A Dystopian Charm Vendor.
Numbered pieces. Clean. Simple. Buy?
It's everything but that..
Most charms can be bought. Some are discovered. But some require codes.. That's by design. DCV started as an ARG that few had the patience to enter. So we rebuilt the front door: something immediate, something tangible. By the time someone wonders why they can't buy charm #037, they're not shopping anymore. They're playing.
Responsibilities: Art direction, worldbuilding, and narrative design for the Cell Ops ARG. Visual identity and branding systems including 3D rendering and concept design. Mixed-media installations incorporating RFID and physical-digital interactions. Front-end web development, custom narrative systems (Bink), progression and reward frameworks, Discord architecture, and experimental video and environmental storytelling.
Charms can be bought or earned through participation in Cell Ops.
Each is numbered and marks real engagement, not just ownership. The Charm Database tracks all pieces and supports operator trading.
Some charms are available. Others must be earned or found.
BiNk is a repurposed messaging assistant and the lifeblood of this project; designed to help navigate the Charm Vendor.
Under the hood, it pulls from a structured system to reveal clues. Participants can input access codes, found online or in the real world, to unlock deeper layers.
Alternate Reality Game ** [ ! ]
This is what sits underneath. Cell Operations is an ARG told through digital and real-world storytelling — Clues, ciphers, and puzzles that meet users wherever they are. The charms are the entry point. This is where they lead.
Above: Users use "contact points" to uncover clues for the ARG.
Below: Spirit Bond used to hide clues while creating interactive connection to the narrative.
Below: Community involvement, leaderboard, flyers.
20 pages of blueprint, a cast of characters, and a narrative designed to be uncovered, not consumed.
Above: "Cell Ops Relay" Installation work to bring elements of the world into real life. Having a landmark in combination with a contact point, can help direct users to key places.
Below: 3D Renders of "1NK". Mysterious matter in the Cell Ops universe.
Below: The 20 page blueprint for the Cell Ops world.
