Can your child tell
when they're being
fibbed to?
Little Fibbing is a mobile game that teaches children aged 8–16 to question what they read, spot manipulation, and think critically — before the real world demands it of them.
Little Fibbing, c.1958
Entirely trustworthy.
Definitely.
"The information environment children are growing up in is unlike anything that came before it. The tools we give them to navigate it are PDF printouts from 2009."
AI-generated content is now indistinguishable from real photography, video, and writing. Social feeds are engineered to trigger emotional responses before rational ones. The average child encounters hundreds of information claims every day before they've finished breakfast.
The current school response — well-meaning PDFs, charity worksheets, occasional PSHE lessons — was built for a different world. It assumes children have time to deliberate, access to experts, and the motivation to engage with material that looks like homework. They don't.
Little Fibbing is built on a different premise: teach critical thinking through a mechanic children will voluntarily play, on a device they already have, in the time they already spend on it.
Find Keith. Follow the rumours.
Nan's tortoise has gone missing again. Wander Little Fibbing — a cosy 1950s English village — talking to locals: Edie the postwoman, Mrs Crumb the baker, the vicar. Everyone has a theory. None of them agree.
Every character interaction triggers a rumour. Some are plausible. Some are obviously wrong. Some are completely reasonable until you think about them for four seconds. The Gazette is not helping.
Mini-games fire at pressure points: the runner, the Exagga-rometer, the headline sorter. LIKELY · CAN'T TELL · UNLIKELY. The mechanic is always the same. The disguise keeps changing.
Children are encountering misinformation faster than the tools to help them can keep up.
The dominant format for digital literacy education in UK primary and secondary schools is still largely static — PDFs, lesson plans, and web resources that were built for a different information environment and a different kind of child attention.
Teachers are doing their best with what exists. The problem isn't effort — it's that the tools haven't kept pace with the threat. Little Fibbing is built to sit alongside what schools already do, not replace it. Ten minutes, no prep, no procurement.
The Online Safety Act has created statutory pull toward exactly this kind of provision — without anyone yet delivering something children will voluntarily engage with. That's the gap.
○ Charity worksheets & PDFs (free)
○ PSHE lesson plans (static, dated)
○ Oak National / BBC Bitesize
○ Think U Know (CEOP) — better, still web-only
○ No engaging game mechanic anywhere in category
✓ Game mechanic, not worksheet
✓ Voluntary engagement on existing devices
✓ School-endorsed, home-played via ClassDojo
✓ KS2 & KS3 curriculum-aligned
✓ Uncertainty-first — no false certainty
KS3+: Citizenship · Media Studies · English Language · Computing · Online Safety
Two worlds. One lesson.
The warm Little Fibbing world and the sharp AssumeZero identity aren't two visual styles — they're the same mechanic in two registers. The screenshots below are from the v0.2 build. This is what it looks like right now.
Keith has things to do
Find Keith. Follow the rumours.
Chase Keith. Call it.
> QUESTION EVERYTHING.
> START FROM ZERO.
Where we are. What's next.
Three clear asks. No fluff.
Are you a KS2 or KS3 teacher, PSHE lead, or headteacher? I'm looking for listening conversations — 30 minutes, no commitment — and 1–2 schools willing to endorse a pilot via ClassDojo.
GET IN TOUCH →The Visual Bible is complete. I need a children's illustrator for character sprite sheets — specifically the News Runner (4 states, 8-frame run loop). Full brief and style references available immediately.
SEE THE BRIEF →Pre-seed. Looking for individuals or small funds who understand the edtech and consumer opportunity in media literacy for children. The market gap is real and documented. Happy to share research.
LET'S TALK →Arcturus Digital Consulting
I'm David, a product manager and app developer based in the UK. Arcturus Digital Consulting is where I build products that sit at the intersection of technology and everyday life.
Little Fibbing grew out of a question I couldn't stop asking: if the information environment is genuinely dangerous for children, why does every educational response to it look like it was made on a Sunday afternoon with a printer?
My son Felix, 9, is my first tester, harshest critic, and Chief Testing Officer. He has access to other 9-year-olds. This is considered an asset.
Background in digital product, analytics, and mobile development. Previous work includes Sprocket (calm admin support for anxious users) and STEa.
Little Fibbing is the most ambitious thing I've attempted. I think the timing is right.