Harmony Square is a game about fake news. The game's setting is the idyllic Harmony Square, a small neighborhood mildly obsessed with democracy. You, the player, are hired as Chief Disinformation Officer. Over the course of 4 short levels, your job is to disturb the square's peace and quiet by fomenting internal divisions and pitting its residents against each other.
How It Works
The game teaches players about the tactics used to spread disinformation by having them take on the role of a disinformation agent. By understanding how manipulation works from the inside, players become more resilient to these techniques in real life.
This approach is known as "prebunking" or "inoculation theory" - by exposing people to weakened forms of misinformation tactics, they develop psychological antibodies against manipulation.
The Science Behind It
Harmony Square was developed in collaboration with researchers from Cambridge University and is based on years of academic research into misinformation and attitude change. Studies have shown that playing the game can reduce susceptibility to common manipulation techniques.
Key Features
- Learn about emotional manipulation tactics
- Understand how trolling and polarization work
- Discover the mechanics of conspiracy theories
- Experience the amplification of fake news firsthand
Play the Game
Harmony Square is free to play and takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. It's suitable for ages 15 and up and is available in multiple languages.
The game represents a key example of Generation 3 interventions in the DROG DIM model - prebunking strategies that inoculate people against manipulation by letting them experience how disinformation is created and spread.
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