WHAT IS IT?
Pandemic is a cooperative game for 1-4 players, designed by <PERSON>, published and distributed by Z-Man Games.
WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?
Each player represents a character among a scientific research team that is trying desperately to treat and cure four powerful diseases that are threatening to eliminate mankind.
WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?
Pandemic comes in a medium-sized box that includes a game board, 4 large (a bit too large, perhaps) player pawns, 4 disease cure markers, infection and outbreak markers, six wooden Research Stations, a nice easy-to-read and follow 8 page glossy rulebook, several cubes in 4 different colors, 2 decks of cards (Player Cards and Infection Cards), as well as 5 role cards and 4 player aid cards.
WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THAT?
To set up the game, each player is dealt one of the player roles and receives a number of Player Cards (which represent the different cities on the board, and include a few special ability cards). The diseases get a head start where three Infection Cards are drawn and three disease cubes are added to each of those cities, then three more cards are drawn with two cubes added to each city, then three more cards are drawn with one cube added to each city. A number of Epidemic cards are added to the Player Card deck (4 = easy game, 5 = normal game, 6 = very hard game), and all players begin with their pawns in Atlanta, where there is also a Research Station.
Each player's turn follows the same simple order...
1. Take up to 4 actions.
2. Draw 2 Player Cards.
3. Draw Infection Cards equal to the current Infection rate.
Of the 4 actions a player can make on their turn, the options are:
- Move from one city to a connecting city (costs one action per move).
- Discard a particular city card to "fly" to that city (costs one action).
- Discard the city card you are currently in to fly to any other city (costs one action).
- Move from a city with a research station to another city with a research station (costs one action).
- Build a Research Station by discarding the card of the city the player's pawn is located (costs one action).
- Treat a disease by removing cubes from the city where the player's pawn is located (costs one action per cube removed).
- Cure a disease by discarding 5 cards of particular disease's color while the player's pawn is located at a Research Station (costs one action).
- Trade a card with another player as long as both players are in the city of the traded card (costs one action).
The character roles are worth mentioning now, as each of them has a special ability which affects the above actions...
The Dispatcher can move another player's pawn on his turn, and can also move any player's pawn to a city occupied by any other player's pawn.
The Operations Expert can build a Research Station at any city where he is located, without having to discard (or hold) that city's card.
The Scientist only needs 4 of the same color's cards in order to cure a disease.
The Medic may remove all disease cubes in a city for only one action, instead of one action per cube.
The Researcher may give any card to another player (one action per card) when they are in the same location. 699
It does not need to be the card matching the location.
Once a player has taken their 4 actions, they draw 2 Player Cards and add them to their hand (hand limit is 7, so players must discard if the limit is exceeded). Included in the Player Card deck are a few special cards, which can be played at any time during the game and do not cost an action to play. These include the following abilities; Airlift (fly any player to any city on the board); One Quiet Night (skip the Infection phase for one player's turn); Government Grant (add a Research Station to any city); Resilient Population (choose one Infection Card from the discard pile and remove it from the game); Forecast (look at the next six Infection Cards and reorder them however you choose).
So that's all good, but there are also some very, very bad cards in the Player Card deck... the Epidemic Cards. When an Epidemic Card is drawn, you take the Infection Card that is on the bottom of the Infection Card deck (to be sure of introducing a new infected city into the game) and add three cubes to it. The Infection rate also moves up one, and so after a few epidemics you will be drawing 3 and then 4 Infection Cards per turn. Yikes. 218