ABOUT THE ODDS
Survive France is a comedy game. Every percentage in it is a game mechanic, picked to make the game fun. None of them are real crime statistics, so please don't quote them as facts. What we did do is base the kinds of risks, and which situations make them more or less likely, on official travel advice for France:- Pickpockets and phone theft are the most common crimes against visitors, mostly in crowded places like the Metro, train stations, airports and tourist sites. In the game, theft odds go up in the tourist center and on transit, and go down with a front pocket or a bag worn across the body. Sources: U.S. State Dept, UK FCDO.
- Distraction tricks (one person distracts you while another goes for your bag) and trouble at tourist sites and ATMs. Source: UK FCDO. The petition, bracelet and gold ring scams are well-known street tricks; their odds in the game are made up.
- Strikes and demonstrations happen often and can disrupt transport. Most are peaceful, and a few have turned violent, with police using tear gas and water cannons. In the game, each city rolls a random "unrest" level each day. Checking the news, staying in a quieter neighborhood and staying in at night all lower your odds of running into trouble. Riot risk in the game comes only from protests, strikes and general unrest, never from who anyone is. Sources: U.S. State Dept, UK FCDO.
- Rental car break-ins and smash-and-grabs in traffic, plus toll machines that may not take foreign cards (the U.S. embassy suggests paying cash). Source: U.S. State Dept.
- Ticket inspectors fine you if you didn't validate your ticket. Source: U.S. State Dept.
- Lost passports: only the U.S. consular offices in Paris and Marseille issue passports. Source: U.S. State Dept.
- Heatwaves, wildfires in the south, and dangerous currents at some beaches. Source: UK FCDO.
- Snow chains: in some mountain areas, winter tires or chains are required from November 1 to March 31. In the game, chains make the Alpine and Massif Central passes safe. Source: UK FCDO.
- Crowds at big events like Bastille Day fireworks are a natural spot for pickpockets (crowded places, per both sources). The odds are made up.
- Pure game mechanics, no sources: fording the Seine, the pedal-boat guy, getting lost in the Louvre, the Périphérique, the farmers' hay-bale blockade, the overbooked TGV, the Baguette Hunt, store prices, trading, oysters, rest-stop sushi, the €14 coffee, the shoe-eating cobblestones and the hat-stealing mistral. You're welcome.
- Riot Mode is pure game mechanics. Night counts, the Molotov dodge, the closed Metro and the last taxi are all made up for comedy. The only real-world part is that demonstrations sometimes turn violent and disrupt transport (see Strikes above, per both sources). Crowds are faceless and generic, and nobody in the game is defined by where they are from.
- Travelers (the tourist, influencer, backpacker, cruise couple, exchange student, bachelor party, over-empathetic liberal, private eye and Max Infowar) are fictional comedy archetypes with made-up modifiers. Max Infowar is an original parody character, not a real person.
- Sound: every beep is generated live in your browser. The short arrival tune is the opening of "La Marseillaise" (1792, public domain). Everything else is original.
- U.S. Department of State: France travel advisory and country information (Level 2, issued May 28, 2025)
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: France, safety and security
Survive France is a fan-made homage to classic trail games. Not affiliated with The Oregon Trail or its owners. Font: Press Start 2P (SIL Open Font License).