Rat Trapped In Perpetual Time was an Alternate Reality Game centered around the campus and history of Pratt Institute. It ran in May of 2025 and incorporated real-life treasure hunts with online puzzle elements.
The downloadable file for this game is comprised of the design document, the project documentation, as well as all citations and assets used.
Simulated Game on Miro
The game takes place in both the virtual and real world collectively. The player is tasked with navigating both a physical space and then transitioning to their phones or computers and then back to the real world to solve puzzles that we have placed around our campus. Walking around the campus players are able to find QR codes that lead to an instagram post with the first puzzle. Following that puzzle they are led to East Hall to find stickers and another QR code that leads them to a website puzzle. After completing the maze puzzle they are led to a cypher which when solved leads them to a rat statue on campus. Afterwards they are able to find the puzzle to open a website and read a lot of lore and backstory while also finding another puzzle to solve. Then they are led to the rose-garden to do a treasure hunt where they are able to find a token that holds the final key to the final slide lock puzzle which leads to our manmade statue that holds our final gifts of stickers and posters and such.
Our aim was to enact a classic feeling of an ARG like those most popular in history. We wanted to aim at the freshman of our year to have to do something really special during their first few weeks here and also learn a lot about the real history of our school
Our aim was to enact a classic feeling of an ARG like those most popular in history. We wanted to aim at the freshman of our year to have to do something really special during their first few weeks here and also learn a lot about the real history of our school
Concept Art
Roles and Responsibility
- Creation and maintenance of virtual section of the ARG
- Placement of posters and stickers across the campus
- Puzzle design and implementation
- Narrative Design.