What is a pandemic, explains the news agencies in the world when it comes to the New England called "Swine Flu" was. Who wants to learn playing the impact of a pandemic, this can be experienced in the same board game by Matt Leacock.

When pandemic is one that is cooperative and occurs together against the game. For the topic, this is an ideal format, because the participants frequently ask themselves whether they can effectively combat the emerging epidemic or whether there are already too late.

Players assume the roles of a team of scientists whose mission is to fight the spreading disease "Red", "Blue", "yellow" and "black" using an antidote. For this you travel around in the cities shown on the Schedule, where they can use their skills. Travel and implementation is done by means of appropriate action cards that can be used four times per train. Example: 1.Flug Atlanta to eat; 2 Treatment of the disease in food by removing a cube disease; 3 Establishment of a research laboratory; 4 Flight to Calcutta, to train in Asia in the next act.

After these actions and the tightening of spreads action cards in each round, the epidemic continues. For this purpose, according to the current infection situation cards face up on the infection and the stack depicted cities with other viruses - equipped dice. It can erupt any time an epidemic that really hurts when a city has arrived already at the highest level of disease (3 dice color of an epidemic). In this case, the disease is spreading from the neighboring cities. Each cube there are more viruses designed.

Teamwork is at "pandemic" in high demand. Already in the game is usually pointed out that "with an open hand" may be played. This makes sense, because the players are in their discussions very often have to choose between "the plague and cholera." Much talk, make plans and the correct action at the right time is therefore at an early stage of the game announced. Only after 2-3 antidotes have been found, the game calmed down a bit since it is now easier to remove the virus herd.

The game is won when all four antidotes have been found to the disease and produces colors. If by then already eight epidemics have broken out, the virus stocks a full color spread of the action card deck, or be consumed, the game is lost.

Pandemic is a well designed, equipped with interesting game mechanics for collaboration. It plays in comparison to other cooperative games a little easier and works in spite of the red-hot topic never really oppressive and hopeless. It is actually still in the illusion of being able to act so that one end of the game in favor of the game always seem a bit surprising. But this is precisely the appeal.

The German version of pandemic appears at Pegasus Games under license from Z-Man Games.

Year: 2009
Publisher: Pegasus Games
Author: Matt Leacock, Tom Lehmann
Players: 2-4
Age: 10 - years
Duration: about 60 minutes

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