Real or Fake?
A daily game from a fact-check archive. Every real card comes from a checked file with sources. Every fake is either a real fact with one detail changed, or a photo that was staged, imagined by an artist or made by AI. Ten cards a day, the same for everyone.
Dealing today's cards…
How to play
- Read the claim or study the photo.
- Stamp it REAL or FAKE.
- See the evidence, then compare your score with everyone who played today.
How to spot a fake
Check the numbers and the ending
The most convincing fakes keep the story and change one detail: a year, a total, who won. If a claim hangs on one striking number, check that number first.
Look for sharpness that could not exist
Old cameras could not keep near and far things equally sharp, and long exposures blurred anything that moved. AI images often get this backwards: everything is crisp except the one thing that should be.
Look for repetition
AI tends to repeat shapes: identical humps, symbols in neat blocks, fur that is one texture everywhere. Real scenes are messier.
Ask where the photo came from
Many famous mystery photos turned out to be staged or to be an artist's impression. A real photo has a photographer, a date and an archive behind it.
Questions people ask
Is Real or Fake free to play?
Yes. There is a new round of ten cards every day, and you don't need an account.
Where do the real cards come from?
From the files in the Real or Legend archive, each checked against its sources. Every card links to its file.
How are the fakes made?
Fake claims are real facts from our files with one detail changed, and each one shows the correct version after you answer. Fake photos are famous hoaxes, artist's impressions, or images we made with AI for this game; each is labeled when it is revealed.
How can you tell if a photo is real or AI?
Check whether the sharpness and depth make sense for the camera, look for repeated shapes and parts that don't connect, look for marks that should be there, such as the date stamp on a trail camera, and find out where the photo came from. None of these is proof on its own, which is why every card shows its evidence.