As you know we love board games and we were sent another one to test out called Pandemic. Now I've seen similar games like this on the iPad but never thought it would work as a board game, I was wrong. Pandemic is a good game for families.
About the game
As humanity is gripped by four deadly viruses spreading rapidly, it's a race against time for players to fly around the world treating diseases, sharing knowledge and preventing outbreaks to slow down the epidemic. The fate of humanity is in your hands!
The international award-winning Pandemic provides an exciting, cooperative game of strategy and resilience. Taking a unique role within the team, players must work together to plan their strategy, using their specialists' strengths in order to conquer the fast-spreading diseases. Time is running out!
If one or more diseases spread beyond recovery, humanity is doomed and all players are defeated. Players win by finding the cures for all four diseases and saving the human race from elimination!
Have you got what it takes?
When I opened the box and began reading the rules I was a little overwhelmed. There are a lot of rules, mainly to do with cards, but it wasn't until the setup that I really felt the overwhelm. There was a lot to it and it took a while to set up. Sorting out the cards and everything else was a little daunting and add the rules to that and I needed a little break. To be honest though I think this was just because we haven't played a game like this before.
Science is a beautiful gift to humanity; we should not distort it.
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Pandemic is a game where you all work together, suitable for 2 - 4 players. Luckily there's four of us and having never played a game where you're all on a team it was a new one for us. It's usually either two teams or everyone against each other so this was a nice change.
What we thought about Pandemic
Like I said the setup took some time and understanding the rules at times was a little confusing. But, once we got into the routine of 'actions' and 'infection' we began enjoying ourselves. It was fun discovering that our specialists had strengths to help us in our attempt to eradicate the diseases.
Working together made a nice change too, more often than not we play games where we work against each other and working together as a team was quite different. We could discuss our tactics, advise each other, and even help each other out - which was fun.
Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity.
Hippocrates
Unfortunately we didn't win the game, the diseases beat us and humanity was in trouble! What I noticed was that it went from us doing okay to us losing very quickly and we didn't really see it coming.
Pandemic is a game we will play again, we've already said we're going to. I think it'll take a few more plays before we completely get used to the rules but that's the fun of board games isn't it?
Pandemic is available for £36.99 and is suitable for 2-4 players aged 8 plus.