October is here, which means everyone is trying to get their spookiest movies to bring in the dark nights. However, if you’re a horror buff, chances are that you’ve watched every single horror movie available – and can see the clichés from a mile away. You need something different, something new, which might be why ARGs and webseries are the thing for you.
What is an ARG?
An ARG is known as an Alternate Reality Game. It’s called this because it utilizes the real world as a platform, and uses transmedia storytelling to deliver a narrative that can be altered by the watcher’s (or player’s) actions. Think of it as similar to being a ‘choose your own storybook.
In terms of YouTube series, these can mean that players look for clues in videos, or the video itself has links to puzzles that players have to solve. Many online ARGs have huge fandoms which are dedicated to cracking the codes. It can be an interesting and unique experience to either just watch passively, or get involved in the community.
If you’re interested in trying one out and not sure where to start, then this article might be for you. Here are five ARGs to give you the chills.
Daisy Brown
Daisy Brown is a finished ARG that follows the unusual vlogs of someone named, well, Daisy Brown. One of the most unique things about Daisy is that she cares for a monster named Alan. What could be interpreted as something relatively innocent slowly unravels into a story of monsters, fables, and mysteries.
While the image may not look like much and may be seen as relatively low budget compared to big Hollywood blockbusters, Daisy Brown isn’t something to be ignored. It uses the YouTube platform to its advantage, adding hidden clues in annotations, links, descriptions, and through other social media. While Daisy Brown ended in 2018, it is still prolific in the ARG communities – and everything can also be accessed on YouTube.
The first Daisy Brown video can be watched below as a small taster, and the entire channel can be found here.
Local 58
Local 58 is another web series, though it tells the story in a different way. Rather than the homely feeling of vlogs, Local 58 takes the role of a fictional public television access channel. It would be normal if it wasn’t constantly giving out unusual and eerie messages about the moon and other anomalies. While there is no obvious plot, like there are in some other ARGs, Local 58 still provides a sense of terror and is something to watch in the dark.
Local58’s shortest video can be watched below. The full channel, with every video, can be found here.
The Walten Files
The Walten Files is a newer series. It’s made by animator Martin Walls, inspired by the former Local 58 as well as games such as Five Nights At Freddy’s. A man finds some old VHS tapes from the 1970s, all surrounding a fast food business – the extinct corporation of Bunny Smiles, which disappeared mysteriously in the 1980s.
The Walten Files seems to be mostly new, so is yet to have reached a conclusion. It might be one to join for those that enjoy theorizing. For fans of the 70s/80s aesthetic, as well as the iconic game series, this is also a good one to start on. The Walten Files is one that should be watched at the beginning, and the first video can be found here.
hiimmarymary
Hiimmarymary takes a similar vlogging style to that of Daisy Brown. However, rather than making vlogs, this is Mary’s only way of communicating with the outside world. She wakes up in a house that is familiar, but with no memories. Doors won’t open and windows won’t break. With only her camera, Mary decides to document her life as she navigates the house. The days are much the same, but the nights are very different.
Hiimmarymary finished in 2020, and while is very simply made, still has a very compelling story behind it. It is recommended that people interested in Mary’s story start with the Twitter account (with the first tweet linked below), the YouTube channel can be found here.
Marble Hornets
Marble Hornets is likely one of the most infamous webseries out there, inspired by Slenderman. It follows the story of a young man, trying to discover what happened to the filming crew of Marble Hornets. The film was abruptly stopped just after three months of production, and all swore to never talk about it again. However, the tapes reveal the true reason behind the abrupt ending.
Marble Hornets started in 2009 and finished in 2014. While there was a spinoff film with mostly negative reviews, Marble Hornets is infamous in the circle of webseries, with three different seasons. You can watch the introduction below, and watch through the channel here.
There are many other webseries worthy of talking about, and not all of them on YouTube – such as TheSunVanished on Twitter. This is just a small selection of what creepy webseries have to offer, and what can be found just in time for October.
Will you give any of these webseries a go? Have you got any that you personally recommend? Let us know below in the comments!
