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Cloud Chamber Blends Sci-Fi Mystery with Live Actors, Alternate Reality Gaming

I don't know that I completely understand what this is yet, but it sounds...ambitious?

Mar. 24 2014

Posted by: Alex

In This Episode:

Cloud Chamber

35 Comments

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pondwhale

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Edited By pondwhale

This seems interesting, but the female lead is throwing it for me. She sucks. Badly.

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BlackHeronBlue

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text based mmos? comment on shit to get xp and then share to facefuck how awesome you are. yes, a certain winner, this one.

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iBushido

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This is Frog Fractions 2, I'm calling it.

Hahaha I wouldn't be surprised.

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NoCookiesForYou

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Edited By NoCookiesForYou

This looks interesting, also I need more FMV in my life.

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VACkillers

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Looks like its some type of Video Interactive game where you unlock clues in the cloud chamber, depending on where you go, or what you do inside the chamber to discover the final conclusion on the mystery of the game with the story being told through some sort of video diarys. Bit weird but interesting on some levels. Its not very ummm... gameplay friendly from what was in that trailer.

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Morten_Skovgaard

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If you like scientific research, astrophysics, mysticism, philosophy and conspiracies, there is a very good chance that you will have a good experience with Cloud Chamber. It is quite unlike anything else that I ever played and even although it bears certain similarities to ARGs, it does not really fit into that genre.

The 'game' is basically about figuring out what a weird signal, apparently from space, could be and how it affects the characters that you follow. Like ajroo wrote above, it is like good old Majestic: The kind of game you either connect with or not. If you come seeking traditional gameplay and an 'easy' experience where you don't really have to contribute, you might not find a whole lot to like about Cloud Chamber.

However, if you like throwing crazy ideas out into the open, researching your own and others' theories and engaging with other users in order to try and solve the mystery, you might be sucked into the experience as much as I was when I played it.

Think of it as a Facebook-style experience where you debate plot lines and mysteries with people, just as you would when you sit and discuss your favourite TV shows or movies – that is probably the best comparison that I can come up with. Personally, I was blown away by Cloud Chamber. I am a complete science and science fiction nut (the kind who has a high-powered telescope on his rooftop and loves Arthur C. Clarke) so it really struck a nerve and compelled me to read crazy amounts of wikis, research papers, technological NASA articles and whatnot in order to gain a clearer picture of what was going on, as I progressed and was fed more and more tidbits and little mysteries.

I can safely say that no other game ever made me teach myself as much as Cloud Chamber did – and that, I believe, is its greatest merit. Everything is rooted in reality so if you commit to the experience, you will attain a lot of useful knowledge about our current space research and the universe in general. But the level of participation will differ from person to person, and I like that you don't have to spend as much time and energy as I did in order to enjoy the experience. I am sure that you could even get away with just reading a lot in the game and upvoting the good posts in order to progress – you just might not get the full experience or access to all the information levels.

At any rate, I hope a lot of other people get to try it out – if nothing else, then to discuss and debunk all of my weird theories in there. ;)

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ripelivejam

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BREAK AHN THRU TODEOTHASIDE!!!!!!!!!!

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Gertrud

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Edited By Gertrud

This game is amazing - i have never ever tried anything like that in gaming. Its absolutly mindblowing. I need more games like that... like... right now, please...

It goes right under your skin... this is like a new, true gaming experience. I cant even remember when i last had that.

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bombedyermom

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the fuck?

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KowalskiManDown

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Looks pretty neat.

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xpgamer7

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Edited By xpgamer7

So... Move around on a pre-determined path to get between instances of playing with a chat system that may or may not be real while watching FMV?

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mORTEN81

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A game for the internets to solve hand in hand?

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ajroo

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I hope this is a new experiment with ARG. Back in the early 2000's (i think) there was this ambitious ARG called Majestic, in which you got phone calls (recorded of course) and IMs, and even mail. It was great fun, and super innovative. The technology wasnt quite good enough to make the game as believable as they hoped, from what ive read, but it was a hell of a try.

Im kind of surprised no one has attempted something like it again. Maybe they are now.

Its the kind of thing, you either connect with or you dont. For some reason, i dig it. Ill have to do some research on this and see whats up....

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Winternet

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This is Frog Fractions 2, I'm calling it.

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quirkwood

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I am not sure if this is going to be dumb or duuuuuuuuuuuuuuummb.

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Davvyk

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This feels like an ARG.

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MeatSim

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Edited By MeatSim

What are they hiding! 10 weird facts that THE AUTHORITY doesn't want you to know.

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Spitznock

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He doesn't want to be filmed, you guys.

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tourgen

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Edited By tourgen

I'm all for FMV nonsense like this, could be a fun time.

But, the cliche "The MAN is hiding this knowledge from us all MAN! Our team of scrappy rogue scientists and video journalists are just trying to get the TRUTH OUT man!". Just wow, so dumb. So unimaginative. And a harmful presentation of scientific work, journalism, and how our society interacts with the government it has built.

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Wandrecanada

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Edited By Wandrecanada

So... do we play it in conjunction with other people or is it single player single playthrough? There's a lot of mystery to how this game is even played. Further research is required.

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mattimus_prime

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Edited By mattimus_prime

huh

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blacklab

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Could be great if executed well...

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AgentZigzag

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Looks baaaaaaad.

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Phantomjak

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I am all for this! In movies I hate the found footage style, but as a video game I think it might lend itself well to the story they are telling. The landscape thing is a tad weird, but that could end up really awesome as well.

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damodar

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Edited By damodar

INVESTIGATION TEAM, ASSEMBLE!

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Ozzie

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Edited By Ozzie

"the birth of a new genre" yes the future of new genre is here with FMV... This kinda looks like they took the whole use an app while you watch a show to get more information thing, and just put the show in the app with some gameplay in it.

Not sure if I'm really digging this.

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duderbattalion

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Looks interesting. I'm looking forward to some "landscape metaphor"-ing.

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Linken

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Edited By Linken

Fascinating...

Reminds me of a more focused Ingress.

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RuneHammer

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Edited By RuneHammer

This looks weird. Bad weird.

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BlastProcessing

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Breakthrough!

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BlastProcessing

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Breakthrough!