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Z-Man Games

Pandemic

Low stock
$48.00
$48.00 RRP $50.00

Pandemic is the landmark cooperative board game from Z-Man Games, in which 2–4 players race to treat outbreaks and cure four global diseases. With medium-light rules, 45–60 minute sessions and ages 8+ appeal, every turn blends action points, hand management, set collection and distinctive specialist roles.

Players
2–4 players
Play time
1h
Age
Teens
Complexity
Medium

About the Game

In Pandemic, four virulent diseases break out across the globe at once, and your team of specialists must race to contain hotspots and discover cures before the plagues spiral out of control. Each turn you'll spend up to four actions travelling between cities, treating infections and building research stations, while dreaded Epidemic cards keep raising the stakes. Everyone wins together—or loses together.

Pandemic plays with 2–4 players in about 45–60 minutes, with medium-light rules suited to ages 8 and up. Key mechanics include cooperative play, action points, hand management, set collection and variable player powers, with roles such as the Scientist and Operations Expert each offering a unique strength.

Designed by Matt Leacock and first published by Z-Man Games in 2008, Pandemic became a landmark of modern cooperative design. This 2013 edition adds two new roles—the Contingency Planner and the Quarantine Specialist—not available in earlier editions.

History

Pandemic was designed by Matt Leacock and first published by Z-Man Games in 2008, where it helped define the modern cooperative board game and inspired a long-running series. The 2013 edition refreshed the game and introduced two new roles—the Contingency Planner and the Quarantine Specialist—not available in earlier editions.

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Shipping details

Pandemic

$48.00

Watch: How to play

Rules of Pandemic

  • Setup: Place the board, put a research station in Atlanta, and give each player a random role card with a unique power.
  • Seed the diseases: Draw infection cards to place cubes on cities—three cubes on the first three cities, two on the next three, and one on the final three.
  • Deal hands: Give each player a starting hand of player cards, then shuffle Epidemic cards into separate piles of the player deck and stack them.
  • Take turns: On your turn, spend up to four actions to move between cities, treat disease cubes, build research stations, share knowledge, or discover a cure.
  • Draw and infect: After your actions, draw two player cards (hand limit seven), then reveal infection cards to add cubes to those cities.
  • Epidemics: When an Epidemic card appears, a new city gets three cubes, the infection rate may rise, and the infection discard pile is shuffled back on top—so old hotspots flare up again.
  • Discover cures: Collect five city cards of one colour (four for the Scientist) and discard them at a research station to cure that disease.
  • Win or lose together: Cure all four diseases to win. You lose if the player deck runs out, eight outbreaks occur, or you need a disease cube but none remain.

Strategy

  • Prioritise hotspots: Treat cities with three cubes first—an outbreak there can trigger chain reactions across connected cities.
  • Use your role every turn: Powers like the Scientist's cheaper cures or the Operations Expert's easy station-building are most valuable when used often.
  • Balance curing and treating: Rushing cures while cubes pile up can end the game early; keep the board stable before chasing the next cure.
  • Share knowledge smartly: Meet in the city named on the card you want to pass, and plan turns so teammates collect colour sets efficiently.
  • Build stations for mobility: A few well-placed research stations let the team hop across the map instead of wasting actions on long drives or flights.
  • Watch the infection discards: After an Epidemic, recently infected cities come back on top—be ready to return to them quickly.
  • Mind your hand limit: Don't hoard cards; discard or play deliberately so key city cards aren't lost when you're forced down to seven.