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Pandemic

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Pandemic

Pandemic

Image courtesy of Z-Man Games
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Gameplay in Brief:

Pandemic is an addictively fun board game in which all the players work together to eradicate four diseases from the world. Each player is given a different role, such as the Scientist (who can cure diseases more easily) and the Operations Specialist (who can build research stations).

Playing against the game system, they must travel the world to contain infections while developing the cures. If the players don't find all four cures in time (e.g. before there are eight outbreaks), they all lose. Various levels of difficulty are available. Read more in How to Play Pandemic.

Basics:

For 2 to 4 players, ages 10 and up. About 45 minutes per game.

Designer:

Pandemic was designed by Matt Leacock.

Publisher:

Pandemic was published by Z-Man Games and Pegasus Spiele in 2008.

Genre:

Pandemic is a cooperative board game with a medical theme.

Review and Strategy Tips:

Seth Brown calls this game "a refreshing change of pace from most board games" in his review of Pandemic. And he offers these tips on how to avoid outbreaks in Pandemic.

Awards:

Pandemic was named the 2008 Family Game of the Year by Games magazine. It was also my pick as the best board game of 2008.

Expansion:

Pandemic: On the Brink, an expansion designed by Leacock and Tom Lehmann, adds six new roles, eight new special events, and several "challenge kits" to the basic game.

Also by Matt Leacock:

Leacock also designed the cooperative game Forbidden Island (my pick for the best easy-to-find game of 2010), the dice game Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age (my pick for the #2 board game of 2009), the race game Lunatix Loop (2000), and the fantasy card game Borderlands (1995).

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