Bad news

Shields up – Making headlines with a serious game about fake news.

Identity, concept, development

Challenge

Telling truth from fiction is becoming more difficult, every day. Fake news has the potential to damage society and threaten democracy.

Way forward

A game in which players create fake news, letting them experiment with technologies and psychological tricks. Once they understand how fake news works, they are effectively resistant against it.

A serious game about fake news, made in collaboration with DROG (a group of researchers, journalists and media-experts) and the University of Cambridge. The game teaches players the inner workings of fake news. Distort the truth, command a bot army, gather a million loyal followers!

For the game’s visual identity we took inspiration from the “tacky” and “over-the-top” aesthetic of tabloid newspapers and clickbait media sites.

The game is scientifically proven to be effective: playing the game increases your resistance against fake news. This makes the game a powerful tool in the fight against disinformation. It’s being played in class rooms all over the world.

Challenge

Way forward