Sourcecheck

A claim and its source sit on the investigation board, and you have only a few tabs to open the lookups that reveal whether it holds up.

How to play

Each case presents a claim and the source that made it. Open lateral-reading lookups to gather clues that tip an evidence meter toward reliable or unreliable, but every lookup spends one of your limited tabs. Commit a verdict and earn a bonus for every tab you saved.

• Choose lookups: search the claim, see who funds the source, check other coverage, the date, or the method
• Each clue shifts the evidence meter toward reliable or unreliable
• Tabs are scarce — spend them on the highest-value moves
• Commit Reliable, Mixed or Unreliable; unused tabs add an efficiency bonus

Game modes

• Difficulty: Easy (3 tabs), Medium and Hard (2 tabs) tighten your budget
• Daily: one shared case per day
• Practice: a fresh case whenever you want

Controls

• Desktop: click a lookup to open it, then click a verdict
• Phone & tablet: tap lookups and tap a verdict (mouse or touch only)

Tips & strategy

• The strongest opening moves usually reveal who funds the source or whether independent outlets agree
• Don't burn every tab — once the meter clearly leans one way, commit and pocket the efficiency bonus

What you'll learn

Sourcecheck teaches lateral reading — the fact-checker's habit of leaving a page to verify it.

• Skills: media literacy, lateral reading, fact-checking
• Best for: roughly grades 7–12 (ages 12+)
• For parents & teachers: lateral reading, the fact-checker's habit.

About Sourcecheck

Sourcecheck is an original free browser game that teaches lateral reading, the fact-checker's habit of leaving a claim to investigate its source, framed as a tab-budget deduction puzzle.

A free, original browser game on PlayPendium — no download, no install. Browse all games →