Alternate reality games often rely on the players having a degree of technical knowledge. The Game Detectives Academy is a free, interactive way to learn some of the concepts that frequently appear in ARGs. Each course in the Academy focuses on a different concept, and more courses are being added over time. All the courses are fairly short, and they reward you with a badge on your profile once completed!
If you're having trouble, or just want to chat, join our Discord chat!
The Game Detectives Academy is not currently optimised for devices with smaller screens, and therefore
you may encounter unexpected behaviour.
Basic Ciphers
Learn the very basics of cipher decoding, including the Caesar cipher.
Basic Computing
Learn the basics of the inner workings of computers, along with some math.
Basic Webdev
Learn some basic clue-finding methods to use on ARG websites.
Boolean Operations
Learn about Boolean operations, including the XOR cipher.
Basic Audio
Learn about audio files, and ways to interpret sounds.
Vigenere Ciphers
Learn the Vigenere cipher, along with some of its variants.
Basic Steganography
Learn how to discover and read concealed messages.
Image Steganography
Learn how to uncover messages hidden in image files.
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Ready for a tougher challenge, detective? Each of these Cases consists of a series of puzzles within a larger framework. Puzzles in the Cases may tell a broader story, or may be grouped by a common theme. Unlike the courses in the Academy, Cases are not tutorials. You'll need to rely on your wits and puzzle-solving abilities to solve them!
Cases are not currently optimised for devices with smaller screens, and therefore
you may encounter unexpected behaviour.
Chrononomicon
Unravel the secrets behind a puzzling artifact.
In Absentia
Discover the truth behind a fellow agent's disappearance.
