Game name: "illusiOn"*

Genre: Adventure, Puzzle

Contest Theme: teaching media literacy and critical thinking to combat propaganda and disinformation.

Page of this project on the official GGJ cite is here: https://globalgamejam.org/games/2025/illusion-7   

Game Overview:

"illusiOn" is an immersive game that transports players to a world inspired by Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland." The protagonist, a young journalist named Alice from the city of IllusiOn, seeks to uncover the truth in a world overshadowed by the looming threat of war. Mysterious large holes of unknown origin begin appearing across the city, sparking rumors and speculations in the information space. Alice, determined to separate facts from fake news, investigates these phenomena, ultimately following an unusual drone and falling into one of the holes.

On the other side, she encounters characters embodying principles of fake news and propaganda. From Tweedledee and Tweedledum, representing binary thinking, to the Mad Hatter, who symbolizes distraction and manipulation through irrelevant details, and the Caterpillar, embodying mystical thinking and the tendency to seek hidden meanings — each encounter teaches Alice valuable lessons about recognizing misinformation. Completing their tasks helps her sharpen her rational thinking, equipping her to face the ultimate challenge: a potential war against the Jabberwock in the otherworld.

Unique Features:

The game’s narrative takes players into a realm where analyzing information, separating facts from fiction, and forming personal judgments are essential.

Gameplay: Players solve puzzles, analyze messages from characters, and compile articles that influence the game’s ending.

Educational Value: The game develops critical thinking skills, teaches players to identify manipulations, and construct an objective understanding of reality.

AI Integration: Ideas for the game were partially generated using AI, carefully adapted and polished manually to ensure high quality.

Symbolic Characters: Each character Alice encounters represents a specific method of manipulation, making the gameplay both engaging and educational.

Narrative Depth: The looming threat of war adds urgency and stakes to Alice’s journey, emphasizing the importance of uncovering the truth.

Story Foundation:

Players assume the role of Alice, a journalist in IllusiOn, a city rife with fear and rumors of an impending war. Investigating mysterious phenomena and the disinformation spreading in her world, Alice follows a drone and ends up in a distorted reality. To find her way back and prepare for the looming conflict, she must learn the mechanisms of propaganda and manipulation through interactions with symbolic characters and challenging puzzles.

Despite the critical military-political situation in the real world, we abandoned a realistic setting and chose a fairy-tale world for the game in order to focus the player on the methods of disinformation, without being distracted by the player's political views and preferences, which can already be distorted by real disinformation.

Gameplay:

Players navigate a world where familiar locations appear distorted.

Every encounter with a character unveils new parts of the story, highlighting key media literacy topics.

After each encounter, players create an article reflecting their understanding of the information gathered. The choices made in these articles affect the game’s ending.

Target Audience:

- Youth aged 12+

- Fans of narrative-driven games with deep meaning.

- Educational institutions seeking interactive tools for teaching media literacy.

Why is "illusiOn" Special?

The game combines an engaging storyline, challenging puzzles, and an educational element, helping players learn to critically assess information. Its unique style, interactive approach, symbolic depth, and focus on combating disinformation make "illusiOn" a relevant, modern, and impactful game.