The Science Detective Game is a board game devised by the Bioethics Unit of the Italian National Institute of Health to explore, in a playful way, the dynamics of disinformation and the infodemic that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The game, illustrated by Lucia Baldassarri with graphics by Pietro Maiozzi, was tested as part of the European Researchers’ Night 2025, at the stand ‘Who killed Science during COVID?’
The game was created primarily to stimulate critical thinking and awareness of anti-science among participants, promoting a critical approach based on verifying information and evaluating sources. Taking on the role of detectives, participants are tasked with investigating who spread fake news, in what context and through what mechanisms during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
Through themed cards, unexpected twists, and interactions with researchers, the game offers an active learning experience in which participants may occasionally revisit their hypotheses, mirroring the revision process typical of the scientific method. In this sense, the game serves as an effective tool for making complex concepts accessible and fostering greater awareness of the value of evidence and factchecking, thereby contributing to the dialogue between science and the public.