Within Prebunking
Why pretending to mislead can teach resistance
Playing the role of a misinformation producer can make manipulation tactics more visible when readers encounter them later.
On this page
- How the game gives a weakened dose
- Which tactics players learn to recognise
- What cross cultural studies can and cannot prove
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Introduction
One of the most unusual approaches to prebunking misinformation asks people to do the opposite of what media literacy programmes traditionally encourage: instead of spotting deceptive content from the outside, participants briefly learn how to create it. The online game Bad News places players in the role of a fictional misinformation producer whose goal is to attract followers and influence opinion using common manipulation techniques. The underlying idea is that a controlled encounter with these tactics can make them easier to recognise later in real life. Rather than teaching facts about a single rumour or myth, the game focuses on the methods used to make misleading claims persuasive. Research on Bad News has become one of the best-known tests of game-based misinformation inoculation and has helped shape broader prebunking strategies. [Nature]nature.comJon Roozenbeek &; Sander van der Linden. Palgrave Communications…Read more…
Why pretending to mislead can teach resistance
The Bad News game was developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge together with the Dutch media collective DROG. Players are encouraged to build a fictional disinformation empire by gaining followers while maintaining enough credibility to keep their audience engaged. The design deliberately exposes players to a weakened version of the techniques used by real misinformation campaigns. [sdmlab.psychol.cam.ac.uk]sdmlab.psychol.cam.ac.ukBad News Game | Cambridge Social Decision-Making LabThe Bad News Game is a multiple award-winning fake news intervention aimed at buildin…
This approach comes from psychological inoculation theory. Instead of warning people about a particular false claim, the game introduces them to the structure of manipulation itself. By experiencing how misleading content is crafted and amplified, players are expected to develop what researchers describe as psychological resistance or “mental antibodies” against similar tactics encountered later. Misinformation Review [nature]nature.comJon Roozenbeek &; Sander van der Linden. Palgrave Communications…Read more… The key distinction is that the game teaches transferable patterns. A player does not learn that one specific story is false; they learn how emotional triggers, fake identities, conspiratorial framing, and other techniques can be used across many different topics. This makes the intervention particularly relevant to myths and misconceptions that constantly change their subject matter while relying on familiar persuasive tricks. [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCGood News about Bad News: Gamified Inoculation Boosts…by M Basol · 2020 · Cited by 570 — A recent example is the Bad News game, an…
How the game gives a weakened dose
The game’s central mechanism is role-play. Instead of passively reading advice about misinformation, players actively practise the kinds of choices that a manipulator might make. The fictional setting allows participants to experiment with deceptive tactics without endorsing them.
Early versions of the game guided players through scenarios involving highly polarised public issues and asked them to increase their influence using tactics commonly observed in online disinformation campaigns. Researchers described this as exposing people to a weakened form of manipulation rather than to a specific false narrative. [tandfonline.com]tandfonline.comIn Related News, That Was Wrong: The Correction of Misinformation Through Related Stories Functionality in Social Media.Read more…
Evidence from initial studies was encouraging. A pilot field experiment in a secondary-school setting found that participants who played the game rated fake news items as less reliable and less persuasive afterwards. Larger-scale studies involving thousands of online players later reported similar patterns, with participants becoming better at recognising manipulation techniques embedded in sample content. [nature]nature.comJon Roozenbeek &; Sander van der Linden. Palgrave Communications…Read more… An important feature of the intervention is that it does not depend on predicting future myths. A conspiracy theory about public health, a fabricated election claim, and a misleading viral image may all differ in content, yet they can share the same underlying methods. The game therefore aims to build resistance at the level of technique rather than topic. [Royal Society Publishing]royalsocietypublishing.orgRoyal Society PublishingTechnique-based inoculation against real-world misinformationby J Roozenbeek · 2022 · Cited by 109 — 2020Good new…
Which tactics players learn to recognise
The game’s curriculum is built around recurring forms of online manipulation. Different descriptions of the project use slightly different labels, but the core set remains broadly consistent. [Media Literacy Ireland]medialiteracyireland.ieMedia Literacy IrelandThe Bad News Game… conspiracy, discredit, trolling) that are used to mislead people and build up a following. Bad… [2horizons.service.canada.ca]horizons.service.canada.caBad News: a game against disinformationNews: a game against disinformationMay 7, 2021 —… game called “Bad News” with the goal of countering misinformation…. conspiracy th…
The tactics include:
- Emotional manipulation – using outrage, fear, or other strong emotions to encourage rapid sharing before reflection.
