In its second meeting on the prevention of disinformation and radicalization, the Film and Media Foundation NRW awarded 139,000 euros to two games

As part of its funding program to prevent disinformation and radicalization, the Film and Media Foundation NRW awarded a total of 139,000 euros to two innovative projects from North Rhine-Westphalia during its second meeting. The goal of the funding is to raise awareness among young people about the mechanisms of misinformation, manipulation, and digital opinion-forming in a playful way. The funded games rely on creative, interactive approaches and strengthen skills such as critical thinking, digital judgment, and media literacy. With this decision, the Film and Media Foundation NRW enables developers to further refine their visionary concepts and establish digital games as effective tools for prevention work.

“With this round of funding, we are taking another important step in the fight against disinformation, hate speech, and digital radicalization. The multitude of creative ideas shows just how strongly the games industry in NRW can drive social resilience,” emphasizes Walid Nakschbandi, Executive Director of the Film and Media Foundation NRW. “We are very pleased to once again be able to support projects that strengthen media literacy and provide young people with practical tools for engaging with digital content in a reflective manner.”

The following games are receiving funding:

FACTS! (AT) – 39,000 euros (concept / early phase)

VAMOS Animation, Cologne
In FACTS! (AT), players take on the role of fact-checkers for a fictional newspaper in present-day Germany. After a briefing from the editorial team, players must research information, verify sources, and complete articles—spanning multiple historical periods, each with its own technologies and social contexts. The multiplayer mode enables educational integration into the classroom: Teachers guide the team and supervise the research processes. The game is aimed at students in 4th grade and up and has a playtime of approximately 45 minutes.

Mekogo – Media Literacy on the Go – 100,000 euros (Vertical Slice)

Ahoiii Entertainment UG, Cologne
Mekogo is a free app that teaches media literacy to parents, teachers, and young people through short, game-based learning units. A clearly structured learning path with story-based courses covers key topics such as safe media use, digital balance, disinformation, privacy, and communication culture. Gamification elements such as points, badges, streaks, daily missions, and personalized avatars boost motivation; a humorous family of characters fosters emotional connection and makes complex topics more accessible.