Disease {Name} is Spreading! (Pandemic)

We attempt to treat spreading viruses all the time, but a new plague has entered the scene, leaving the public baffled at what to expect.  At first, it seemed harmless enough, merely taking away a couple hours out of a few groups lives, but it was infectious.  It grew quickly, spreading and affecting thousands of people.  Medical professionals are uncertain of how it will grow next, but as it has spread over land, sea, air, and Steam, there is one name everybody recognizes it by: Pandemic.

BACKGROUND:  Pandemic is a co-operative board game for 2-4 players.  It was created in 2008 by Matt Leacock and published by Z-Man Games, Inc., among others.  Known as one the most successful board co-operative games, players take the roles of various research heads to fight against brand new diseases while they spread quickly across the world.

GAMEPLAY:  Each player has 4 actions during their turn. Players take their turns by moving across the world via train, or discarding a card to move by plane.  They can trade if either player has the city they're in by trading said city, treat the disease by removing cubes located on their city, or discover a cure by discarding 5 city cards of matching color.  Some Role cards, which are dealt at the beginning, also have or change certain actions.  Player end their turn by drawing 2 new cards, and discarding down to 7.



INFECT:  Each players turn ends with drawing cards from the Infect deck according to the Infection Level.  When an Epidemic card is drawn, raise the Infection Level, draw from the bottom of the Infect deck, and shuffle the Infect discard and place it on the top of the deck.  Whenever 3 or more disease cubes are placed on any city, an Outbreak occurs, spreading that disease to each connecting city.

LOSING:  If the players manage to cure all diseases, they win.  However, as is far more likely, the players lose if:

• DEATH: More Disease cubes need to be added, but are all out.
• OVERWHELM: The 8th Outbreak occurs.
• SHORTAGE: The player deck runs out when a player needs to draw.

CONCLUSION:  As with a lot of co-operative games, Pandemic is hard, plain and simple.  Games will generally cause you to lose, but that's part of the fun.  It's a little tricky to watch every timer this game has, and can be annoying if you know you couldn't do anything because of the luck of the draw.  That being said, there's a reason that almost everybody, casual or hard-core board gamer knows this game; because it's just that good.  Don't be afraid to catch this disease.