Last updated on 16 March 2025
It is difficult to ignore the danger: between social networks controlled by billionaires with extreme ideologies and instant messaging, false information circulate more and more quickly and massively. How can we help young people to discern the true from the false and to adopt the right reflexes?
This is what is proposed Escape Fake, an online escape game which immerses students in the daily life of an aspiring journalist. A free online tool made by an Angevin Association on the occasion of a call for projects by the Ministry of Culture two years ago.
The game is still online and it is particularly successful. Discovery.
Table of Contents
An immersive game to learn how to check the info
Escape Fake puts players in the shoes of a trainee in the drafting of the True Journal. Their mission? Examine the news who circulate and decide if they are reliable before publishing them.
To guide them, there are three characters: Jeanne, the demanding editor-in-chief, Sasha, the benevolent trainer, and Leo, another trainee. Through their exchanges, students discover the behind-the-scenes of journalism and understand why check a piece of information is essential.
Three levels to progress at your own pace
🔹 Easy Mode: a smooth entrance
Ideal for beginners, this mode offers a tutorial and clues at every step. With a quiet pace and no pressure, it is aimed at younger students or those who discover fact-checking.
🟠 Normal Mode: A good balance between challenge and learning
Players need to be more autonomous, even if help remains available. With tighter timing, this level fits well with high school students who want a realistic experience.
🔴 Difficult mode: the adrenaline of real writing
Here, no more hints or tutorials! Players need to analyze more subtle information and solve complex puzzles, all under pressure. A real test for those who already master the basics.
The game is used as a pretext to introduce key concepts in order to assess the quality of information and to acquire the right reflexes. It also allows you to discover some useful online tools to check information or an image.
Interactions with the other characters in the game take place through an ultra-realistic internal messaging, faithfully reproducing the codes and uses that high school students, and even many college students, master to perfection.
An example of a mission: tracking down dubious information
Upon arrival in the editorial board, the player must check five news items in 30 minutes. Leo sends him a viral image: A shark seen in the Seine in Paris! A quick search reveals that the photo dates from 2019 … and was taken in Australia! A good opportunity to learn that an image can be true, but taken out of context.
To conduct their investigations, players have access to professional tools: reverse image search engine, directory of reliable sources, … fact-checking database What to put yourself in the shoes of a real journalist.
A virtual timer increases the pressure on the apprentice journalist but it can be deactivated.
How to organize a class session?
The game works on computer and tablet. The youngster can play alone or in a team of two for example. But the platefome can also be easily integrated into a course:
✅ 15 min to introduce the subject of fake news
✅ 10 min to explain the rules and take control of the game
✅ 30 to 40 min game
✅ 20 min debriefing to discuss strategies and draw conclusions
What to remember
🟢 Strengths : A free, easy-to-use game that engages students with a captivating scenario. The progression by levels allows everyone to evolve at their own pace.
🔴 Points to anticipate : provide support for the youngest, test the internet connection and ensure that computers have a recent browser. Do not forget about the exchange time after the game to consolidate the learning.
*Escape Fake* is a useful resource. Playful and pedagogical, it allows students to develop essential information verification skills while having fun.
Accessible, free and adaptable to different levels, the Escape Fake Game is a good tool to raise young people's awareness of the dangers of fake news and to introduce them to good journalistic practices. An immersive experience to test in class or at home!
English