How to play Food Safety Legends
A race around a food production facility. Answer quiz questions to move forward, dodge Pitfalls with Power-Up cards, and be the first to become a Food Safety Legend.
- Players 2 or more
- Playing time 30–60 minutes
- Format Independent or facilitator-led
Food Safety Legends works as a standalone game night, a structured training session, a knock-out tournament for Quality Week, or a quick knowledge check.
However you run it, the setup and rules below stay the same.
Note: Food Safety Legends is a fun learning tool that complements formal food safety training. It is not a replacement for accredited training or certification.
Setting up
- Each player selects a player token and places it on the space marked "Start Here".
- Place the dice and the 1-minute timer in the middle of the board.
- Shuffle the Action, Pitfall and Power-Up card decks separately and place them on their marked areas.
- Place the Quiz Cards next to the board.
- Everyone rolls the dice, highest roll goes first (re-roll ties).
- Starting with the lead player, each player draws three Power-Up cards and keeps them face up in front of them for the whole game.
How the card decks work
Four decks drive the game. Hover or tap a card to see an example of its flipside.
Action Cards
Specify an immediate action the player must take the moment the card is drawn, often something that shakes up the running order or sends a rival backwards.
Example "Skip any other player's next turn."
Pitfall Cards
Hazardous scenarios from a real food production environment. Each carries a penalty, move back 1 or 2 spaces, or skip a turn. The player reads the card aloud and takes the action, unless they hold the matching Power-Up.
Example "Inadequate handwashing" → move 1 space backwards.
Power-Up Cards
Your "get out of jail free" card, each one is the correct corrective action for a type of Pitfall. Play the matching Power-Up to cancel a penalty, read it aloud, then return it to the deck. Power-Ups can be stolen but never traded to help another player.
Example "Emergency pest control" cancels a pest-related Pitfall.
Quiz Cards
Three types, Straight-up quiz, Spot the allergen, and Odd one out. Another player or the facilitator runs the quiz; you have one minute. Three correct answers moves you three spaces forward and ends your turn.
Example "When should food workers wash their hands?"
Playing the game
- The player who rolled highest starts; play continues clockwise unless a card says otherwise.
- On your turn, roll the dice and move that many spaces from the "Start Here" arrow.
- Perform the action on the space you land on, take a quiz, play a Pitfall or Action card, or collect a Power-Up.
- Once the action is complete your turn ends and the next player rolls.
- It is a race to the finish, the game ends when the first player reaches the end of the board.
Ways to run it
- Classic play: the full board game for a comprehensive session.
- Knock-out rounds: head-to-head quiz battles; the winner is crowned Food Safety Champion.
- Team challenge: departments compete to show their food safety knowledge.
- Trivia style: match Pitfall and Power-Up cards to reinforce corrective actions.
See more ideas on the food safety games page, or read how the game supports food safety training and food safety culture.