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The Free Quarantine Board Game is free and open-source DIY competitive board game.

In the Free Quarantine Board Game you and your family/friends have fun while learning about safe practices, open source hardware and COVID-19 initiatives on Appropedia. The game is appropriate for 2-4 players and children 5 and up. This game is open-source so you are encouraged to build on it, change it and make it better and make more advanced derivatives. Have fun!


Making the Game

  1. Print out in color the main board (pages 1-4) and additional cards (page 5) .
    1. If you print on cardstock then tape the main board (pages 1-4) as shown on the right. Then just cut out the move pieces with scissors.
    2. If you print on normal paper then trim the outer edge with scissors then use a glue stick to stick them to the back of cereal boxes, tape the main board together and cut out the move pieces.
    3. For a more durable game laminate everything (you can also skip the cardboard if you do this)
  2. Obtain four avatars of the same color for each player - these can be pieces from other games, small toys you already have around the house, coins, small origami, pebbles, strips of colored paper. If you have access to a RepRap you can print custom figurines or your 3-D print avatars like the pieces from Democratic Chess for a useful list see the derivatives here Four Lego blocks make 2x1 or 2x2 pieces are ideal sizes.

Playing the Game

Synopsis: Your goal is to get all of your family members from a COVID-19 contaminated hot zone in the U.S. to COVID-free New Zealand.

Set up

  1. Place the game board on a flat surface.
  2. Shuffle the cards and place them in a pile face down within easy reach of all players.
  3. Each player picks four of avatars of one color and places it on your home matching the color on the game board.

Play!

  1. The youngest player goes first and then you go around the game board clockwise.
  2. On your turn, draw one card from the deck and then move one of your family member’s avatar as directed below.
  3. Open hardware cards you can keep until you use them and they are always assigned to your furthest ahead family member avatar.
  4. Your turn is over. Open source hardware you have used and move cards that you have used are put in the discard pile.
  5. You may trade cards and make deals.

Cards

When you draw a number card from the deck you may move one of your avatars the number of spaces it says remembering you are not allowed with 2 spaces (2 meters) of an opponent to maintain social distancing.

Card What you do
 To get out of your home you must use an open source nasal swab to prove you are safe to travel.
 Complete protection from airborne COVID19 is provided by a powered air-purifying particulate respirator (PAPR). If your avatar has a PAPR card and you are in a crowd you only need to quarantine at home. You may re-use the PAPR and do not need to discard it.
 You can also get complete protection using a face mask (single use only) and a face shield (single use only). If you have both of these cards and you are sent to a crowd you only need to quarantine at home, but you must discard both cards.
 You can also get complete protection using a heat-sterilizable face mask (re-usble) and a face shield (good for single use). If you have both of these cards and you are sent to a crowd you only need to quarantine at home, but you must discard your face shield card (you can sterilize your high temperature mask in the oven).
 You just found yourself in a crowd - if you have protection for your avatar with either a PAPR or a combo mask+face sheild quarantine at home until you get an OS swab test. If you do not have protection you get infected and you need to go to your hospital (tell by color).
 Your avatar is infected with COVID19 and got sick - go to your hospital (tell by color).
 If you are in the hospital you can not escape unless you get access to an open source ventilator.
  1. As you acquire personal protective equipment (PPE) cards they protect your furthermost avatar first
  2. If you make it to the airport entrance you need complete protection mask + face shield or PAPR to travel to COVID-free New Zealand. Once you are in the cloudy skies you are safe.
  3. The game continues until 1) a player gets his whole family to COVID-free New Zealand; 2) a player gets the most family members possible to COVID-free New Zealand.


Moving

  1. Always move in the direction of the path (indicated by the arrows).
  2. Players are not allowed to move within 2 spaces (2m or 6 feet) to abide by social distancing rules of an opponent unless they have an open source mask, heat-treatable mask, or open source PAPR.
  3. Two or more avatars may be on the some space at the same time.
  4. Play until one player has all avatars safely in New Zealand.

Warning

This game is based on luck and can become never ending. If the game has gone on too long you can change the rules and allow avatars to move backward to have an easier time of reaching their colored airport.

Improve the Game

If you like this game, please try to improve it. If you see red links above click on them and fill in the missing content. If you have new ideas about open source hardware, PPE, or other Appropedia content please add it. If you think of ways we could change the game to make it more fun and a better experience for children and adults alike please edit the source below and upload new versions.

The source for the came is in Libre Office and is .

Board games normally cost $6-$25 and this game can be manufactured at home for less than a dollar. It is released under an open source GNU-FDL license so that it remains accessible to as many people as possible. You are free to make, change, or sell this game. However, any alterations you make must released back to the community with the same GNU-FDL license.

Open Source and COVID 19

Page data
License CC-BY-SA-4.0
Language English ()
Related 0 subpages, 0 pages link here
Views 113 page views (analytics)
Created July 27, 2020 by Joshua M. Pearce
Last edit April 3, 2025 by StandardWikitext bot
Cite as J.M.Pearce (2020–2025). "The Free Quarantine Board Game". Appropedia. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
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