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As he fights infectious diseases (with no time for B.S.), the nation's top coronavirus expert and famous face-palmer Dr. Anthony Fauci has become the hero we all need right now.
Brooklyn's Beat the Bomb, the escape room that threatens a burst of colorful paint, has made him an actual hero in a new "Space Invaders"-type video game called "Fauci's Revenge."
The game—free to play at beatthebomb.com/beatthevirus—asks you to play as Fauci, rocketing around to destroy the coronavirus, which appears in its microscopic form. You must avoid getting hit with the virus as well as bad icons showing stadium and touching your face. You can gain health by striking wellness icons like washing hands, meditation, and even an HBO logo.
At times, President Trump shows up to block you from killing the virus.
While I could only make it to level five, my husband forged ahead to level 15, and it gets crazy. With the virus set to dubstep—it gets so difficult that there's really nowhere to run. Apparently, if you win the game by defeating level 19, you get a free ticket to Beat the Bomb for use at a later time.
Photograph: Courtesy Beat the Bomb
While the game is free, Beat the Bomb is asking for help in raising $25,000 in donations for New York City's Public Health System (NYC Health + Hospitals) and first responders. Plus, all proceeds from its limited edition T-shirt sales and gift cards will also get donated.
Beat the Bomb has already donated all of its equipment, which was used to help players disarm the paint bomb, including 6,150 protective suits and 4,500 gloves to the mayor’s office and 100 face shields to Columbia Irving's Medical Center Emergency Department.
Having to shut down has been a "big blow" to Beat the Bomb, according to its founder and CEO Alexander Patterson, but it has also afforded the company ways to help.
"We have a talented game development team, we have a loyal community and we have a fun brand that lent itself to the #BeatTheVirus campaign," he says. "Dr. Fauci is clearly one of the heroes of this situation, and the whole nation looks up to him (not to mention, he went to the same high school as I did!). So we thought, what better person to be the hero.
"The video game is not only a fun distraction when we all need one but serves as a simple educational tool ("Wash Your Hands") as is definitely cathartic to play and take down this virus! We hope people enjoy it and donate to NYC Health + Hospitals in return."