ARGs (Alternate Reality Games) are a creative trend that has successfully taken over social media in recent years. ARGs are stories that take place using the real world as a platform and interact with viewers' and players' responses and actions to shape the story further.
ARGs have become increasingly popular on TikTok in the last two years, under the horror genre specifically. There are many amazingly executed ARGs with full accounts dedicated to running them. Many creepy TikTok ARGs have even managed to fool viewers/players into believing that they caught true events on camera, only to discover it was an incredibly well-done ARG.
Stuck In My Bedroom
Stuck In My Bedroom tells the story of the original poster (OP) who finds themselves trapped in their own bedroom after their doors mysteriously close. Walking through one of the doors only seems to have them enter their bedroom from the other side.
Stuck In My Bedroom is a fascinating ARG that uses a lot of clever editing to tell the story. The OP is helplessly stuck in the same space without internet, as their power strangely goes out each night on routine, leaving them stranded with only the small amount of food and water found inside their room. As viewers watch this ARG, it's impossible not to root for the OP and hope they find a way out of the terrifying situation.
Face The Light: Hide & Seek Gone Wrong
Face The Light was an ARG told from the point of view of a girl playing hide and seek with her sisters, only to discover and find herself hunted by a paranormal entity. The original TikTok account, including all the videos, has since vanished, and replaced with part 2 to the story in account facethelight0.
Facethelight0 begins with the same girl who seemingly moved to Ohio for a fresh start. As viewers follow the series, they soon learn that whatever paranormal entity was stalking her in part 2 is back with malicious intent. Supernatural entities are no stranger to horror, but the addition of one in this ARG's storyline paired with some seriously convincing acting creates a very spooky tale for viewers.
You Shouldn't Be Looking
You Shouldn't Be Looking was a spooky and disturbing TikTok ARG found under the account youshouldntbelooking. The account has since been removed from TikTok, but an archive of all the video clips can be found on YouTube.
You Shouldn't Be Looking follows the point of view of someone who continues to act seriously concerning ways and commit unspeakable crimes, including murder. The story was so terrifying to people, that it gained a lot of speculation that it was perhaps an actual killer using social media to mask his crimes as an ARG. This has been debunked, and You Shouldn't Be Looking is a confirmed ARG.
The Exits Are Missing
The Exits Are Missing is an eerie ARG found on TikTok account the_exits_are_missing. The OP visits a warehouse to buy Christmas decorations but soon finds themselves in a disorienting 'backrooms' type of situation, where the exits to the warehouse are completely missing.
OP is then forced to explore every twist and turn of the Warehouse, investigating and interacting with their surroundings to trigger some sort of change in their surrounding environment. The Exits Are Missing is a simple, yet terrifying concept that leaves viewers wondering if the OP simply fell out of reality into another universe, or if something more sinister is at play.
Where Is The Sky?
Where Is The Sky? is an ARG run by a user named Lewis on TikTok account where_is_the_sky. Where Is The Sky? showcases the OP in a strange situation, with him waking up to find his apartment building empty and the sun never rising.
The ARG is brilliantly executed and brings immense feelings of isolation and aloneness, with OP stuck in a supposedly parallel universe with dark and empty surroundings. The story only grows creepier as OP experiences terrifyingly threatening horror movie-style monsters inhabiting the otherwise empty world and has to try and navigate his way to some form of safety.
Time To Wait
Time to Wait is a TikTok ARG that follows the story of a woman living in a rental home who has begun to witness unexplainable and peculiar events as she investigates a creepy shed in her backyard.
As the OP continues to investigate the terrifying mystery, more sinister and paranormal-like events begin to play out around her, haunting her every moment she is in the house. After taking a trip to another city and waking from a sleep-like state whilst driving home, with no memory of what she did on her trip or why she even took the trip, many viewers have pointed to demonic possession.
PBHere
PBHere is an animated ARG on TikTok found under the account pbhere. Upon watching the first clip, viewers will meet with PB, the protagonist of the story, who has been shut in a room for some time with no idea why he is there.
As PB finally escapes the room, he finds himself stuck inside the main building and trying to discover the origins of himself, as well as the 'other specimen'. PB and the audience are met with a mystery surrounding 'perfect beings', imposters, and danger to the beloved character the players are so desperately trying to help.
Where Is Everybody?
Where Is Everybody? is an ARG run by user Alexander on TikTok account where_is_everybody. Similarly to Where Is The Sky?, the OP for Where Is Everybody? wakes up one morning to find his mother missing, and upon further investigation discovers the world around him now appears empty of human life.
Spooky horror-based stories don't always need monsters or killers to make an impact. This ARG proves that through an overwhelming sense of dread related to the emptiness of the world the OP faces. The OP continues to update viewers on his life in this empty world, making supply runs and searching for any sign of human life or outside contact, keeping viewers well and truly engaged with the chilling plot.
10 Tapes
10 Tapes is a TikTok ARG found under the account name 10_tapes. The OP, after moving into a new apartment building, discovers a strange note stuck to a sign outside his window while taking videos of his new place to show his family.
The OP then follows the coordinates on this note and discovers a strange tape. Upon playing the tape, viewers see a strange mashup of unsettling images overladed and sounds, marking the beginning of a very spooky story. 10 Tapes does such a good job of acting and editing that many thought it was a series of true events being documented, rather than an ARG horror story, creating a huge fan base and hype for updates.
Maybe I'm Dreaming
Maybe I'm Dreaming is a Tiktok ARG found on account maybe.im.dreaming. In this story, the OP finds themselves in a strange place with no memory, as if they had been in a sleepwalking state.
As the OP explores more, there are little to no signs of human existence. This causes OP to wonder if they're wandering through some sort of dream, but despite the surrounding emptiness, they can tell that something, somewhere, is definitely watching.