Infrared: The Tape 2026

It’s the 1990s: Reality runs on magnetic tape, and ... someone’s been recording over it. Officially, you work for a small, chronically underfunded government office, just another lost spoon in the alphabet soup of agencies. Unofficially, you chase strange signals: corrupted broadcasts, strange transmissions, flickers of something hiding in the static.

CASE 1: THE TAPE A VHS tape is making the rounds at a local high school. Those who watch it come back… different. They speak of hours that vanish, of voices twisting through the static, of frozen frames that twitch when no one is looking. The longer they try to ignore it, the closer it seems to get You’ve got a copy sitting on your desk right now. Do you destroy it ... or do you press play?

Infrared is a hyper-experimental mystery game that blends analogue horror with digital interaction. Presented on a single page, it’s a choose-your-own-adventure navigated entirely through QR codes—no app required, just a mobile camera and an internet connection.

Players explore branching storylines, make skill checks with dice, collect items on a player sheet, and piece together the truth behind the mystery. Combining physical and digital play, Infrared offers a unique storytelling experience.

—description from the designer