Why 72 hours?
72 hours is no accident — it's the critical threshold. The FOCP reference scenario assumes a large-scale power outage of 2 to 4 days — long enough for communication, water, payments and the cold chain to collapse one after another, yet short enough that state emergency supply is only just starting. Germany's TAB study shows that the situation only tips irreversibly into catastrophe toward the end of the first week. The game deliberately ends just before that tipping point — on day 3, when it's decided who was prepared.
The phase model behind it.
The Austrian Civil Protection Association (ÖZSV) describes a blackout in three phases: phase 1 (hours) — no power. Phase 2 (days) — additionally no communication, no payments, no normal water supply. Phase 3 (weeks to months) — restarting takes far longer than the outage itself. The game plays out in phases 1 and 2, where individual decisions make the biggest difference.
What really happens in 72 hours
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Hours 0–4: the silent collapse.
At first everything seems harmless — no light, otherwise quiet. That's deceptive. The mobile network fails after about 30 minutes: the batteries of Swisscom's main antennas last only about an hour. The landline bridges roughly 4 hours, after which all communication is gone for most people — including the emergency call. The emergency call centres are already overloaded in the first minutes; anyone with multiple injured waits too long for help. Payments and refuelling are dead instantly: cards, ATMs, tills and pumps need power — only cash counts. And because the traffic lights are out, road accidents pile up mainly on day 1. (Sources: FOCP dossier; confirmed in the Bernese Oberland/Valais, April 2024.)
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Night 1: candles and dry taps.
With darkness comes the first avoidable mistake: candles. The FOCP dossier lists several fires from improperly used candles for the power-outage scenario — in the evening and at night, with smoke inhalation. The Austrian Civil Protection Association rates candles as a high fire risk and recommends light sources without a flame. At the same time, water runs dry first in upper floors and on hillsides: without pump power, pressure only reaches so far up (about 1 bar per 10 metres of elevation), and reservoirs bridge only hours. (Source: FOCP dossier.)
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Day 2: the system crumbles.
After 24 hours the healthcare system is severely impaired — hospitals run in emergency mode, dialysis centres and care homes are partly evacuated, practices and pharmacies stay closed. In the FOCP scenario, around 700,000 people are two days without normal supply. The cold chain also begins to fail: chilled and frozen food spoils, food poisoning rises. (Source: FOCP dossier — projection.)
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Night 2: the temptation grows.
It gets colder, nerves are frayed — and this is exactly when the most dangerous idea arises: bringing the generator or grill indoors. The NEJM study shows that desperation turns into a fatal act precisely in this phase (day 2–3). (Source: Worsham et al., NEJM 2022.)
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Day 3: the peak — and the first relief.
The third day is statistically the most dangerous for carbon-monoxide poisoning: in large, multi-day outages, CO emergency-room visits peak on day 3 — about 9 times above baseline. At the same time, the state emergency water supply starts after 3 days at the latest. For many it's the end of the state of emergency — for the unprepared, the most dangerous moment. (Sources: NEJM 2022; FOCP dossier.)
The deadliest mistakes
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Combustion appliances indoors (carbon monoxide).
The silent killer. Generators, charcoal grills, gas stoves and cars in enclosed spaces produce odourless carbon monoxide. The NEJM study documents the CO peak on day 3 of large, multi-day outages; in Texas in 2021, 19 deaths (7.7% of 246 confirmed deaths) were due to CO. Never indoors, never in the garage, never in the cellar.
Protects you: Cooking and heating without power Backup power and solar
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The burning candle as you fall asleep.
The FOCP dossier lists several fires from improperly used candles for the power-outage scenario — in the evening and at night, with smoke inhalation. One forgotten candle is enough. The ÖZSV rates candles as a high fire risk and recommends LED lights as a safe alternative: "Prefer light sources without a flame!" — they shine for days and set nothing on fire.
Protects you: Getting through a power outage Staying warm without heating
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The fall in the dark stairwell.
Without light, every staircase becomes a trap. In Texas in 2021, 3.7% of deaths were falls — including fatal late consequences such as pulmonary embolism and brain haemorrhage that appeared days later. A headlamp within reach and marked steps prevent it.
Protects you: Getting through a power outage
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Driving with dead traffic lights (day 1).
When traffic lights fail, road accidents jump sharply — in the FOCP scenario a main driver of the casualty figures, especially on the first day. In Texas in 2021, 8.9% of deaths were road accidents. Every unnecessary trip is a risk: stay if you can.
