What?    CoroCon is a game that gives you a feel for how lockdowns can save lives.      Why?     To make the mathy bits behind social distancing a bit more intuitive.      How?     Survive the game without getting infected to see how fast infections can spread.

In case the game gets a little frustrating...

1. No one is chasing you!
   Your neighbors are not zombies that are after you for your brain. They are just going about their business as you are: getting food and shopping for supplies that they need before returning home. Avoid infected areas but don't worry about being chased. No one wants to get close to you, either! There are no visible infection trails in real life but, without it in the game, it can become really difficult to play. So, be extra careful in real life!
2. This is not an arcade game
   It just looks a little like one. It's really a puzzle..and, to solve a puzzle, you need to study it. Each level is different from the other levels but remain the same if you repeat it and there is no penalty for repeating a level. In fact, by repeating a level you can study how your neighbors move and strategize how you want to get your provisions. You don't get a replay feature in life but, in the game, you can use replay to get a sense of what factors are relevant for going about your day. Who knows...maybe these planning insights can carry over to reality in a useful way.
3. Think social distancing
   One goal of this game is to connect the abstract idea of pandemic growth to the everyday experince of going about your life. All the talk about social distancing has an impact on how infections get spread. If, in real life, you are always going out and getting food even when you do not need it, you may not be doing the social distancing properly. Same with this game. You may want to go about your actions in a planned and methodical way rather than just run around like mad. Do what you need to do to maximize your social distance from your neighbors.

    

   Some further hints...

   • Level 1: Don't try to do too much. Containment is all about minimizing your outdoor excursions.
   • Level 2: Do more with less...social distancing is going where they ain't!
   • Level 3: Do even less..in fact, do about as little away from home as you possibly can. That what a lockdown is.
   • Level 4: If you've gotten this far, you may have some routines that work well.
   • Level 5: This is the last level..take all you've figured and be quick!