Daemon_9 was an experiment in a new form of storytelling.
Technically, it was an online game, one that launched in 2017 and ran until 2023. But it was so much more. Daemon_9 may be best described as a hybrid of a web series and a video game. Gamers might categorize it as an FMV (full motion video) game, or an ARG (alternate reality game), or even an ARX (alternate reality experience). But Daemon_9 defies easy labels. It was an entertainment experience unlike any other, one that thrust you into the heart of the story.
The experience began with a short video that felt familiar to fans of supernatural horror movies. But the resemblance to conventional media ended there, as the story reached beyond the viewing portal and involved and interacted with its viewer. Almost all video games exist in a world on the other side of the screen, in which the player either moves through an artificial world or guides an avatar to do the same. The world of Daemon_9 was the real world. Characters spoke to you and called you by name... sent you text messages and e-mails... pled for your help or threatened danger. The timing of events was sometimes under your control — and sometimes not. The experience spanned across multiple web sites — some real, some faux — with parts of its story woven through popular social media hubs.
It was a story that happened to you in your world. And it was all designed to feel unnervingly real.
The Story
Daemon_9 follows the bizarre, macabre account of two college roommates, Morgan Shane and Anna Kendrick. These bright, young girls were the best of friends since childhood, until Anna was brutally murdered — by Morgan.
You are guided through the story by an anonymous young man who bore witness to its events from his vantage point as student director of the on-campus ISP, where he followed the video clips that Anna—a media major and budding filmmaker—posted to her blog.
In Anna’s own words and through her lens, we hear the story of Morgan’s downward spiral from a happy, dedicated student into a sullen, nihilistic recluse with a death obsession. The catalyst for Morgan’s transformation? Her new computer, which seems to have opened a portal between our world and the supernatural — a doorway through which a demonic predator has crossed to take hold of her.
Now Morgan is missing, leaving a trail of bizarre clues in her bloody wake, and you are suddenly and compellingly thrust into the search for the truth — that is, if you want to live. Because the dark force that seized Morgan via the wires and circuits of the internet may have found its next target. You.
From the Creator
Daemon_9 may not have reached the wide audience I hoped for, but I consider it a great success nonetheless. Reviewers and gamers alike were blown away by how it pushed the boundaries of the medium. I learned a tremendous amount about filmmaking, programming, and digital marketing. And I made some great friendships with members of my cast and crew that will last a lifetime.
Looking back over this rich trove of material has been bittersweet. I reconnected with so many great memories. But I again felt the sting of knowing I had created something special that relatively few will ever get to experience. I’m hoping this website (which I plan to keep active indefinietly) will give people a lasting way to enjoy a semblance of Daemon_9 and provide a touchstone for the many talented people who helped me create it. Enjoy! — Jeff Jackson