‘Five Nights at Epstein’s’ Video Game Sweeps US Classrooms

UNITED STATES, March 28 — Children in classrooms across the U. S. are playing a viral computer game called Five Nights at Epstein's , in which players attempt to hide from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in his island mansion, according to reports.

Why It Matters Epstein, a financier who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on new sex trafficking charges, has commanded the national spotlight for years, with his crimes, death and connection to high-profile figures sparking widespread outrage, conspiracy theories and morbid fascination. Parents and psychologists have raised concerns that the Five Nights at Epstein's game risks trivializing his crimes and dehumanizing his victims. The spread of the game also highlights the growing challenge of regulating internet content that reaches children, coming amid a global debate about monitoring, limiting or banning children's social media use .

What To Know The web browser game Five Nights at Epstein's invites users to play with the tagline "Can you survive the night? " Players monitor surveillance cameras in rooms modeled on Epstein's notorious Little St. James island home , trying to avoid being caught by him.

When Epstein approaches, players must attempt to lure him away by playing sounds of a child's voice. If he catches you, the game is over. The objective of the game is to spend five nights in the home undetected.

Newsweek accessed a version of the web browser game hosted on the video game site itch. io, which appears to have been originally created by a group called Evan Productions. ...

Bloomberg reported that children in states such as California, Utah, Nevada and Texas have been playing the game in classrooms, with videos shared on social media. Merve Lapus, the father of a 13-year-old girl in Northern California, told the outlet that his daughter was disturbed that her classmates playing the game seemed "disconnected to the reality that there were real victims " and engaged with it in a way that was "almost dehumanizing to the victims. " The game appears to parody a popular horror game Five Nights at Freddy's , in which players hide from animatronic characters, but it has no known affiliation to it.

A similar parody game previously circulated called Five Nights at Diddy's , centered on rapper and record producer Sean "Diddy" Combs, who has been convicted of prostitution-related offenses. The Five Nights at Epstein's game also depicts images of President Donald Trump and scientist Stephen Hawking , whose relationships with the late sex offender have come under scrutiny. Hawking died in 2018, and Trump has denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.

What People Are Saying Stephanie Marcello, the chief psychologist at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, told News 12 of students playing the game: "Really, what a lot of them are often trying to do is make their peer group laugh or help themselves feel accepted. " "Say to them, 'Tell me what that actually means. What is it that you have heard?

What do you think you're actually saying? How come you think that's funny? ' Because what you'll often find is they really don't actually know.

" Granite School District in Utah told ABC4: "Granite School District is aware of a national trend involving students who are reportedly able to access an inappropriate game during school hours. In February, Granite received a concern about this game from one parent, and the district was able to block the website at that time. " What Happens Next Schools and social media platforms are working to limit access to Five Nights at Epstein's .

Meta told Bloomberg that it was blocking users from sharing links to the game, while TikTok pointed to its guidelines prohibiting the promotion of exploitation of youth. Despite these measures, content about the game continues to circulate.