So what gives?

Well it seems the Instagram purge (and games) are all part of a viral campaign ahead of Lively’s upcoming thriller, A Simple Favour, which sees the actress star opposite Anna Kendrick and Linda Cardellini.

The film is based on Darcey Bell’s debut novel of the same name, which Amazon describes as “a feverish and expertly plotted tale of psychological suspense – a twisting free fall filled with betrayals and reversals, secrets and revelations, love and loyalty, murder and revenge.”

Following in the footsteps of Gone Girl and Girl on the Train, the story centres on the life of Stephanie (Kendrick) – a widow and stay-at-home mommy blogger living in woodsy suburban Connecticut. Once day, her best friend Emily Nelson (Lively, obviously) asks her to pick up her son after school, and Stephanie all too readily obliges.

Emily, though, disappears that very same day. She doesn’t answer calls or return texts. She doesn’t return to pick up her son. And it’s not long before a terrified Stephanie reaches out to her blog readers for help in tracking down her missing friend.

As revelations come to light, though, she soon learns that nothing – not friendship, love nor even an ordinary favour – is ever as simple as it seems.

The meaning behind Blake Lively's cryptic (and creepy) Instagram post