Play as a goat in the FBI’s new bizarre anti-extremism game

The FBI has a new website that educates the public about violent extremism and encourages visitors with the slogan “Don’t be a Puppet.” That’s great, except it is all joined by a new odd online game called Slippery Slope where visitors play as a goat running down a blocky virtual field. Use your arrow keys to avoid the blocks (hay bales?), or else you’ll crash into them and suffer what appears to be a goat-tactic explosion (intentional or unwittingly isn’t clear).

“The Slippery Slope to Violet Extremism,” the game’s website reads. It is joined by a digital rendition of an iPad featuring the game — you’re a goat running down a field where clouds float overhead and green/gray blocks are randomly scattered across the field. Each time you pass a “level,” you’ll be presented with a snippet of words the FBI says is distorted logic.

They have no relevance to the game.

After you complete all the levels (or die too many times, prompting the game to take you to the completion screen), you’ll be presented with all five pieces of ‘distorted logic’ you should avoid (shown below).

How does the game relate to extremism? It doesn’t. At all. It’s just a goat running down a field. It’s no doubt meant to draw in kids to keep them entertained long enough to present the (bland) message, but of course no one will care given how many better options are available in the app store.

The website is also offering visitors a certificate, which is presented after all five sections of the main site are completed, freeing the puppet cruelly suspended on a red stage. Examples of extremist attacks include white supremacists actions, the 9/11 attacks, embassy bombings in Nairobi, a boat explosion in Yemen, a torched ski resort in Colorado, and more. Five categories of extremism are presented: white supremacy, environmental, religious, militia, and anarchists.

Completing the entire course will take some time, and gives a general overview of some terrorist groups in action today, as well as where they are based. The entire unit is more tailored toward children than anyone else, touching on topics like social media, cell phones, and Internet posts. There’s a nice faux version of Reddit dropped into the mix, as well as some tests for guessing what statements are free speech and which are extremism.

When finished, you’ll be presented with the certificate below, which also happens to be up for grabs here.

At no point during the course are goats relevant.