Introduction
Johnisdead is an ARG that began in 2015. It is currently on-going and has spanned across multiple different chapters called arcs. Johnisdead involves heavy player-character interactions spread out cross multiple different websites. Players are also tasked with solving ciphers, finding clues, and submitting their own content in order to proceed. All of this will be explained further down in this introduction.
Suggested Reading
Certain aspects of Johnisdead's gameplay and story are inspired by Jadusable's Ben Drowned ARG and The Legend of Zelda videogame series. While knowledge of these subjects isn't fully required to enjoy Johnisdead, it is encouraged that one is at least familiar with each of them. All of the information regarding Ben Drowned and The Legend of Zelda that is relevant to Johnisdead can be found on the following pages:
Though it's not required, further reading regarding these subjects can be found here:
Story
Johnisdead's story follows Tyler - a man who is being pursued by a malicious cult known as the Lunar Children. Through a series of investigations, the players discover that this cult is more deeply tied to Tyler's life than what was initially thought. The majority of Johnisdead involves the players attempting to keep Tyler safe while investigating and combatting nefarious individuals related to the Lunar Children.
Johnisdead's story has spanned across many different arcs. Each of these arcs is catalogued on this Wiki by a detailed log of events and updates called a "Timeline". These timelines can be found here. Alternatively, a less clinical and more narratively-driven retelling of events can be found on the Story page.
Gameplay
Johnisdead's gameplay involves a variety of different activities. Some of these include the following:
- Solving coded messages called ciphers.
- Finding clues within images and videos.
- Interacting with characters on different websites.
- Exploring websites for hidden webpages.
- Exploring 3D worlds via a program called JanusVR.
More detailed information regarding Johnisdead's gameplay can be found here.
Alternatively, one could simply participate by observing and theorizing with fellow players.