Do you remember that film where Michael Douglas gets an all consuming, live-action game for his birthday? Ever wished those games were real?

Well, to thousands of gamers across the world they are. For the last few years, Alternate Reality Games of varying degrees of sophistication have been played by a handful of "enthusiasts" who have nothing better to do that seek fame and fortune in parallel worlds.

But the recent launch of Perplex City, an ARG developed by a UK company and boasting a 100 grand first prize, could mean that we'll all be living double lives soon.

You start by buying a pack of puzzle cards, which need to be solved in order to get to gain access to the next stage of the enigma. From there, the game's storyline unfolds across every conceivable form of media from TV, websites, billboards, classified ads and live events.

Aside from the thousands of players already trying to crack its code, rumour has it that Perplex City has even got the ad world in a bit of a tiz, with a number of brands clambering to have clues hidden in their packaging and adverts.
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And you were just getting the hang of Su Doku.