Chaos Corp: Troll Farm Simulator
A Learning Game to Decode Digital Deceit
Released: Android (2025)
Platforms: Google Play (Android Phone)
Funding: Supported by the Institute for Advanced Study in the Global South
Overview
Chaos Corp: Troll Farm Simulator puts players in the morally compromised position of running a shadowy disinformation agency tasked with manipulating public opinion through digital deception. This satirical strategy game, developed by Dr. Spencer Striker, along with a talented international team, confronts the global crisis of misinformation by exposing the inner workings of troll farms and their impact on democratic processes.
In the game's inaugural campaign, players must propel the morally bankrupt Teodoro "Teddy" Bautista to the Philippine presidency—by any means necessary. As operatives managing an international digital manipulation operation, players deploy specialized trolls to spread confusion, fabricate stories, and undermine credible sources across a neon-drenched, rain-slicked Manila cityscape reimagined through a retro-future surveillance noir aesthetic.
Behind its provocative premise lies a serious educational purpose: By experiencing disinformation tactics firsthand, players develop critical thinking skills essential for navigating today's complex information landscape. Supported by Northwestern University's Institute for Advanced Study in the Global South, Chaos Corp represents an innovative approach to digital literacy education—one that builds resilience against manipulation through immersive, experiential learning.
Key Features
Strategic Gameplay across a dynamic map of the Philippines, responding to breaking news events with specialized digital manipulation tactics
Diverse Troll Arsenal including Spammers, Deepfake Maestros, Celebrity Influencers, and more—each with unique abilities to distort public perception
Real-world Inspired Events drawn from actual political scandals, social issues, and cultural phenomena
Risk vs. Reward Mechanics that balance creating chaos against the danger of exposure
Chaos Meter tracking progress toward electoral victory—reach 51% to secure your candidate's win, but risk societal collapse if you push too far
Multiple Storylines across ten distinct narrative arcs that explore different facets of digital manipulation
Educational Impact designed to foster critical thinking, media literacy, and awareness of disinformation tactics
Game Mechanics
In Chaos Corp, players navigate a tense seven-day campaign where every decision shapes public opinion in Teddy Bautista's bid for the presidency. The core gameplay loop involves:
Analyzing Breaking News events that appear on the Philippine map
Selecting the Optimal Troll from your arsenal based on the situation
Deploying Manipulation Tactics including Character Assassination, Conspiracy Theories, Deepfakes, Astroturfing, and Gaslighting
Managing Investigations that threaten to expose your operation
Adapting Strategies as public opinion shifts and new challenges emerge
As players progress, they unlock more powerful trolls while facing increasingly sophisticated opposition from journalists, fact-checkers, and rival campaigns—creating an escalating challenge that mirrors the real-world battle between truth and manipulation.
Unleash Your Trolls
Deploy your digital mercenaries across Manila's information battlefield. From Deepfake Maestros who forge compelling visual lies to Conspiracy Crafters who spin elaborate webs of deception, each specialized troll wields unique manipulation tactics. Master their strategic deployment against breaking news, mobilize Celebrity Influencers, orchestrate Astroturf campaigns, and unleash Character Assassins to reshape reality in your image—one targeted attack at a time.
Educational Impact
While satirical in presentation, Chaos Corp serves as a powerful educational tool for understanding online disinformation. By putting players in the role of the manipulator, the game encourages critical thinking about:
The Mechanics of Misinformation — Experiencing firsthand how false narratives are constructed and spread
Digital Literacy — Learning to identify manipulation tactics like deepfakes, astroturfing, and conspiracy theories
Media Skepticism — Developing healthy skepticism toward online content without falling into cynicism
Democratic Resilience — Understanding the threats disinformation poses to democratic processes
Ethical Decision-Making — Confronting the moral implications of digital manipulation through gameplay choices
Each manipulation tactic is carefully designed to reflect real-world disinformation strategies, providing players with practical knowledge they can apply when navigating their own media consumption.
Manipulation Arsenal
Master the dark arts of digital deception with powerful tools designed to distort truth. Deploy Deepfake Deception to create convincing false videos that destroy credibility instantly. Craft elaborate Conspiracy Theories linking opponents to shadowy cabals and sinister plots. Launch Character Assassination campaigns that transform respected figures into pariahs overnight. Orchestrate Astroturf Movements creating the illusion of grassroots support where none exists. Employ Gaslighting techniques that make audiences question their own perception of reality—leaving them vulnerable to your carefully constructed narrative.
Chaos Corp debuted at Web Summit Qatar 2025, now live on Android with iOS development underway. Built on Unity, the game delivers retro-computing aesthetics through distinctive UI elements and responsive touch controls for mobile players. The technical framework supports narrative branching and dynamic event generation, adapting to player choices across storylines.
Storylines
Chaos Corp features many interconnected narrative arcs that explore different dimensions of digital manipulation, including:
Deadline for Democracy — Counter an intrepid journalist's investigation into the links between your client and digital manipulation firms
The People's Prince — Control the narrative when a beloved celebrity supporter faces serious allegations
The First Lady's Game — Manage scandals surrounding Teddy's wife's extravagant spending and questionable charities
Kindness Kills — Weaponize digital manipulation against a compassionate congresswoman's heartfelt initiatives
Secrets and Servers — Battle whistleblowers, congressional hearings, and investigators threatening to expose Chaos Corp's inner workings
Each storyline presents unique challenges requiring different manipulation strategies, allowing players to experience the full spectrum of disinformation techniques deployed in modern political campaigns.
Concept Art
Gameplay Trailer (2m)
Deploy trolls. Spread disinformation. Control the narrative. This tactical overview showcases Chaos Corp's manipulation arsenal, from deepfakes to conspiracy theories. Master the balance between electoral victory and societal collapse in this provocative game of digital deception.
Cinematic Trailer (2m)
Infiltrate the shadowy world of digital manipulation where truth is just another commodity. Follow journalist Gabriela Santos as she uncovers Chaos Corp's sinister operation while you assume control of the very forces she's fighting to expose. How far will you go to reshape reality?
Research Impact
As part of a broader research initiative on digital literacy, Chaos Corp. represents an innovative approach to addressing misinformation through experiential learning. The project aims to:
Develop evidence-based approaches to teaching critical thinking skills
Expand understanding of digital manipulation in Global South contexts
Contribute to international dialogue on combating disinformation
Explore the effectiveness of games as tools for civic education
The project was made possible by the Institute for Advanced Study in the Global South at Northwestern University | Qatar, developed as a contribution to applied academic research on disinformation resilience.