Protects you: Getting around in an emergency
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The spoiled chilled food.
From day 2 the cold chain fails. Anyone eating spoiled chilled or frozen food risks food poisoning — in the FOCP scenario one of the named causes of death, and doubly dangerous without a functioning healthcare system. Keep the fridge closed, throw out when in doubt, rely on shelf-stable supplies.
Protects you: Building an emergency supply Preserving and making food last
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The silent death of the vulnerable.
Most blackout victims don't die spectacularly, but silently of illness. The analysis of the 2003 New York blackout (Anderson & Bell, Epidemiology 2012) found about 90 excess deaths — the official count was only 6. Disease deaths rose by 25%, and most deaths were due to aggravated pre-existing conditions. Affected are the elderly, the chronically ill, people with electrically powered medical devices.
Protects you: Special groups: emergency preparedness Home first-aid kit
Radio in the blackout — your fallback
When mobile is gone after 30 minutes and the landline after 4 hours, radio remains. Four levels that matter in the game as in reality:
- FM emergency radio (reception). First and foremost: a battery- or crank-powered radio. The Confederation operates the protected emergency-radio infrastructure IBBK via hardened FM transmitters — receivable even in cellars and shelters. First information channel in German-speaking Switzerland: Radio SRF 1. SRG has not broadcast on FM since the end of 2024, but private stations and the federal emergency radio still use FM.
- PMR446 (licence-free, talking). Handy licence-free devices, 16 channels, village range 1–3 km. Convention: channel 8 with sub-tone 16 (CTCSS 114.8 Hz) is the European hikers' emergency channel — a convention, not an official requirement.
- CB radio (licence-free, more range). Licence-free since 2013. Channel 9 (27.065 MHz) is the traditional emergency and calling channel (in French-speaking Switzerland channel 4 serves as the calling channel). Greater range than PMR446, but larger devices.
- Amateur radio (licence required). The most robust level: 145.500 MHz is Switzerland's nationwide 2 m FM calling frequency. Transmitting requires an OFCOM licence (HB3/HB9) — only in a genuine emergency may anyone send a distress call by radio.
OPSEC rule (in the game as in real life): radio is open — everyone within range is listening. Never transmit your address together with your supplies in the clear. Agree meeting points and code words in advance, state positions neutrally, and keep "where I am" separate from "what I have".
More in our radio section: Emergency radio PMR446 & CB Amateur radio
Frequently asked questions
Is the scenario realistic?
Yes — as far as a game can be. The sequence follows the FOCP's power-outage hazard dossier (reference scenario 2–4 days), and the causes of death match the statistically most common ones from real outages. Important: the FOCP casualty figures are a scenario projection, not measured figures from a Swiss event. We deliberately left out "Mad Max" clichés: even during the 2003 Italian blackout (55 million people affected) there was only isolated looting, not widespread.
Where do the numbers come from?
From five verified sources: the FOCP power-outage hazard dossier, Germany's TAB study (2011), the guide of the Austrian Civil Protection Association (ÖZSV), and two empirical analyses of real events — the 2021 Texas winter storm (DSHS final report) and the 1977/2003 New York blackouts (Anderson & Bell 2012; Worsham et al., NEJM 2022). Every number in the game is attributable.
Why do you die in the game?
Because you die in a real blackout — from the same causes. The ways of dying in the game mirror the real statistics: carbon monoxide (peak on day 3), cold and aggravated pre-existing conditions, candle fires, road accidents at dead traffic lights, falls in the dark. The game doesn't punish arbitrarily — it shows consequences.
What is a 72-hour supply really worth?
A lot — but treat it as a floor. The ÖZSV even recommends 10 to 14 days of supply; the "prepared" character in the game with a 72-hour supply is therefore rather conservative. The Confederation recommends an emergency supply for about a week and 9 litres of water per person. The ÖZSV expressly advises against generators for private households due to fire and CO risk — LED lights and a mains-independent radio provide more safety.
Does the game store data?
No. The game stores nothing: no cookie, no account, no sign-up, no tracking. Your progress is held solely in the address (URL) of this page — close the tab and it's gone. You can share the URL or bookmark it to resume at exactly this point; it contains no personal data, only your choices so far.
Will more scenarios come?
Yes. In preparation: a mountain hike that tips into an emergency, a flooding scenario on the Plateau and a drought/wildfire scenario. All on the same principle: facts first, then the game.