Humanity's last checkpoint isn't a heroic battlefield—it's a bureaucratic nightmare where one wrong call sends innocent people to their deaths. After spending days at the checkpoint in Devolver Digital's Papers Please-inspired zombie sim, here's everything you need to survive Quarantine Zone: The Last Check.
Table of Contents
- Quick Tips Before You Start
- Complete Tools Guide
- Inspection Routine
- Symptoms Guide – What to Look For
- How the Quarantine System Works
- Upgrade Priorities
- Base Defense Guide
- Resource Management
- FAQ
Quick Tips Before You Start
- Take your time — Rushing inspections causes preventable mistakes and dead survivors
- Walk around every person — Check front, back, arms, legs, and neck before deciding
- Remove obstructions first — Sunglasses and hats hide symptoms; take them off before inspecting
- Crouch to check legs — Many symptoms hide below eye level
- Use the 30% rule — Order new supplies when any resource drops to 30%
- 24-hour quarantine checks — Always revisit quarantined survivors within one day
Complete Tools Guide
You'll unlock new inspection tools as you progress through the days. Master each one as it becomes available.
Flashlight (Day 1)
Your starting tool for basic visual inspection. Remove sunglasses before checking eyes. Use it to examine skin color, wounds, and eye conditions at close range.
UV Scanner (Day 1)
Activates automatically when scanning survivors. Essential for detecting hidden bite marks and injuries that aren't visible under normal light. Use this on anyone with visible wounds.
Thermo-Pulse-Meter (Day 1)
Point at the survivor and wait for the reading. This gives you temperature and pulse data.
- Elevated readings: Send to quarantine for observation
- High/Extreme readings: Active infection — liquidate immediately
Portable X-Ray (Day 2+)
Scans internal organs for infection markers. Also catches contraband hidden inside the body. Use when external symptoms are unclear or you suspect someone is hiding something.
Metiascope (Day 2+)
Advanced eye inspection tool. Goes beyond what the flashlight can show, catching subtle eye infection markers that indicate early-stage infection.
Reflex Hammer (Day 3+)
Tests reflexes by tapping elbows and knees.
- Normal reflex: Safe to proceed
- Crossed reflex or hyperaggressive response: Infected — liquidate
Syringe Scanner (Day 11+)
The definitive infection test. Expensive to use, so save it for genuinely uncertain cases. When you absolutely cannot tell if someone is infected, this is your last resort.
Pistol
Some infected become aggressive during inspection. Don't hesitate to defend yourself—better them than you.
Inspection Routine
Develop a consistent inspection routine that you follow for every survivor. Muscle memory prevents mistakes.
Basic Routine (Days 1-2)
- Remove sunglasses and hats
- Visual check with flashlight — front, back, arms, legs, neck
- Thermo-pulse reading
- UV scanner if you spot any wounds or suspicious marks
- Make your call
Advanced Routine (Days 3+)
- Remove obstructions (sunglasses, hats)
- Complete visual inspection — walk around the entire body
- Crouch to check legs and lower body properly
- Thermo-pulse reading
- UV scanner on any visible injuries
- Reflex hammer test
- Metiascope for eye inspection if anything looks off
- X-ray only when something seems wrong internally
- Syringe scanner as absolute last resort
Pro tip: Zoom in for close inspection of eyes and small details. The devil is in the details.
Symptoms Guide – What to Look For
The game uses a color-coded system: Green = Safe, Orange = Quarantine, Red = Liquidate. Learn these categories.
Safe Symptoms (Green Light)
- Yellow eyes
- Red skin
- Herpes
- Freckles
- Bruises
- Nosebleed
Quarantine Symptoms (Orange — Observe)
- Conjunctivitis — recheck the next day
- Pale skin
- Skin rash
- Red bruise (not regular bruise)
- Skin cuts
- Mouth blood
- Elevated temperature
- Elevated pulse
- Cough
- Hiccups
- Sick breath
Liquidate Immediately (Red — Active Infection)
- Red eyes — about to turn
- Green skin — infected, turning imminent
- Necrosis
- Bite marks
- Eye pus
- Nose pus
- High temperature
- Extreme pulse
- Virus breath
Additional Concerns
- Baggage: Check every bag and item for contraband
- Weapons: Confiscate all weapons before clearing the person
- Zombie baggage: Confiscate immediately and quarantine the carrier
How the Quarantine System Works
Quarantine is your holding area for uncertain cases. Used correctly, it saves lives. Used poorly, it creates outbreaks.
