This Is Not A Game – the novel… It is not often that a book subject is truly unique. This book is the first ever to be written about ARGs or Alternate Reality Games.

Like Williams we need to describe exactly what ARGs are before we can get on with the book proper. Put simply they are online games involving communities of players that crossover into real life. So for example the “game” may require the players to pick up a package from a real-life shop or meet at a real location. Games usually last at least a couple of weeks and there have been a number of examples. For more info on this check out Wikipedia.

TINAG is narrated by Dagmar and Williams describes how she sees the world. Dagmar is a puppetmaster, or gamesmaster. It is she who creates the ARGs for others to play. The whole book is about the unreality of what she sees – when her fictional game creations merge with real life. In many ways this is a classic pulp fiction mystery, but the ARG element adds that extra spark.

The book is laid out in three sections, or acts. Act 1 starts with the rescue of Dagmar from a burning Jakarta. It is at this point that her new game takes shape in her imagination. It is also here that Dagmar decides to use the gamers to help her out – crowdsourcing out of trouble. Act 1 gives little clue as to what comes next.

InAct 2, the action moves from Jakarta to L.A.. The plot thickens by this point and the life of Dagmar is truly mixed with that of her creation – the Game. At this point the story really gets going as the pace quickens along with the ARG that is being released – Read the Schedule, Know the Schedule, Love the Schedule.

It is in Act 3 when the book really kicks off. The twists and turns by now are resolving themselves into perhaps a more standard mystery novel. We are dealt dead ends and red herrings with speed and panache. The answer to the mystery running through the whole book is certainly satisfying – though you may not have even asked the question.

Personally I found the style a bit irksome. I felt Williams was trying too hard to be of rather than just in the world of ARGers. So sometimes geeky things such as the latest smartphone are explained in the smallest detail, as are the burritos.

But this is an important book – perhaps the point at which ARGs become mainstream. At least I hope this is the case, for despite the hype, especially the hype in this book, ARGs are very niche affairs. Brands are wary or do not understand them and although there are core users the numbers of players are nothing like those experienced by Dagmar and Charlie. In order to be taken to the next level of popularity, mainstream brands need to come on board, and understand what an ARG really is. Hopefully this book will help.

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