Building a reliable DUST ARG timeline means treating a date as confirmed only when an archived page or dated community post states it. Anything else stays marked as unknown until a snapshot settles it.
This list follows the dust alternate reality game stage by stage, from first trace to aftermath. An alternate reality game is an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often across several media. That is why its history is scattered across sites, posts and events rather than held in one tidy log.
Rules for a dated entry
A DUST ARG timeline is only as good as its labels, so every entry below carries one of three statuses. Mixing them is the most common way ARG histories go wrong.
- Confirmed. The date appears in an archived page, a timestamped community post or press coverage. Quote the wording and record where the snapshot was captured.
- Approximate. The entry sits between two confirmed dates, for example after one snapshot and before the next. Show it as a range and never as a single day.
- Unknown. Nothing archived fixes the date. The stage still appears in order, with its date left open.
Ordering is separate from dating. A stage can be placed confidently from what links to what, even when its calendar date is missing. That keeps the sequence useful without forcing a guess.
One caution on names. Other projects share the word “dust”, such as the separate event catalogued on a wiki category for A Walk in the Dust, which lists 27 pages. Dates from a different event must never be carried into a DUST entry.
Launch and first public trace
The launch entry is the earliest archived page, post or snapshot that shows the game in public. It suits readers who want the release date, and it is also where guessing does the most damage.
Status for DUST: the launch date stays unconfirmed until an archived page states it. A snapshot date shows only that the page existed by then, not that the game began that day. If a snapshot is the best evidence, record it as “no later than” the capture date.
ARGs often aim for a “This Is Not A Game” feel, and the zwyx ARG directory notes that phone numbers mentioned in such a game should actually work. For a timeline this means a launch may have left traces outside a website. Check for dated mentions on community pages before settling on the earliest snapshot.
To follow what happened in the fiction at each point, use the DUST ARG story summary alongside this page. Keep the two apart: the story summary explains events in the narrative, while this page records when they surfaced publicly.
Puzzle releases in sequence
Puzzle entries record when each challenge became available to players and what kind of challenge it was. They suit readers reconstructing the order in which the game opened up.
Dating a puzzle needs care because players often solve and discuss a challenge long after it appears. Use the earliest dated post that shows the puzzle as present, not the date of a solution thread. Where only a thread date exists, mark the puzzle “no later than” that date.
Recording the mechanism helps order the entries too. In the card game The Witching Hour, ARGN’s preview coverage explains that narrative cards tell players which card to draw next, while puzzle cards set a task. It also describes pull tabs that reveal progressive hints. That is a different game, but it shows why separating narrative beats from puzzle beats makes a sequence clearer. For the challenges themselves, see the guide to DUST ARG puzzles.
Community milestones and gatherings
Milestones mark moments when the online community changed what the game was: a discussion group forming, a shared solve, a meet-up. They suit anyone wanting the human side of the history rather than the release schedule.
The clearest documented example comes from another game. The zwyx directory records that Cloudmakers was founded on April 11, 2001 as a discussion group for the interactive A.I. web game. A community entry should be dated the same way: by a founding post or page that states the day, not by when the group later became well known.
For DUST, community milestones remain unconfirmed unless an archived community post carries a date. Leave them out of the main sequence rather than placing them by memory.
Conclusion and aftermath
A conclusion entry records when the game was solved or formally ended, and it is the date readers most often want after the launch. The documented examples show it can be a single day or only a month.
From the same directory, the A.I. game was solved on July 24, 2001, while the World Without Oil serious game concluded in June 2007. The first is a full date and the second a month. A DUST conclusion should be recorded at whichever precision a public page supports, and no more.
The aftermath matters as much as the end date. The Cloudmakers site, once the game finished, now serves as a clearinghouse for online gaming. Community sites often become the archive for a finished game, which makes their late snapshots a good place to look for dated recaps.
Stage comparison at a glance
This table puts the stages side by side with a documented example from another ARG and what each means for how you record a date.
| Stage | What a dated entry records | Example from another game | Planning use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | Earliest archived page or post showing the game | No dated launch example needed; the earliest snapshot sets the entry | Record as “no later than” the capture date |
| Puzzle releases | First dated appearance of each challenge | Narrative and puzzle cards used in sequence in The Witching Hour | Separate narrative beats from puzzle beats |
| Community milestone | Founding or gathering stated in a dated post | Cloudmakers founded April 11, 2001 | Date by the founding post, not later fame |
| Conclusion | Solve or end date stated publicly | A.I. game solved July 24, 2001; World Without Oil concluded June 2007 | Match the precision of the page, day or month |
| Aftermath | What the community site became | Cloudmakers site now a clearinghouse for online gaming | Use late snapshots for dated recaps |
The reference examples come from the zwyx ARG directory and the card-game example from ARGN’s previews.
Checklist before adding a date
- Confirm the entry is about DUST and not another event with a similar name.
- Find the earliest archived page or dated post that mentions the event.
- Copy the wording that states the date, and note whether it gives a day or only a month.
- Label the entry confirmed, approximate or unknown, using the rules above.
- Place the entry in order by what it follows, even if its date is open.
- Revisit unknown entries whenever a newer snapshot or community post turns up.
Frequently asked questions
Where do DUST ARG release dates come from?
They come from archived pages and dated community posts. A date is entered only when the page states it. A snapshot capture date alone is treated as “no later than”.
Why are some DUST ARG events marked unknown?
An event is marked unknown when nothing archived fixes its date. Its place in the sequence can still be shown, because order and date are recorded separately.
Does DUST ARG history include other games’ dates?
No. Dates such as the Cloudmakers founding and the A.I. game’s solve belong to another ARG. They appear here only as models for how to record a date.
Can a puzzle be dated by its solution thread?
Only as a latest possible date. A solution thread shows the puzzle already existed, so use the earliest dated post showing it, and mark the entry “no later than” when only a thread exists.
