Department of Queues: a free game about picking the fastest line

What is Department of Queues?

Five errands, one hall of lines. A short line with a slow clerk and three big folders is not a short line. Pick the fastest, then the right window inside it, then hope the clerk doesn't take a tea break.

Department of Queues is a free satire game about five errands in one hall of lines. Renew a goldfish licence, register a new umbrella, report a missing Tuesday.

Each line shows the people, how fast the clerk is and the big folders. Pick the fastest, then the right window inside it. Sometimes a clerk takes a tea break anyway: that part is luck.

At a glance

Category

Absurd Bureaucracy

Difficulty

Easy

Play time

4 min

Price

Free, in your browser, sign-up optional

How to play

Line

Wait = people × clerk speed, plus 3 minutes per big folder.

Window

Stamps and certificates, or forms and changes: pick the one your errand needs.

Three levels

Beginner, Intermediate or Expert, picked before you play: the content and the clock change, and each level keeps its own best score.

Satire

Absurd and warm: every country, office, planet and form is made up, and every run ends on a real admin skill.

Scoring

Up to 100 per errand for a short wait (3 points off per minute, at least 10), +50 for the fastest line, +20 for the right window.

Win by keeping total minutes within the level's budget.

What it trains

Estimating

People × pace + extra work = real wait.

Reading signs

Picking the desk your errand actually needs.

Strategy and tips

Do the maths

Wait = people × clerk speed, plus 3 minutes per big folder.

Folders matter

Two people with big folders can take longer than five without.

Read the errand

Certifying or validating needs the stamps window; anything new or changed needs forms.

Why play Department of Queues?

Picking a queue by length alone is a common trap. Estimating the real wait, and checking which desk you need, saves time at stations, shops and offices.

Frequently asked questions