Practice now, so the real moment goes better.
SurfSafe Cyber Academy gives kids ages 9 to 15 a safe place to practice the decisions that keep them safer online.
Why cyber safety needs practice
Most kids have heard the rules. Do not click strange links. Do not share your password. Be careful who you talk to. Knowing a rule and using it under pressure are two different things.
The tricky moments online are designed to feel urgent, friendly, or official. A child who has only heard a lecture meets that moment for the first time when it is real. A child who has practiced has seen it before.
What children actually do in SurfSafe
Kids join the SurfSafe Cyber Agency and work through short missions, usually 2 to 6 minutes each. Every mission is built around a decision with a visible consequence.
Inspect
Examine messages, links, profiles, and popups for the details that give a trick away.
Decide
Choose a response and immediately see what happens next, good or bad.
Repair
Fix what went wrong. A damaged account is a mission, not a failure screen.
Level up
Earn mission stars, skill badges, and agent ranks as departments come under their protection.
What they learn
The academy is built around the SurfSafe 33: thirty-three specific, observable behaviors organized into six departments. A skill is something a child does, not a term they memorize.
Examples: checking who really sent a message, using a unique password for every account, spotting the location clue in a photo, closing a fake popup without clicking it, verifying a familiar-looking profile, and pausing when a message pushes for speed or secrecy.
Explore all 33 skills or see the six games where they are practiced.
How SurfSafe handles privacy
Gameplay is designed so there is nothing sensitive to collect. During child-facing play:
- No real name required
- No child email required
- No real password ever requested
- No real verification code ever requested
- No address or birthday requested
- No public profiles
- No chat with other players
- No public leaderboards
- No behavioral advertising
- All scenarios are fictional
Adult-facing pages, like this one, are separate from the game. When a child reaches an adult area, the game says so clearly.
Age and content approach
SurfSafe is designed for ages 9 to 15, from upper elementary through early high school. One academy serves the whole range: younger players get clearer clues and shorter scenarios, while older players face more realistic context and more advanced decisions.
Threats are dramatic enough to be fun and fictional enough to be safe. Bosses like The Phisher and the Data Kraken are stylized characters, not horror. The game never punishes a mistake with shame. Feedback explains what worked or what was missed, then offers the next step.
What SurfSafe does not include
Some of the most important design decisions are the things we left out.
- No advertising of any kind
- No chat or messaging between players
- No public profiles or leaderboards
- No fear-based content or scare statistics
- No graphic or horror imagery
- No sales pressure aimed at children
- No collection of child personal data
- No claims of guaranteed safety
No program can make a child immune to every trick. What SurfSafe builds is judgment: the habit of slowing down, checking, and asking for help.
Parent questions
Can my child play without my help?
Yes. Missions are short, self-paced, and designed for independent play. Many families also enjoy playing together, and the game gives you natural conversation starters.
How much time does it take?
A single mission takes 2 to 6 minutes. The Daily 7 practice mode is designed for roughly 3 to 5 minutes. Kids can play one mission or a longer session; nothing punishes stopping.
Will it scare my child?
No. The academy is dramatic in the way a heist movie is dramatic, not the way a horror movie is. All scenarios are fictional, and the language never uses fear or shame to teach.
How do I know what my child learned?
Progress is organized around named skills. A child who completes the academy earns all 33 skill badges, and parents receive the SurfSafe 33 Certificate of Completion, a plain-language summary of the behaviors their child demonstrated.
What will it cost?
Pricing is not final yet. The plan is to make a portion of each game free to play, with full academy access available for families. Early-access members will hear pricing details first, and there is no child-facing purchase pressure in the game.
Be first to enter the Cyber Academy.
Join the parent and educator early-access list for development updates, first launch access, and practical family cyber-safety resources.
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