- Polarisation – framing issues as conflicts between opposing camps and encouraging hostility toward out-groups.
- Conspiracy narratives – presenting hidden plots and secret coordination as explanations for complex events.
- Trolling and provocation – generating attention through inflammatory or disruptive behaviour.
- Discrediting opponents – attacking critics, experts, journalists, or institutions rather than engaging with evidence.
- Impersonation or fake identities – creating false accounts or misleading signals of credibility. [Media Literacy Ireland]medialiteracyireland.ieMedia Literacy IrelandThe Bad News Game… conspiracy, discredit, trolling) that are used to mislead people and build up a following. Bad… [2horizons.service.canada.ca]horizons.service.canada.caBad News: a game against disinformationNews: a game against disinformationMay 7, 2021 —… game called “Bad News” with the goal of countering misinformation…. conspiracy th…
Research suggests that after gameplay, participants become more sceptical of examples using these techniques, even when the specific stories are unfamiliar. The goal is not blanket distrust of information but improved recognition of manipulative signals. [Nature]nature.comJon Roozenbeek &; Sander van der Linden. Palgrave Communications…Read more…
One reason this matters for myths and misconceptions is that misinformation producers often recycle tactics more reliably than they recycle claims. A conspiracy theory may disappear, but conspiratorial framing as a persuasive device can quickly reappear in a different context. Technique-focused training attempts to exploit that stability. [Royal Society Publishing]royalsocietypublishing.orgRoyal Society PublishingTechnique-based inoculation against real-world misinformationby J Roozenbeek · 2022 · Cited by 109 — 2020Good new…
What cross-cultural studies can and cannot prove
One question raised early in the research was whether a game developed in a Western European context would work elsewhere. A cross-cultural study involving players from multiple countries examined whether the intervention’s effects generalised beyond a single national audience. The results suggested that Bad News increased resistance to common misinformation techniques across diverse cultural settings, supporting the idea that many manipulation strategies have broad psychological similarities. [Misinformation Review]misinforeview.hks.harvard.eduglobal vaccination badnewsMisinformation ReviewPrebunking interventions based on “inoculation” theory can…by J Roozenbeek · 2020 · Cited by 366 — This study fin… [Inoculation Science]inoculation.scienceCross-cultural validity of inoculationsThis study finds that the online “fake news” game, Bad News, can confer psychological resistance a…
Researchers also reported that effects appeared across different political orientations, an important finding because misinformation interventions are often criticised for favouring one ideological group over another. In these studies, the benefits were not confined to a particular political identity. [Gates Cambridge]gatescambridge.orgonline game helps players to spot fake newsGates CambridgeOnline game helps players to spot fake news10 Jan 2020 — Bad News is part of an approach to fake news that builds attitudi…
However, cross-cultural success should not be overstated. These studies generally show that participants become better at identifying examples of manipulation shortly after playing the game. They do not prove permanent immunity to misinformation, nor do they demonstrate that every cultural context will respond identically. Measuring long-term changes in behaviour remains much harder than measuring immediate changes in ratings of credibility or reliability. [Misinformation Review]misinforeview.hks.harvard.eduglobal vaccination badnewsMisinformation ReviewPrebunking interventions based on “inoculation” theory can…by J Roozenbeek · 2020 · Cited by 366 — This study fin…
The evidence also does not show that all misinformation can be reduced to a handful of tactics. Real-world information environments contain satire, partisan argument, genuine disagreement, and legitimate emotional communication. Recognising a technique is helpful, but it is not a substitute for evaluating evidence and sources. [Royal Society Publishing]royalsocietypublishing.orgRoyal Society PublishingTechnique-based inoculation against real-world misinformationby J Roozenbeek · 2022 · Cited by 109 — 2020Good new…
What the evidence says overall
Among game-based prebunking interventions, Bad News remains one of the most extensively studied examples. Multiple studies and replications have found that participants become more resistant to common misinformation techniques after gameplay and more confident in identifying manipulative content. [Nature]nature.comJon Roozenbeek &; Sander van der Linden. Palgrave Communications…Read more… [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCGood News about Bad News: Gamified Inoculation Boosts…by M Basol · 2020 · Cited by 570 — A recent example is the Bad News game, an…
The game’s significance lies less in its entertainment value than in what it demonstrated about misinformation education. It provided evidence that active participation—briefly stepping into the role of a misinformation producer—can be an effective way to teach recognition of manipulation tactics before people encounter them in everyday information environments. Within the broader family of prebunking strategies, Bad News became a prominent example of how interactive experiences can complement simple warnings and factual corrections. [sdmlab.psychol.cam.ac.uk]sdmlab.psychol.cam.ac.ukBad News Game | Cambridge Social Decision-Making LabThe Bad News Game is a multiple award-winning fake news intervention aimed at buildin… [Inoculation Science]inoculation.scienceScience Inoculation ScienceInteractive GamesSo far, we've launched three different games, each of which covers a different domain of misinform…
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Endnotes
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Source: nature.com
Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-019-0279-9Source snippet
Jon Roozenbeek &; Sander van der Linden. Palgrave Communications...Read more...
