Test Drive Unlimited - Solar Crown

A decade in the making, Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown needed a campaign as immersive as the game itself. Our solution: a high-stakes Alternate Reality Game (ARG) that turned anticipation into action.

We launched an interactive online scavenger hunt, where players completed five missions to unlock exclusive in-game rewards, including early 3D car reveals. Designed to mirror the thrill of discovery found in Solar Crown, the experience pushed players to collaborate, solve cryptic challenges, and uncover hidden secrets within a digital world built around the game’s universe.

To drive participation, we introduced a dedicated mission hub, a countdown clock fueling urgency, and a strategically designed Discord server where players could exchange clues, decode puzzles, and share theories in real time. The ARG blurred the line between fiction and reality, weaving in cryptic phone numbers, GPS coordinates, and in-game lore, rewarding the most dedicated fans with a sense of accomplishment and exclusive access.

Execution & Impact
Gamified Challenges: Players engaged in interactive problem-solving that tested their resourcefulness and creativity.
Community-First Approach: Our Discord server became a dynamic hub of activity, turning speculation into full-scale investigations and hype into a movement.
Exclusive Rewards: From sneak peeks of 3D car models to in-game bonuses, we kept fans invested and eager for what was next.

Results
2.7 million minutes spent in our phone maze – that's five years' worth of engagement.
90,000+ player sessions in just three days – a testament to how compelling the hunt was.
20,000+ Discord conversations – amplifying excitement across the community.
40+ UGC videos generating over 300,000 organic views – proving fans wanted to share their journey.

Why It Matters
We didn’t just market Solar Crown—we let fans experience it before launch. This campaign reinforced that the best pre-launch strategies aren’t just promotional; they create something people actively want to be part of. By embedding the essence of the game into the campaign itself, we transformed anticipation into an unforgettable adventure.