🏃 FreiheitsLauf 2026 — A Democratic Newsgame

🏃 FreiheitsLauf 2026 — A Democratic Newsgame

A playable artwork about the German freedom movement. Run from Hambach Castle to the Reichstag in Berlin: 640 kilometers, 27 stages, one movement.

This is a newsgame — interactive journalism in the tradition of September 12th (Frasca) and Bury Me, My Love — built as a free, ad-free fan project to support the real FreiheitsLauf 2026.

🎨 Why a Game, Not an Article?

Reading about democracy is one thing. Walking 640 kilometers for it — even symbolically, even pixel by pixel — is another. Games can carry political weight that text cannot: the rhythm of footsteps, the growing crowd behind you, the weight of arriving.

This isn't entertainment software disguised as politics. It's a procedural argument: every mechanic carries meaning. The companions who join aren't loot — they're solidarity. The hurdles aren't obstacles — they're the doubts that keep us silent. The 99 balloons at the end aren't fireworks — they're memory, they're hope.

🎮 What You'll Do

Jump over hurdles, slide under banners, gather fellow runners — a baker, a student, a teacher, a pensioner. Each kilometer brings you closer to Berlin. When you reach the Reichstag with up to 170 companions, the crowd erupts and the sky fills with balloons.

It's not about running. It's about why we run.

🇩🇪 🇬🇧 🇹🇷 🇷🇺  Four Languages

Fully localized in German, English, Turkish and Russian. Every name, every chant, every sign — translated with care.

✨ Features

• 27 unique stages through 16 German federal states
• Real geography — every village, every river, every landmark
• Stage album with photos and historical context for each region
• 170 fellow runners, each with individual names, professions, and outfits
• Adaptive soundtrack — Autumn Day → Boléro → Sovereign Quarter
• Heart pickups for combo bonuses
• Smooth difficulty curve — playable for everyone, no game-over walls
• Auto-benchmark for older devices
• No ads. No tracking. No paywalls. Free as in freedom.

🔒 Privacy & Data Protection

This game respects your privacy completely.

• ✅ No tracking — no analytics, no telemetry, no third-party scripts
• ✅ No personal data collected — nothing sent to any server, ever
• ✅ No cookies — your interactions stay on your device
• ✅ No accounts required — just open and play
• ✅ No external requests — fonts and assets are self-hosted
• ✅ localStorage only for your own settings — language preference, tutorial completion, stage album progress. Stays in your browser, never leaves your device.
• ✅ No ads, ever — not now, not later, not as "premium upgrade"
• ✅ Open and inspectable — it's a single HTML file. View source. See for yourself.

This is a gift to the movement. No monetization, no data harvesting, no hidden agenda. Free as in freedom — for everyone, forever.

🎵 Music Credits

• Autumn Day & Sovereign Quarter — Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 3.0)
• Boléro — Maurice Ravel, performed by Dominik Heer

⌨️ Controls

Action	Keyboard	Mouse	Touch
Jump	Space / ↑	Left-click	Tap
Slide	↓	Right-click	Swipe down
Pause	P	—	—

Best played in fullscreen — click the fullscreen button anytime.

❤️ About This Project

This is an independent fan project — free, ad-free, made with love in Germany. I'm not part of the official FreiheitsLauf team, but I fully support the cause. As a German citizen, I see it as my duty to contribute to this initiative however I can.

This game is not political marketing for any party. It's about democratic values — solidarity, courage, dialogue — values that belong to everyone.

Learn more about the real run: freiheitslauf.de

💡 Tips

• Don't slide through hurdles — duck under banners, jump bollards
• Watch for hearts — they refill your lives and multiply your combo
• Reach checkpoints — they save your progress

---

"Wir sind die Mehrheit. Wir sind mehr, als wir glauben. Steh auf. Lauf mit. Bleib wach."
"We are the majority. We are more than we think. Stand up. Walk with us. Stay awake."