Quarantine Rules
- Initial capacity: 4 people (upgradeable)
- You MUST recheck within 24 hours
- Never leave anyone longer than 2 days
Possible Outcomes
- Symptoms clear: Release to Survivor Block
- Symptoms unchanged: Keep one more day, then decide
- Symptoms worsen: Liquidate immediately
- They turn: Attacks everyone else in quarantine
Critical warning: If an infected person remains in quarantine for more than 2 days, they will turn into a zombie and bite everyone else in the quarantine area. One missed check can kill four innocent people.
Upgrade Priorities
Open your tablet and navigate to the "upgrade" section to improve your checkpoint. Prioritize in this order:
Priority 1: Defense
Upgrade minigun, rockets, and 37mm cannon damage and reload speed. Zombie hordes get stronger as days progress, and failing defense means game over.
Priority 2: Quarantine Capacity
More cells mean more flexibility for uncertain cases. This directly reduces the pressure of rushed decisions.
Priority 3: Inspection Tools
Unlock advanced equipment faster. Better tools mean more accurate diagnoses.
Priority 4: Resource Storage
Increased capacity for food, fuel, and medkits means fewer emergency resupply runs.
Priority 5: Infrastructure
Efficiency upgrades for canteen, clinic, and power systems help in the long run but aren't urgent early on.
Base Defense Guide
After a few days, zombie hordes begin attacking your checkpoint at night. Defense is mandatory—if they break through, it's game over.
Drone Weapons
- Minigun: High fire rate, best for close-range swarms
- 37mm Cannon: Balanced range and damage
- 105mm Cannon: Long range, heavy damage for big targets
Defense Strategy
- When attacked, the drone activates automatically
- Prioritize large threats first with heavy weapons
- Switch to minigun for cleanup of smaller zombies
- Upgrade weapons regularly — later zombies are significantly tougher
Resource Management
Every cleared survivor goes to the Survivor Block, where they consume food, fuel, and medical supplies. More survivors mean higher resource drain.
The 30% Rule
Never let any resource drop below 30%. Order more supplies the moment you hit this threshold. Running out causes riots and camp-wide chaos.
How to Order Supplies
- Open your tablet
- Navigate to the building (Canteen for food, Power for fuel, Clinic for medkits)
- Purchase from the Resupply tab
Cost tip: Bulk orders are expensive. Regular smaller purchases spread across days are more economical than emergency bulk buys.
Fuel Management
Keep an eye on the generator. If it's about to shut down, add fuel immediately. Power failures cascade into other problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What platforms is Quarantine Zone: The Last Check on?
PC via Steam ($19.99) and PC Game Pass. No console versions at launch.
How long is the game?
The main campaign runs approximately 18 days. Each day takes 15-30 minutes depending on survivor volume and your inspection speed.
Can I save everyone?
No. The game is designed around impossible choices. Your goal is keeping the checkpoint operational, not achieving zero casualties. Sometimes innocent people die because you couldn't risk being wrong.
What happens if I make wrong decisions?
Wrong decisions have consequences: releasing infected survivors causes outbreaks, liquidating healthy people reduces morale, and resource mismanagement causes riots. The game tracks your performance and adjusts difficulty accordingly.
Is there multiplayer?
No, Quarantine Zone: The Last Check is single-player only.
Summary
Quarantine Zone: The Last Check rewards methodical thinking over speed. Develop a consistent inspection routine, follow the symptom color codes, manage your quarantine within the 24-hour window, and never let resources drop below 30%. The checkpoint doesn't need heroes—it needs someone who can make hard calls consistently without breaking down. That someone is you.
