Fake News

The Infodemic Crisis - "68% of Gen Z encounters fake news daily, yet only 32% can identify manipulation tactics" - Pew Research. Fake News is a choice-based serious game designed to help users develop critical skills in identifying misinformation and disinformation within the digital space.

Service

Game Design, Programming, Persuasive Computing

Sector

Choice Based Game, Persuasive Computing

Year

2024

The game leverages interactive storytelling and player agency to simulate real-world scenarios, challenging users to make decisions that test and improve their news literacy.

The core objective is to empower users, especially young adults and students, to recognize, question, and resist misleading content in their everyday digital experiences.

In an era where misinformation spreads rapidly online, equipping users with the ability to discern credible information is crucial. Traditional educational methods often fail to engage digital natives, prompting the need for innovative, interactive learning tools. "Fake News" addresses this gap by embedding news literacy principles within an engaging, choice-driven narrative framework

Research

User Research and Stakeholder Analysis

Conducted interviews and surveys with target users (students, educators, and young professionals) to understand their challenges in identifying misinformation.
Engaged stakeholders (educators, media literacy experts, and developers) to align game objectives with educational standards and real-world needs.
Reviewed academic literature on news literacy games, including the effectiveness of narrative and choice-based mechanics in fostering critical thinking.

Key Insights:

Users often struggle to identify subtle misinformation, especially when it aligns with their biases.
Engagement and emotional investment are higher when users can identify with characters and scenarios.
Immediate feedback and reflection opportunities are essential for learning retention.

Ideation & Design Process

Game Structure

Narrative-Driven Choices: Players navigate branching storylines, making decisions about which information to trust, share, or challenge.
Scenario Diversity: Scenarios include social media feeds, group chats, and news articles, mirroring real digital environments.
Feedback Loops: After each choice, players receive immediate feedback explaining the rationale behind correct or incorrect decisions.

Wireframes & Prototyping

Developed low-fidelity wireframes to map user flows and decision points.
Created interactive prototypes for usability testing, focusing on clarity of choices and feedback mechanisms.

Key Features

Credibility Indicators: Visual cues (e.g., source reliability, headline sensationalism) help users assess information.
Reflection Prompts: After key decisions, players are prompted to reflect on their reasoning, reinforcing learning.
Progress Tracking: Users can see their improvement over time, motivating continued play.

Testing & Iteration

Usability Testing

Conducted multiple rounds of playtesting with diverse user groups.
Observed player interactions, confusion points, and emotional responses.
Gathered feedback on narrative engagement, clarity of choices, and perceived educational value.

Findings and Iterations

Players found the game fun, educational, and easy to understand, echoing findings from similar interventions like fake.
Some users desired more nuanced scenarios reflecting real-world ambiguity.
Iterated on feedback by adding more complex choices and richer narrative contexts.

Final Solution

Design Highlights

Immersive Storytelling: The game uses relatable narratives to foster empathy and perspective-taking, which research shows can mediate misinformed beliefs.
Choice-Based Mechanics: Players’ decisions directly influence story outcomes, reinforcing the impact of their actions.
Educational Feedback: Each choice is paired with concise explanations, helping users internalize news literacy concepts.