Mark Lane's Logs: Project H.U.M.A.N. - The first Forensic Alternate Reality Game

At Zorean we are developing a real-world forensic adventure game called Mark Lane's Logs: Project H.U.M.A.N.. We would call it a Forensic Alternate Reality Game (F-ARG). The game features an entirely new format and gameplay.

The Concept

The player starts with just a SMS message from Mark Lane. From there, he has to reproduce Mark's steps, find what he found, and live a discovery adventure just like he did. The idea is to make the player feel that he's uncovering a real case. The game is heavily based on real-world facts and news, and is highly visual. Hundreds of photos will let the player revive Mark's adventure as if he was there:

These are actual photos found in the game

What are the game items? What else can will you find? See more here: http://zorean.com/marklane/gallery.html

The game is still played on a computer device, but there is no software. The player is enticed to take the challenge and go out to cyberspace looking for things that will help him discover and solve the case. Still, leaving the computer can help in some parts of the game. The truth is somewhere out there, on the Internet. He's out in the wild. The Internet is millions of times bigger than a computer game sandbox. It's a kind of 21st century treasure hunt, but much more complex, mixed with cryptography, problem-solving, forensic work, intertwined with a strong narrative featuring a hollywood-style plot.

Due to the special characteristics of the game, it can be played on any computer or tablet (Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS, Android) as long as there is access to roam the Internet.

The game's concept is detailed on an article that was featured in Gamasutra and IndieGames:
http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/RuiCurado/20130619/194597/Designing_a_Forensic_Alternate_Reality_Game.php
http://indiegames.com/2013/06/designing_a_forensic_alternate.html

The game has also been featured on specialized websites:
http://www.dfinews.com/news/2013/06/zorean-unveils-first-real-world-digital-forensics-game

The challenge is slated for release on September 27.

More resources:

The game's official website:
http://www.zorean.com/marklane

The game's trailer at YouTube:

The game's blog can be followed at IndieDB:
http://www.indiedb.com/games/mark-lanes-logs-project-human

The Story

Mark Lane, retired CIA agent, is forced to carry out one last mission: dismantle an elusive terrorist organization, infiltrated in the American military, and the CIA. A swarm-type device is being developed, right under DoD's nose. An attack on US soil is imminent. Mark carries out a solo worldwide intelligence mission to eliminate this threat. However, he finds more than he expected. He finds a secret society. He finds himself in the middle of a federal conspiracy to steal the Pentagon's ultimate weapon. He is betrayed by those he trusted and is set to die as a traitor to the USA. He dodges his destiny by escaping, but is fiercely hunted down. He has nowhere to go. You're Mark's last hope. He left a trail of evidence that you must uncover. Find out what happened, collect enough evidence, and bring the case to justice.

Like the concept? You can help!

Like the game on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/MLL.Project.Human