The Critical Unknown

The Critical Unknown is a boardgame part of a PhD project called PanAdapt. The game focuses on creating adaptive pandemic policies within the healthcare and education systems, with effects simulated based on a model of the Dutch healthcare and education system, developed within the PanAdapt project.

The Critical Unknown is a story-based game: a story that takes place during a pandemic. This means that the players are placed in a game world with a pandemic and their decisions influence the progression of that pandemic.

The game is played in two teams: healthcare and education, with each player having their own role within their team.

Players can choose policies by playing cards which in turn have an effect on the various relevant values of their systems (healthcare and education, as well as the pandemic itself).

The primary objective of the game is for participants to gain a deeper understanding of deep uncertainty and the impact of system dynamics on pandemic decision making, and to apply this knowledge in developing adaptive policies.