It looks like this is one of the first Alternate Reality Games (ARG) on Steam, and so there's a lot to clear up.

For those of you who do fantasy, sci-fi or similar roleplay (not the bedroom kind), think of an ARG as being part of an expansive roleplay campaign, except YOU are the character working with others. The GM gives you puzzles and small tip-offs to work towards the end goal. So basically, a long-term paranormal mystery LARP.

If you're not a roleplayer, then think of it like a massive puzzle game. The puppetmasters - in gaming terms, those are the developers, controlling gameplay and story - give you a plotline and scenario, as well as puzzles, and you have to figure out what's going on to progress the plot.


This is a multi-platform game.

As I'll explain later, the client is just a vessel for the experience. They will utilize multiple forms of media, such as telephones, social media, and physical items, to carry out their story and puzzles.

This is an ongoing experience.

It doesn't just end at the puzzles. They utilize their media to piece together an ongoing story for players to work with.

Nothing is set in stone.

Unlike a roleplaying game, traditional video game, or even a puzzle, the plot is flexible. Meaning, the devs can and will change the story in what they feel is a realistic manner based on our successes, failures, and choices.

With that said, the game does not end with a failure of any kind -- it only changes. We can never truly "lose," only experience something... different. Maybe unfavorable.

This game accesses websites, images, sound files, text, PDFs, etc. that aren't present in the client. Obviously, if it was all hiding in the client, there wouldn't be much for us to do, given a bunch of us would be poking at the client files all day. You're going to have your external browser up a lot.



Part of the experience for a lot of people may be having that extra level of immersion. However, there are many things barring many players from engaging. I know personally I'd try for the full immersion (Green Level Clearance) if I didn't have real-life obligations.

Don't think of it as being "left out." You're not, the devs really do care about getting as many players involved as possible, and they'll always find ways (including live events) to make you feel like a part of the team.

Even if anyone gets real-life contact with HQ/NPCs/etc, it doesn't mean that they will necessarily understand what's going on. If you get a package, it may be in Russian, and you may need to pass it along to someone else who understands it.

Part of this game -- and I mean an ABSOLUTELY VITAL part -- is establishing contact with other players in th-- uh. Agents. We're all Agents here. Yes. (Just roll with it, it'll be more fun, trust me.)



If you're having trouble, the first thing you may notice is the Call for Help feature. This doesn't give you a simple help guide - it puts out a signal on the Agent Map so that others can join into your group and help.

Collaboration -- Lets others who are on the same mission as you come in, so you can all work on it together.

Senior Agent -- Puts out a call that agents who have completed the mission can see. Do this mostly if you really, REALLY don't know where to go.

IF YOU TURN THIS ON DON'T FORGET TO CHECK YOUR "JOURNAL TO SEE IF OTHERS HAVE COME IN. (Seriously, even I forget sometimes!) There may be someone in your group already on standby, waiting to help!


The CFH feature is great for what it's called -- asking for help when you need a push, which is perfectly fine in this game! Sometimes we all need it.

But in the grand scheme of things? That won't get us far.

See, The Black Watchmen is a very comprehensive, multi-faceted game. Decisions made to progress the game as a community do, in fact, have an impact on how the game will progress. This is no Telltale game -- we can very well completely change our ending, who lives and who dies. In test/promo missions, we've already had a few... near-slips.

Therefore, it's important to keep in touch with others involved. The following are hubs for TBW:



This is our most active, up-to-date method of communication. Never hesitate to come in and ask questions or contribute - we really do love seeing a good number of people in there.

For those of you who have never used IRC, it's one of the oldest communication tools on the Internet. It's not a specific program -- it's a system.

Client - You can use any IRC client to access an IRC chat. A quick Google search should give you a few, or you can use Kiwiirc, our recommended web one, if you don't want to download one. It hosts the server so you can access the chatrooms.

Server - We use our new official dedicated server, irc.blackwatchmen.com, port 6665. Exists the same way MMO servers do, except it's not by region. Different servers have different restrictions, are owned by different groups or people, and may have different tools that can be accessed.

Room - #Division66. A chat room within a server (not a client, the client just hosts the server). Simple.

