The Lost Connection: a detective's serious game
"The Lost Connection" is a serious game designed by the EU Green alliance. Released as a premiere during UA's Campus Day on 19 September 2025, this online investigation game offers a fun introduction to OSINT (Open Source Intelligence), an approach that involves collecting and analysing publicly available information.
Game scenario
During a study abroad trip to Europe, two students, Ania and Matthias, mysteriously disappear without arriving at the station as planned... Their friends Sofia and Dylan set out to find them, and to progress, players must explore clues scattered across the web, maps, photos and online documents. The game is based on the EU Green universe and reflects the alliance's key challenges and topics.
It was created by Aurélien Valentin, a recent graduate of the Master's programme in Plant Biology at the University of Angers, and developed with OSINT4Fun (a project coordinated by Alain Godon, a lecturer and researcher at Polytech Angers) with the support of EU Green. "Designing The Lost Connection was a real challenge and a huge pleasure. This project has taught me a lot; over several months, I built a captivating scenario that combines fun and education. I hope that players will feel the same enthusiasm that I felt when creating the game, and that they will succeed in solving the mystery of Ania and Matthias' disappearance!" explains Aurélien Valentin.
Practical information
- Who can play? The game is free and everyone can play.
- When? From 19 September 2025.
- How? Online, with or without registration. We advise you to play on a computer or laptop.
- Languages: The game has been translated into all 9 languages of the EU Green Alliance: French, English, German, Spanish, Portugese, Italian, Swedish, Polish, and Romanian.
