We present the Maquette Framework for designing educational Alternate Reality Games (ARGs). The framework synthesizes prior ARG literature and integrates the authors’ experience designing and running three different ARGs with over 4,000 players. The Maquette Framework can be used generatively (to help create educational ARGs) or analytically (to review existing ARGs). The framework is represented by a table with four foundational pillars (audience, learning outcomes, setting, and This is Not a Game). A tabletop represents the narrative theme, upon which rests a three-dimensional model (i.e., maquette) game world that represents the pervasive transmedia interface of the game. Upon the game world are players, gamerunners, and fictional characters; activity diamonds consisting of learning activities, learning goals & assessment, educational scaffolding, and game mechanics; and story fragments. Player trajectories are various pathways that players take through the maquette. Elements and their relationship to one another are explained and illustrated with examples.
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