https://door.donau-uni.ac.at/o:5807 Gaming Against Deception. Leveraging Interactive Media to Build Digital Resilience in the Age of Disinformation Gabriel, Sonja Sonja Gabriel 0000-0002-0379-952X University College of Teacher Education of Christian Churches Vienna/Krems University of Krems Press text eng Disinformation has long challenged public discourse, and the digital age has amplified its rapid dissemination. This paper explores how digital serious games can serve as proactive prebunking interventions, building digital resilience through interactive media. Drawing on inoculation theory, the analysis examines four games—Bad News, Harmony Square, Cranky Uncle, and Go Viral!—which expose players to weakened doses of disinformation tactics such as emotional manipulation, conspiracy theorizing, and polarization. Through role-playing and strategic decision-making, these games encourage the development of counterarguments and critical thinking skills that can mitigate the persuasive impact of fake news in real-world settings. The theoretical analysis identifies both strengths and limitations: while digital games offer engaging, immersive learning experiences that enhance media literacy, challenges remain in ensuring long-term retention of skills and in integrating these tools into formal educational curricula. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for further research and the critical role of teacher guidance in complementing game-based interventions to achieve sustained resistance against misinformation. Inoculation Theory Serious Games Misinformation Information Literacy Prebunking http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ https://door.donau-uni.ac.at/api/object/o:5807/download 10.48341/a5gy-vv92 https://door.donau-uni.ac.at/o:5827 application/pdf 397.47 kB 2025-11-14