The AR game Escape Fake wins the European Digital Skills Award 2025 in the education category. The award is an initiative of the European Commission that highlights innovative projects that promote digital skills in Europe.
With he project Waag aims to give game based learning a greater role in digital literacy lessons in education. In the project, we will expand the award-winning game Escape Fake and increase the network of teachers, students and co-creators. We will do this by organising the workshop programme CTRL+Explore, conducting online webinars and developing new activities. The game and all teaching materials will also be translated and made available in Dutch.
About the award
Escape Fake was chosen for its innovative contribution to media literacy and digital literacy. The project combines augmented reality (AR) stories, game-based learning and a comprehensive toolkit for teachers to help students develop crucial digital skills. The project was developed in collaboration with organisations from different countries and is available in seven languages (German, English, French, Dutch, Portuguese, Romanian and Italian).
The game has now been downloaded more than 130,000 times and continues to attract a growing community of teachers who want to teach media literacy using augmented reality. Together with partners Polycular and dpa, Waag actively involves young people in Austria, the Netherlands and Germany in co-creating the next chapter of the game and new tools for media literacy.
In addition to the game and toolkit, Escape Fake also offers workshops for teachers and organisations to integrate the game into their teaching practice or learning programmes. These workshops cover topics such as historical fakes, basic principles of disinformation and digital tools, and are suitable for both formal and informal education.
The recognition as a finalist in the European Digital Skills Awards emphasises the importance of play and experience in tackling complex social challenges such as disinformation. Escape Fake connects with the lives of young people and helps them develop practical skills in critical thinking, digital safety, and responsible media use.
More about Waag's role in the Escape Fake project.
More information about the European Digital Skills Awards 2025 and all finalists.
