Objective of the Game
Pandemic is a cooperative board game where players work together to combat the outbreak of four deadly diseases. The main objective is to cure all four diseases before time runs out or the diseases overwhelm the world.
Game Components
- Game Board: Displays a world map with cities connected by flight routes.
- Player Cards: City cards, event cards, and epidemic cards.
- Player Pieces: Represent the players on the game board.
- Disease Cubes: In four colors, representing the diseases.
- Research Stations: Locations where diseases can be cured.
Setup
- Set up the Board: Place research stations on the board and distribute disease cubes to certain cities to start infections.
- Deal Role Cards: Each player receives a role with special abilities (e.g., Scientist, Medic).
- Deal Player Cards: Each card shows a city and a color associated with one of the diseases. Players receive a set number of cards as their starting hand.
- Prepare the Infection Deck: Draw the top cards to set initial infections and place the corresponding number of cubes.
- Shuffle Epidemic Cards: These are evenly distributed throughout the player deck.
Gameplay
The game is played in rounds where each player goes through the following phases:
1. Perform Actions
Each player has four actions per turn. Possible actions include: - Move: Move your player piece to an adjacent city or use a card for longer travel. - Treat Disease: Remove disease cubes from a city. - Develop Cure: Collect all five cards of one color to discover a cure at a research station. - Build: Construct a new research station in a city where your pawn is located.
2. Draw Player Cards
Draw two cards from the player deck. Be cautious as drawing an Epidemic card accelerates disease spread.
3. Infect Cities
Draw a number of infection cards and place additional disease cubes on the designated cities. If a city has more than three cubes of one color, an outbreak occurs, infecting neighboring cities.
Winning Conditions
Players win once all four diseases are cured.
Losing Conditions
Players lose if any of the following occur: - A fourth outbreak occurs. - All disease cubes of one color are exhausted. - The player draw deck is depleted.
Strategic Considerations
- Communication is key as the game is cooperative and players should combine their abilities strategically.
- Plan movements and actions carefully to contain disease spread.
- Keep track of the number of player cards to make timely decisions.
With this knowledge, you can fight the global threat of diseases together and try to save the world. Good luck!
