In this article, the author explores youth participatory action research (YPAR) through gameplay. He describes Ask Anansi, an alternate reality game (ARG) played in the "real world" by weaving elements of storytelling and fiction into the environment played as part of class experience. This game which the author created drove the research process in his classroom and provided the students with a structure for their work. Not an app or a board game, Ask Anansi is a game that students play through role-playing, researching, and "imagining" over the course of seven weeks. This gaming experience guided students toward a process of identifying specific topics for critical inquiry and "playing" through the act of engagement and participation. (Contains 1 figure.)