Unfake Social Media - Social Media Simulation Games - Game 5 Influence Watch

Aims of the tool

To build critical awareness of information credibility and digital influence by:
a) Encouraging players to evaluate content and sharing decisions carefully; and
b) Demonstrating how trust, reputation, and network behaviour shape information flow online.

Description of the tool

Developed under the Unfake Social Media project’s Social Media Simulation category, Influence Watch turns players into social media strategists. Each team manages a digital profile and decides in real time whether to share, verify, or reject news snippets.

With every round, players also choose to follow or unfollow other profiles depending on their content quality and reliability. This interactive dynamic reveals how influence networks evolve — and how misinformation spreads through social validation and reputation.

The game challenges participants to think critically about online credibility, the ethics of sharing, and the impact of their decisions in shaping digital discourse.