Pandemic Board Game (Base Game) | Family Board Game | Board Game for Adults and Family | Cooperative Board Game | Ages 8+ | 2 to 4 players | Average Playtime 45 minutes | Made by Z-Man Games

My wife and I had been looking for board games for a while to play as a family (we have a 13 year old daughter). My wife is extremely competitive and me, well, Im definitely not a competitive person. I purchased this one as a means to keep the rage at bay for when a loser doesnt like losing or to enhance the enjoyment for those who care not if they win or lose and someone is taking the game too seriously. A cooperative game didnt make much sense to me at first, but once we opened up the game, figured out how to start our first game, and then take on widespread diseases all across the world we realized there was no turning back. Since we played our first game of Pandemic, we havent played competitive games since with very rare exceptions. This isnt just because cooperative game play leads to a happier marriage. No, no. The largest portion of what makes this game so good is that it the game play requires so much strategy and is surprisingly simple to learn as soon as you start playing. It offers a very dynamic challenge while also offering great rewards when your strategies work out. It also offers different difficulty settings very easily by adding or taking away a single type of card (6 total, adding all 6 of the infection cards means the game is painfully difficult. Going down to 4 of them makes for a far easier experience). If anyone enjoys board games then this is by far the one Id recommend more than any other when it comes to cooperative game play.

I recently ordered two copies of this game just this week. From the very first time I opened them up, I noticed that they were not the same. From doing some research on my own, I found out that one of the two games I ordered was actually a counterfeit board game. I have posted pictures for you to see the differences between the two. See below for some differences I found: The very first thing you will notice about the counterfeit is that the box has washed out colors and a cardboard-like feel. The genuine copy feels much higher quality to hold in the hand, and has a textured feel to it with very vibrant colors. Open up the game box and you will also see differences in quality between the two boards. The genuine board has vibrant colors and excellent contrast, as well as a smooth surface. The counterfeit copy in comparison has a rougher feel to it with horrible contrast. I also found one of the city names misaligned on the counterfeit copy as well. Another difference is the cards provided with the game. The cards in the genuine copy feel very high quality with smooth surfaces and a glossy finish. The cards in the counterfeit copy feel rough and cardboard-like. I imagine shuffling the counterfeit cards without damaging them would be a difficult task. Another difference is the rulebook itself. The genuine rulebook has a smooth and glossy finish, whereas the counterfeit rulebook has a matte finish. The cubes provided in the counterfeit had dimple like impressions on each side, whereas the genuine copy had smooth sides all around. And lastly, the counterfeit game box itself had some misaligned colors on the edges. The genuine copy did not have this. If I had not ordered two copies of this game, I probably would not even know I had ordered a fake. The fake is passable and playable as a game, but nowhere near the quality of the genuine game. I just thought I would post this review to help anybody thinking they may have ordered a counterfeit copy. I do have to add that Amazon is going to offer me a refund for the counterfeit version. The refund process was quick and simple. Despite the negative experience, I still do recommend Amazon as a way to buy games. Their customer service is unmatched by any other company in existence. Note: The counterfeit copy is on top and the genuine copy on the bottom. I know it may be difficult to notice the difference in the photos, but it is VERY noticeable in person. If you are concerned you received a fake copy, I would say the easiest way to tell would be to check the cards. If they are not smooth nor have a glossy finish, then you probably received a fake game. The cards provided in the real game are actually very high quality.

Had so much fun playing this with my other 30 year old friends. If you are looking for a good coop style strategy game for 2 or 3 players, this is a great fit. In my experience having 4 people it gets a bit crowded with debating strategy / movements.

I bought this game for a family member and we got a chance to play it last night. It was a fun game, though different than what we usually play. Its different to be working together rather than against each other. Its a complicated game to learn, but it doesnt take too long to play so we were able to try it more than once. By the third go-round, we were starting to feel like we had a handle on the rules and what sort of strategies work the best. So overall, I recommend this game, but you should be prepared to spend some time learning how to play.

Highly suggest this game for people not too into competing aka not big game players/those slower to catch on as it is a collaborative game where everyone shares and suggests moves and helps each other in their turns. It’s the humans against the game and especially during this worldwide timeframe, gets a little intense. Maybe “too soon” with the current pandemic?

We love this game. Its quite easy to learn and the cooperative play is extremely engaging since everyone is working together to beat the pandemic. A great family game and uber-gamer game.

We bought several games as family Christmas gifts...the rules can be a bit difficult, but once we picked up on it, got easier and easier. Very different outcomes each time we played so really good time. Rated high by all who played. Weve played it several times since then. With regards to value, I find most board games expensive, but this was very reasonable.

SO my husband and I really like playing games together. We try to find a lot of games that work for only 2 people playing. Since we started having babies, our social life just is not a thing. So we just have each other and if it requires more than 2 we cant play. We really had enjoyed the game forbidden dessert! Seriously loved it. And then because we were so into that we stumbled upon this one and its the same line of game. Just different moving parts and more parts so it takes the game play up a level! We have decided that over the years it is better for my husband and I to not do competitive games! We cant to heated and neither are very good at losing. (We are working on this though so the kids learn its ok to lose) So BONUS! This is a cooperative game. Not going against each other but the board. So it is a house full of harmony then! lol ... as for all other games we just stopped taking score haha

Played this for the 1st time with my husband and 10yr old. We all learned how to play pretty quickly. We do love to spend family time playing games. This was a good family game because you win or lose as a team. Cant wait to play this with our older kids. Other games we like are Catan, Machi Koro, Ticket to Ride and Munchkin. The shipping was very fast.

This is a must have for board game players. Usually it is just my wife and I playing, but sometimes we invite friends over. The goal is to eradicate the diseases that are placed around the board at the start of the game. Each turn you draw and place more disease cubes and each player is assigned a role (their 10+ different roles in the game.) Each players role has special features to help win the game. You work together to win the game. This is actually the second Pandemic we bought because we actually wore out our original. Very addictive!