’t send something physical, you are not in the game.
Player Roles
- Every player is an Archivist.
- Each Archivist is secretly paired with an Online Friend.
- You do not know your Online Friend’s real identity.
Core Rules
1. Artifacts Are Never Perfect
- You will receive a cassette tape or USB with scrambled audio.
- The audio is intentionally distorted.
- You may edit it but never make it perfect.
2. Record “Sounds of Friendship”
- Examples: laughter, shared meals, natural conversations, cooperative work.
- Not allowed: solo narration, acting, or music created for the game.
- Upload your recording to the URL included in your artifact.
Rule: The sound must be a real connection with real people.
3. Listen to the Return Signal
- The website will send back a warped melody.
- It may contain hidden clues, reversed audio, or GPS coordinates.
- You must listen to it, no skipping.
4. Visit the Physical Locations
- Go to the GPS location provided (examples: old libraries, closed malls, abandoned tech spaces).
- You may find: folders, notes, cassette fragments, or instructions from other Archivists.
Rule: Take one item and leave something behind.
5. Archivist Etiquette
- Never remove everything from a location.
- Never vandalize or damage the place.
- Never tell strangers the ARG exists.
6. Your Online Friend
- They monitor your uploads and send you fragments to interpret.
- At some point, you will realize the “entity” observing you is another player.
Rule: Trust is optional; collaboration is inevitable.
7. Mutual Restoration
- You cannot win alone.
- You must complete tasks on behalf of your Online Friend (recording, traveling, or preserving).
- You are restoring memories you never lived.
8. Use Analog Media
- Allowed: cassette tapes, printed photos, handwritten notes, burned CDs, folders.
- Discouraged: perfect digital files, AI-generated voices, clean edits.
Rule: Imperfection proves authenticity.
9. The Threat
- There is no monster.
- Danger comes from forgotten memories, missing items, and corrupted audio.
- If something is forgotten, it becomes unsafe.
10. The End
- The game has no official ending.
- It concludes when:
- Two players acknowledge each other
- A final artifact is exchanged
- Both choose to stop or continue preserving
Rule: The friendship is the archive.