AKQA: Blockdown

A Minecraft map helps players learn about social distancing through a zombie pandemic

As the COVID-19 crisis continues to disrupt lives and communities around the world, there have been many simulations that prove how social distancing mitigates the pandemic.

However, these models can be quite hard to grasp. In a crisis like this, AKQA believes clear, relatable information is key to encouraging changes in behaviour.

The agency used its skills to make these models accessible to everyone – especially younger audiences who might be confused about the new reality we are living in.

Minecraft is one of the world’s most loved games, with more than 145 million active players every month, so there’s fertile ground to explore this issue with new audiences.

Gamers can…

Witness an outbreak
See first-hand how a single zombie can infect an entire village if left unchecked.
Apply social distancing
Toggle different social distancing measures from free-for-all to a full lockdown.
Run a zombie hospital
Discover the impact their decisions have on a zombie hospital’s capacity.