Pandemic

In Pandemic, several virulent diseases have broken out simultaneously all over the world! The players are disease-fighting specialists whose mission is to treat disease hotspots while researching cures for each of four plagues before they get out of hand.

The game board depicts several major population centers on Earth. On each turn, a player can use up to four actions to travel between cities, treat infected populaces, discover a cure, or build a research station. A deck of cards provides the players with these abilities, but sprinkled throughout this deck are Epidemic! cards that accelerate and intensify the diseases’ activity. A second, separate deck of cards controls the “normal” spread of the infections.

Taking a unique role within the team, players must plan their strategy to mesh with their specialists’ strengths in order to conquer the diseases. For example, the Operations Expert can build research stations which are needed to find cures for the diseases and which allow for greater mobility between cities; the Scientist needs only four cards of a particular disease to cure it instead of the normal five—but the diseases are spreading quickly and time is running out. If one or more diseases spreads beyond recovery or if too much time elapses, the players all lose. If they cure the four diseases, they all win!

The 2013 edition of Pandemic includes two new characters—the Contingency Planner and the Quarantine Specialist—not available in earlier editions of the game.

Misprinted Boards In some copies of the 2013 edition, the board contains a misprint where the link between Lagos and Sao Paolo is missing. Z-Man Games will replace the misprinted board with a correct copy. More information: 1

Awards

2011: Ludoteca Ideale (Italy)

2010: Australian Games Association Game of the Year Winner

2009: BoardGameGeek Golden Geek Family Game Winner

2009: Gouden Ludo, Winner

2009: Nederlandse Spellen Prijs, Nominated

2009: Boardgames Australia Awards Winner, Best International Game

2009: Origins Awards, Board Game of the Year, Winner

2009: Spiel des Jahres Nominated

2009: Golden Ace Nominated

2008: JoTa, Best Cooperative Game, Winner

2008: Games 100 Best Family Game

2008: Meeples Choice Award, Game of the Year, Winner

2008: BoardGamer.ru Recommendation

2008: International Gamers Award Multi-Player Nominee

2008: Tric Trac d’or (France), Game of the Year, Tric Trac d’argent (2nd place)

2008: BoardGameGeek Golden Geek Family Game Finalist

Components

• 1 8-Page Colour Rulebook
• 1 Folding single-side Gameboard
• 5 Role Cards
• 5 (wooden) Pawns (one colour for each role)
• 6 (wooden) Research Stations
• 96 (wooden) Disease Cubes (24 for each colour disease – black, blue, red, yellow)
• 6 Markers
  • 1 Infection Rate Marker
  • 1 Outbreaks Marker
  • 4 Cure Markers with “Vial” and “Sunset” sides (one for each colour disease)
• 59 Player Cards
  • 48 City Cards
  • 6 Epidemic Cards
  • 5 Special Event Cards
• 48 Infection Cards
• 4 Reference Cards

Microbadges

– Pandemic fan
– Public Health Professional
– Matt Leacock Fan

Online Play

• BrettspielWelt (real-time)
• BGG user created version (website) – more info
• Vassal (real-time, pbem)

Offline Play

• BGG-user created version (JAVA application)
• Yet Another Computer Version of Pandemic (Windows)