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Source: sdmlab.psychol.cam.ac.uk
Link: https://www.sdmlab.psychol.cam.ac.uk/research/bad-news-gameSource snippet
Bad News Game | Cambridge Social Decision-Making LabThe Bad News Game is a multiple award-winning fake news intervention aimed at buildin...
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Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6952868/Source snippet
PMCGood News about Bad News: Gamified Inoculation Boosts...by M Basol · 2020 · Cited by 570 — A recent example is the Bad News game, an...
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Source: tandfonline.com
Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13669877.2018.1443491Source snippet
In Related News, That Was Wrong: The [Correction]({{ 'correction/' | relative_url }}) of Misinformation Through Related Stories Functionality in Social Media.Read more...
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Source: cam.ac.uk
Title: Screenshot from the fake news ‘vaccine’ game Bad News.Read more
Link: https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/fake-news-vaccine-works-pre-bunk-game-reduces-susceptibility-to-disinformationSource snippet
University of CambridgeFake news 'vaccine' works: 'pre-bunk' game reduces...25 Jun 2019 — Fake news 'vaccine' works: 'pre-bunk' game red...
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Source: horizons.service.canada.ca
Title: Bad News: a game against disinformation
Link: https://horizons.service.canada.ca/en/2021/05/07/bad-news-a-game-against-disinformation/Source snippet
News: a game against disinformationMay 7, 2021 —... game called “Bad News” with the goal of countering misinformation.... conspiracy th...
Published: May 7, 2021
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Source: inoculation.science
Link: https://inoculation.science/cross-cultural-validity-of-inoculations/Source snippet
Cross-cultural validity of inoculationsThis study finds that the online “fake news” game, Bad News, can confer psychological resistance a...
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Source: inoculation.science
Title: Science Inoculation Science
Link: https://inoculation.science/inoculation-games/Source snippet
Interactive GamesSo far, we've launched three different games, each of which covers a different domain of misinform...
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Source: inoculation.science
Link: https://inoculation.science/inoculation-games/bad-vaxx/Source snippet
tion: Bad News (about online “fake news”), Harmony Square (...Read more...
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Source: tandfonline.com
Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15391523.2024.2338451Source snippet
bad news: Gamified inoculation boosts [confidence]({{ 'confidence/' | relative_url }}) and cognitive immunity against fake news.... inoculation research on online misinformat...
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Source: getbadnews.com
Link: https://www.getbadnews.com/enSource snippet
Bad News - Play the fake news game!Play the fake news game! How bad are you? Become a fake news tycoon and get as many followers as you can...
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Source: misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu
Title: global vaccination badnews
Link: https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/global-vaccination-badnews/Source snippet
Misinformation ReviewPrebunking interventions based on “inoculation” theory can...by J Roozenbeek · 2020 · Cited by 366 — This study fin...
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Source: royalsocietypublishing.org
Link: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/abs/10.1098/rsos.211719Source snippet
Royal Society PublishingTechnique-based inoculation against real-world misinformationby J Roozenbeek · 2022 · Cited by 109 — 2020Good new...
