Virusalarm in Bleibhausen

It is a beautiful spring day when two people return from their skiing holiday in the 100-inhabitant town of Bleibhausen. What neither of them know: They contracted the new NOSO virus (STILL SO a virus) while on vacation! Only after three days of incubation do they feel sick and stay at home. But how many residents have the two infected meanwhile unnoticed? Can a major virus outbreak still be prevented?

Virusalarm in Bleibhausen is a free game for children and adolescents from the age of 12 that was developed with scientists from IST Austria and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology. By reenacting the spread of a fictional virus in a city, players will explore and understand what countermeasures can take to contain viruses. In the Home Edition for the home, the players slip into the role of scientists ( game variants “simulation” and “vaccination ”), or into the role of politicians who have to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of restrictions on public life ( game variant “Challenge ” ).

Chips symbolize people, yellow ones are sick, white ones are still healthy. They are distributed in different buildings on a game board that depicts the fictional city of Bleibhausen. If there are white chips with yellow ones in a building, e.g. the restaurant, they become infected and turn yellow.

Players try to minimise the spread and earn points depending on how well they control the disease. The player/team with the most points, wins.

Es ist ein schöner Frühlingstag, als im 100-Einwohner Städtchen Bleibhausen zwei Leute vom Skiurlaub zurückkommen. Was die beiden nicht wissen: Sie haben sich im Urlaub mit dem neuen NOSO-Virus (NOch SO ein Virus) angesteckt! Erst nach drei Tagen Inkubationszeit fühlen sie sich krank und bleiben zuhause. Aber wie viele Einwohner_innen haben die beiden inzwischen schon unbemerkt angesteckt? Ist ein großer Virenausbruch noch zu verhindern?