Nick - So unless you have a very, VERY unique username (like mine), the server will probably yell at you for not having a unique nickname/handle. If you plan on swinging by often, you'll want to register one If you use Google to search "register nick on freenode" it pulls up simple instructions. Your client may also have ways to automatically drop your password so you can claim your nick.

You can access the Kiwiirc client with the #division66 chat here: https://kiwiirc.com/client/irc.blackwatchmen.com/division66




Very straightforward, a traditional forum, officially owned by TBW.

Come here for updates on major mission information, to ask for general information, to get more expansive help, find others that speak your language, or to just chat and relax.




They also have official media on the following platforms:

Twitter - @division66
Facebook - /blackwatchmen[www.facebook.com]
Vimeo - division66
YouTube - The Black Watchmen

Main site - blackwatchmen.com

We also have a wiki: wiki.blackwatchmen.com
We can always use more manpower.

Since this IS a community-based game, there are a few things to keep in mind.


Do you think something you're about to send will cause someone to do something significant, like launch an attack or raid that NPCs will notice, or send a large quantity of money?

Usually if your decision will create an instant, long-lasting impact, you will be able to tell.

In-client missions that involve a passkey often won't be so terrible, but live events and communication via email, phone, etc. might be important.


It may be cool to go lone-wolf but we promise you, we need to keep track of everything that's going on and make sure nothing is getting messed up, or that all the details we need are available. Being part of an ARG is a very comprehensive, expansive experience, and we need all of our information available to each other in order to achieve a goal -- and to keep everyone on the same page.

And if you hide it, not only will we as players find out eventually, the Agency, NPCs, and others that the information regards will as well, and things may snowball into a worst-case scenario really, REALLY fast. (They ARE watching everyone.)


We're 100% willing to work with you -- even if the concept of asking about important decisions seems overwhelming, teamwork is an essential part of gameplay. (As we've learned the hard way.)


We as an agency (roll with this roleplaying stuff, it's more fun) have common goals, for the most part. We all want the same outcome. We want the best for ourselves and our "clients" and so if you feel any kind of hesitation, or see anyone who seems hesitant, engage.

Alternate Reality Games historically take a lot of effort. The content isn't churning out every hour, but you may be out when a mission pops up and either start chugging data to keep up, or you'll just not be able to be involved. It's happened to me, it's happened to more dedicated players.

For those of us that have been hanging out for a while, we've got a lot accomplished. We have friends, we have great contact with the devs/puppetmasters, we've learned some about cyphers and coding, we're roleplaying a bit.

If this sounds intense, we all get it. We all have lives. We have things to do. It's difficult.

But once things start picking up (since it just released), if you don't feel like you're getting anything out of it -- try putting yourself into it a bit more. We're willing and excited to have you on board, but you gotta be on board first. Join the IRC. Read old mission reports and catch up on the lore. Make a profile for yourself on the wiki. Feel the excitement, hype -- and potentially paranoia. It's part of the fun.

It's a really rewarding experience, we swear.

With all of this being said -- roll with it. Have fun. We're all nerds solving puzzles together at the end of the day. We're gonna call each other Agents and make fun of HQ and derail them when they come into IRC. Play hard.

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TBW is a pretty expansive game, actually. So it'd be good to know that they're working on putting out some more things for us:

Comic - Comic books based on events of the game. The first one will be released soon based on older missions finished well before the release of this game, done as experiments and promotions before this game's official launch.

Almanac - At the end of the season, they will share an almanac with information regarding this season's lore.

Convention appearances - When they go to conventions, they usually have puzzles... and potentially plot-relevant stories for us to encounter, making live missions for recruits.

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Our dear forum moderator posted their own FAQ regarding general details about the game itself: http://gtm.steamproxy.vip/app/349220/discussions/0/530645446307005334/

If you have questions, during the day (EST) the devs are usually chilling in the IRC, and us players are always happy to help answer as well based on our experience and knowledge.

This will update as more resources etc. become available.

That's all, and I look forward to working with my fellow agents in the future! \o/

(I posted a shorter quicker version of this in the forums/discussions; this is an expanded version of that. If you have any questions, feel free to drop a reply.)