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Source: royalsocietypublishing.org
Title: Technique based inoculation against real world
Link: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article/9/5/211719/96738/Technique-based-inoculation-against-real-worldSource snippet
Technique-based inoculation against real-world misinformationby J Roozenbeek · 2022 · Cited by 115 — Across two large-scale experiments...
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Source: medialiteracyireland.ie
Link: https://www.medialiteracyireland.ie/training-development/the-bad-news-game/Source snippet
Media Literacy IrelandThe Bad News Game... conspiracy, discredit, trolling) that are used to mislead people and build up a following. Bad...
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Source: medialiteracynow.org
Title: bad news game
Link: https://medialiteracynow.org/document/bad-news-game/Source snippet
Amanda2024-04-11T11:55:... conspiracy thinking, polarization, and trolling to magnify fake news and gain (fictional) social media followers...
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Source: misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu
Title: FORMATTED globalvaccination Jan30
Link: https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/FORMATTED_globalvaccination_Jan30.pdfSource snippet
Misinformation ReviewPrebunking interventions based on “inoculation” theory can...by J Roozenbeek · 2020 · Cited by 378 — This study fin...
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Source: gatescambridge.org
Title: online game helps players to spot fake news
Link: https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/online-game-helps-players-to-spot-fake-news/Source snippet
Gates CambridgeOnline game helps players to spot fake news10 Jan 2020 — Bad News is part of an approach to fake news that builds attitudi...
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Source: tiltstudio.co
Title: Bad News Game
Link: https://www.tiltstudio.co/solutions/cases/bad-news-game/Source snippet
TiltMaking [headlines]({{ 'headlines/' | relative_url }}) with a serious game about disinformation. Bad news, serious game about online misinformation...Read more...
Additional References
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Source: understanding-europe.org
Link: https://understanding-europe.org/en/news/bad-news-from-fake-news-to-chaos/Source snippet
Bad News – from fake news to chaosIt is designed to help students recognize misinformation, fake news and conspiracy theories and to reac...
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Source: stratcomcoe.org
Link: https://stratcomcoe.org/publications/download/Inoculation-theory-and-Misinformation-FINAL-digital-ISBN-ebbe8.pdfSource snippet
INOCULATION THEORY AND MISINFORMATIONTo do so, we first discuss how to define “misinformation”, and how it relates to various other commo...
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Source: digitalyouthwork.net
Link: https://www.digitalyouthwork.net/et/activities/20990Source snippet
Inside the Fake News Machine: Learning Through Bad NewsInside the Fake News Machine: Learning Through Bad News · Inside the Fake News Mac...
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Source: wired.com
Link: https://www.wired.com/story/this-psychologist-wants-to-vaccinate-you-against-fake-newsSource snippet
This idea, inspired by 1960s research by William McGuire, aims to pre-expose individuals to weak forms of misinformation to build resista...
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Source: weforum.org
Link: https://www.weforum.org/videos/computer-game-fake-news/Source snippet
This computer game makes students better at spotting fake newsA new computer game called Bad News is helping students spot fake news by h...
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Source: repository.cam.ac.uk
Title: negative impact of misinformation can reduce their communicative effectiveness.R
Link: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/items/a86cd1c0-a966-49cd-87c2-d0e64e700021Source snippet
fake news game: actively inoculating against the risk of...by J Roozenbeek · 2019 · Cited by 728 — The fake news game: actively inoculat...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Wx0PUEWTgI -
Source: journals.sagepub.com
Link: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20539517211013868Source snippet
sagepub.comCross-cultural evidence for two prebunking interventions...by M Basol · 2021 · Cited by 396 — ] the award-winning 'fake news'...
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Source: disinfo.eu
Title: Fight disinformation through gaming and education
Link: https://www.disinfo.eu/outreach/our-webinars/fight-disinformation-through-gaming-and-education-the-drog-media-literacy-initiative/Source snippet
impersonation, [emotion]({{ 'emotion/' | relative_url }}), polarization, trolling, discredit and conspiracy.... Won't teaching disinformation strategy give bad ideas to ba...
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Source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37146384/Source snippet
the COVID-19 bad news game good...by AM Rędzio · 2023 · Cited by 14 — Previous research (Roozenbeek & van der Linden, 2019a, 2019b) has...
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