About

Let's Change the Game is a competition to find the best idea for an Alternate Reality Game (ARG) that will raise money for Cancer Research UK. The winning team will be awarded £1300 ($2600) to develop the game together with top game designers and Cancer Research UK.

Our Aims

  1. Raise money and awareness for Cancer Research UK
  2. Provide up-and-coming ARG developers with experience and advice
  3. Show that ARGs and games can be a force for good

Frequently Asked Questions:


What's an Alternate Reality Game (ARG)?

Alternate Reality Games are a new way of telling stories to hundreds of thousands of people at a time, using not only the Internet but every conceivable form of media available. Players search for clues using Google, contact characters via email and IM, receive updates by text message, decode messages in newspapers - and walk outside to see an airplane spelling out clues in the sky.

Unlike many other games, ARGs are about co-operation - they're about players around the world working together to solve challenges that are so big that they need thousands of people... not too different from the way scientists fight cancer. ARG players have flown around the world, donated millions of computer hours and written books in the course of the games they've played. Imagine could be achieved is a game could direct this drive and energy towards cancer research. If you're interested in learning more about ARGs, this Wikipedia article is a good start.


How can an ARG help Cancer Research UK?

Charities are finding it increasingly difficult to connect with young people. It's not that we're any less charitable than previous generations, it's that the old ways of talking to us just don't work any more.

We believe that issues like cancer are best told through stories, and that the most powerful stories are told in the medium that their audience favours. Once upon a time, that was the novel. Then it became radio, then movies, then TV. Today, it's the internet, text messaging, Facebook, Myspace, email and IM. That means that if charities want to connect to young people, they need to tell stories in all of those media, and that's what ARGs excel at.

What's more, ARGs are participative - the people who play them form strong communities that shape and direct the story just as much as the game designers. An ARG that tells a powerful story can rally an entire community to help fight cancer in a way that's never been seen before.


Why Cancer Research UK?

Cancer affects everyone in the world, whether it's personally or through friends or family. Finding a cure for cancer is one of the most important and valuable scientific quests in history, and we feel it's essential to support that work.

Cancer Research UK is the world's leading independent organisation dedicated to cancer research. Last year, it spent £257 million ($500 million) on pure scientific research and supports the work of over 3000 scientists, doctors and nurses. Almost all of Cancer Research UK's funding comes from donations from the public. The charity operates over 600 shops with 1000 local fundraising groups. Over 30,000 volunteers give their time freely to support Cancer Research UK and more than a million people donate regularly.

We're pleased to have access to Cancer Research UK's resources in running this competition and developing the winning game, and we think that they're pursuing a cause worth fighting for.


Supporting independent developers

Some of the best ARGs have been made by unpaid volunteers who love the genre and have abundant passion. However, even though great ARGs can be developed on a shoestring budget, independent developers often don't even have the shoestring to spare. As a result, it can be very difficult to gain experience as an ARG developer.

By offering £1000 for the best game design, Let's Change the Game will give independent developers the chance to work on and create a major ARG project, and gain invaluable and unparalleled experience. We will also provide advice, experience and oversight to the winning team, from some of the world’s leading ARG designers.


ARG and games as a force for good

Videogames are usually given a hard time by the press, who see them as childish distractions or scapegoats for all sorts of behaviour. Many game designers and players are tired of this portrayal and have set up organisations such as Child’s Play and OneBigGame that aim to raise money for charity through the sale of games or by direct donations. Others are demonstrating that 'serious games' can tackle complex and important issues such as the crisis in Darfur (Darfur is Dying) and the effects of rising oil prices (World Without Oil).

So far, however, no-one has made a major game that is designed to directly raise money for charity. This isn't surprising, since most games are not suited to creating the strong, co-operative and altruistic communities that can spur fundraising. But ARGs can. We believe that ARGs offer the best chance of overturning the negative stereotypes and becoming a prime example of games and game players being a positive force in the world.


Why not more than £1300?

There are a few reasons. Firstly, we've seen some brilliant ARGs made by volunteers on a shoestring budget. ARGs don't need dozens of programmers and artists - they just need talented and dedicated individuals who are willing to volunteer their time. The £1300 is there for those things that only money can buy, like sending out letters, printing posters and putting clues in newspapers.

Secondly, this game is being officially supported by Cancer Research UK. That means it will have full access to its resources - imagine hiding items in its 600 stores, or putting clues in the newsletter it sends out to hundreds of thousands of people, or using actors at its races which have attracted over a million participants. This will avoid a lot of costs that would otherwise be incurred.

Thirdly, we fully expect the winning team to seek and receive additional funding and in-kind donations during the development process; this is something we'll help them with. So the development budget may end up being more than £1000, but ultimately the point is to keep operations lean.

Finally, the £1300 budget is coming all out of the founder's (Adrian Hon) plus two other donors pockets, which are unfortunately not bottomless.


Is Let's Change the Game run by Cancer Research UK?

No. A lot of the activities and events that raise funds for Cancer Research UK - such as the 24 hour relay races - are not run directly by the charity, instead being run by independent volunteers. Let's Change the Game is one of those projects. However, it is officially endorsed by Cancer Research UK, who have assigned dedicated liaisons to this project.

Let's Change the Game is also not a registered charity. All donations made during the ARG for Cancer Research UK will go directly to them (a registered UK charity).