UK video game designed to prevent extremism does opposite effect
The game, ‘Pathways,’ supported by the Home Office’s counter-terrorism initiative Prevent, targets 11- to 18-year-olds. Players navigate a student named Charlie, referred to with they/them pronouns, through situations that affect a “radicalization meter.”
The game teaches that actions such as examining immigration statistics, reading reports about “Muslim men stealing the places of British veterans in emergency accommodation,” or downloading and streaming “certain content” online could result in a terrorism referral or even legal consequences.
Among the characters is a purple-haired goth girl named Amelia, who challenges mass migration and promotes British values and cultural preservation. The game portrays her as the antagonist, as encouraging her perspective gets the player into trouble.
Although intended as a cautionary tale, Amelia instead became a viral symbol, with social media flooded with memes and fan art portraying her as a defender of Britain, according to reports. Critics argue that the game functions as Orwellian state propaganda, framing ordinary curiosity and political dissent as extremism.
Many have noted that while the game claims to combat all forms of extremism, it disproportionately targets anti-immigration views, portraying teenagers as potential right-wing radicals while largely ignoring other ideological threats.
The Home Office maintains that the game is based on a “local threat picture” and previously reported that the Prevent program has “diverted nearly 6,000 people away from violent ideologies.”
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