Deception Inc. 2025

Deception Inc. is a hybrid analog-digital board game designed as part of a Master’s thesis in Interaction Design. It explores how persuasive technologies and deceptive design strategies (known as dark patterns) influence user behavior. In the game, these tactics become mechanics that players must recognize, navigate, and sometimes weaponize.

The game is built around real-world manipulation tactics found in websites and apps, like disguised ads, pre-selected options, and endless scroll. Each round throws players into scenarios inspired by actual UI/UX dark patterns, presented through a mix of physical components and interactive minigames (built in Figma).

Players face both cooperative and competitive challenges. You can “attack” others using specific dark patterns, trigger events, or resist manipulation through strategic choices. The experience is grounded in research on behavioral nudging and data ethics, refined through iterative prototyping and playtesting.

At its core, Deception Inc. is designed to educate players about the subtle, often invisible ways digital interfaces influence behavior. By turning these manipulative tactics into game mechanics, the experience encourages critical reflection and builds awareness, helping players recognize, question, and navigate digital environments more safely and consciously in everyday life.

—description from the designer