Description

Pandemic

The Pandemic 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.

Components

5 pawns
6 research stations
1 board
6 markers
96 disease cubes
59 player cards
48 infection cards
5 role cards
4 reference cards

Object of the Game

Pandemic is a cooperative game. You and your fellow players are members of a disease control team, working together to research cures and prevent additional outbreaks.

Each of you will assume a unique role within the team, with special abilities that will improve your team’s chances if applied wisely. e object is to save humanity by discovering cures to four deadly diseases (Blue, Yellow, Black, and Red) that threaten to overtake the planet.

If you and your team aren’t able to keep the diseases contained before finding the necessary cures, the planet will be overrun and the game will end in defeat for everyone… Do you have what it takes to save humanity?

Game Play

Play proceeds clockwise around the table with each player taking turns in order until the game ends.

Each turn, the current player must:

Take 4 actions
Draw 2 cards to add to his hand
Take on the role of the Infector

Actions:

Basic Actions

Drive (or Ferry)
Direct Flight
Charter Flight
Shuttle Flight
Pass

Special Actions:

Build A Research Station
Discover A Cure
Treat Disease
Eradicating A Disease
Share Knowledge

End of the Game

Defeat

The game ends immediately in defeat for all players if any of the following conditions occur:

A player needs to add disease cubes to the board and there aren’t any left of that color in the supply.
The eighth outbreak occurs (the Outbreaks Marker reaches the skull symbol on the Outbreak Indicator).
There are not enough cards in the Player Draw Pile when a player must draw cards.

Victory

Players collectively win the game immediately when the cures for all four diseases (Blue, Yellow, Black, and Red) have been discovered. Players do not need to administer cures to every infected city in order to win the game-victory is instant when any player discovers the fourth and final cure.

Additional Info: