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Play Overview

Bad News (2019) is a role-play game about building a news media organisation. It's designed to highlight bias in the news by putting you in charge of a series of decisions to build a profitable company. All you do is answer questions, but as you do the implications of what you share on line are seen in your readers responses.

It's a game that aims to help combat disinformation by fostering critical and well-informed news consumers. In the game you can earn a series of badges that are signs of your progress. This encourages you to use Impersonation, Emotive stories, Polarisation, Conspiracy, Discrediting and Trolling to earn prestige and follows. As you do, you see first hand the effect on your readership.

You play Bad News in your web browser. You can play a Junior version for younger players. There are information sheets that offer details, background and additional information about the game.

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Bad News 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 20 months ago.

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Play Style

This is a Communication and Simulation game with Narrative and Role-Play elements. This is a single-player game.

Duration

Play Time: This game will take between half an hour and 45 minutes to complete.

Benefits

This game is good if you want to:

Age Ratings

Content Rating

This game has not yet been rated, but we anticipate it is likely to be rated PEGI 12.

The game was written to be suitable for people age 14 and up. It contains some potentially emotionally charged content, such as information on a fictional plane crash, as well as existing conspiracy theories that might be considered jarring. The game does not employ violent imagery, swear words or other offensive language. However, since players are prompted to take on the role of the ‘villain’, they might experience some mild psychological discomfort about the decisions that the game pressures them into making. However, since the game takes place entirely in a virtual environment that does not affect the real online landscape, such discomfort should hopefully remain limited.

The special Junior version of Bad News is intended for children age 8-11.

Costs

You can only play this on older systems (Web Browser) but can usually find it second hand on eBay.

Bad News

Web

Free

–

This game is free to play. There are no additional in-game purchases, loot boxes, adverts or subscription costs.

Game Details

Release Date: 01/12/2019

Price: Free

Out Now: Web

Expected Content Rating: PEGI 12

Players: 1

Genres: Communication, Simulation (Narrative and Role-Play)

Accessibility: 0 features documented (Tweet Developer )

Components: 2D Side-On, Hand-Made and Text

Developer: Get Bad News (@GetBadNews)

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Written by parents for parents, the database complements the in-depth discussion about video game addiction, violence, spending and online safety in the Taming Gaming book. We are an editorially independent, free resource without adverts that is supported by partnerships.