Description
In Pandemic, four deadly diseases have broken out around the world at the same time. You are a team of specialists, each with their own role and special ability. You travel between 48 cities on a map of the world, treat the infected, build research stations and search for cures. You don't play against each other, but together against the game.
How to play Pandemic
On your turn, you have four actions. You can travel, build a research station, treat disease in the city you are in, give a card to a fellow player, or discover a cure at a research station with five cards of the same colour. Then you draw two cards, which may hide an epidemic, and infect new cities.
When too much disease builds up in a city, an outbreak occurs and the disease spreads to the neighbouring cities. You win when you discover cures for all four diseases. You lose if there are eight outbreaks, if you run out of disease cubes or if you run out of cards.
Why you will love it
- You plan every move together: who goes where, who treats and who collects cards for a cure.
- Every role has its own power. The Scientist needs only four cards for a cure, while the Operations Expert builds research stations that make travelling easier.
- Epidemics don't come out of nowhere: the discarded infected cities go back on top of the pile, so you know where the next fire will start.
- You choose the difficulty yourselves, with four, five or six epidemics, so the game grows with you.
Who is Pandemic for
The game is for two to four players aged 8 and up, and a game takes about 45 minutes. It is moderately easy, and players like it best with four. It is great for families and groups who would rather play together than against each other, and for anyone who wants to try cooperative games. Pandemic was nominated for the Spiel des Jahres 2009 award.
What you might not like
Because you play together against the game, Pandemic may not be the best fit for those who like to compete against each other. You draw epidemic and infection cards at random, so a good plan can quickly fall apart. If one player has a lot of experience, they may start dictating moves to the others.
What's in the box
- game board with a map of the world
- 7 role cards and 7 pawns
- 59 player cards (48 city cards, 6 epidemic cards, 5 event cards)
- 48 infection cards
- 4 reference cards
- 96 disease cubes in four colours
- 6 research stations
- infection rate, outbreak and cure markers
- rules
