Pandemic review: "It's like a psychological shot of espresso"

If you've not tried Pandemic before, you need to remedy that immediately. Although it's taken on a new edge for obvious reasons, this remains one of the best board games ever made and is an honest-to-goodness classic. It's one of the few titles I think should be in every collection.

A co-op race against time for two to four players, Pandemic tasks you with nothing less than saving the world. A clutch of diseases threaten to overwhelm civilization as we know it, so the odds are against you from the start. But that's why this game excels. Nail-biting tension and last-minute Hail Marys make winning all the more satisfying, and it's never less than memorable as a result. Strategic, satisfying, and strangely moreish, this is the perfect storm of ideas that shows off everything tabletop gaming is capable of.

Pandemic features & design

• Stop four diseases from spreading worldwide
• Collect cards to create cures
• The difficulty progressively increases

Your job in Pandemic is simple - hunt down each cure before it's too late. Although doing so is a matter of gathering the right cards, winning isn't as easy as that would suggest. Coughs and sneezes answer to no-one, after all.

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Namely, you'll draw cards which dictate where new infections are placed each turn. Represented by translucent cubes that look like forbidden jelly sweets, these shouldn't be underestimated. When more than three are placed on a city, they'll tumble to neighbouring spaces in a catastrophic domino effect. This is called an 'Outbreak,' and you'll lose if you have too many.

While it's possible to remove cubes by visiting that city, this uses up a precious action that could be spent researching cures instead. Moreover, Epidemic cards that increase the number of cubes placed each turn are hidden throughout the deck. Time really is of the essence as a result; spend too long and you'll be totally overrun. Good communication and clever use of your character's abilities are your only defence.

The game's art helps put you into that mindset. It feels as if it's been cribbed from a CSI drama. Actually, it wouldn't be out of place on a screen in some shadowy war room where officials dramatically gasp "my god" whilst watching events unfold.

Not gelling with that aesthetic? Don't worry, you've got options. The system has been popular enough to spawn numerous versions of Pandemic since the original board game hit shelves, ranging from a Cthulhu-themed take on the formula to a recent Lord of the Rings spin-off. If you want something more long-term, you can also pick up 'Legacy' varieties that stretch the game across a campaign where each session has consequences. These are often deemed superior to the original Pandemic by fans, which is saying something.

Gameplay

• Exciting, edge-of-your-seat stuff
• Teamwork and flexibility are essential
• Engrossing, but can be difficult

Each turn in Pandemic boils down to a choice - searching for a cure or removing disease cubes to avoid them spreading. It sounds simple, but is anything but in practice. Focusing on an overall solution may help in the long run, but it's likely you'll be overwhelmed before that. Similarly, keeping the infection rate down avoids Outbreaks... but you're treating symptoms rather than the cause so will become stuck in a loop. This is where most of the game's drama can be found. What should you do? There's no definitive answer, leaving you with plenty of space to carve out your own strategies. It's proper edge-of-your-seat stuff.

That's why Pandemic is often listed as a frontrunner when it comes to the best adult board games; it leaves room to take charge and feel like a hero. More importantly, teamwork is essential. Everyone's got a skill that may just turn the tide if used correctly (the Medic can remove all infections from a location at once, for instance), so good communication and planning spells the difference between winning and losing.

You'll never be left twiddling your thumbs, either - everyone stays involved throughout by discussing tactics. You succeed or fail together, and it won't be down to luck. If you're looking for the best cooperative board games, it's hard to do much better.

This game's got plenty of longevity, too. Besides being playable in a group or as a pair, infection locations are randomized at the beginning of each game. That means you never really know what you'll be facing.

In addition, it can be made harder or easier thanks to that clutch of 'Epidemic' cards that are hidden within the main deck. Upon being drawn, these increase the number of infections in play. The more you choose to have, the more difficult things will become. Find sessions too easy? Add more.

Surprisingly, it never feels hopeless even if you ratchet up the challenge. Clever placement, your powers, and special event cards can really turn the tide even when things seem dire. This creates a special kind of bond between players, and it's utterly engrossing.

Unfortunately, the downside is that it can be a little unfair. Depending on how the cards are shuffled, you could wind up with outbreaks and cascading infections across the globe quickly. It's actually possible to lose within a few turns if you get an unlucky setup, and that's obviously frustrating.

Still, this doesn't happen all that often. And even if it does, you'll almost certainly want to try again. Pandemic is the sort of game that keeps reeling you in.

Should you buy Pandemic?

If you ask me, the Pandemic board game deserves to be on everyone's shelf. It's a compelling chase that'll tease out the best in its players, and an emphasis on teamwork brings you all closer in the process.

It's true that this won't appeal if you're interested in quick, party-style games. Pandemic can be incredibly tough as well. Nonetheless, I can't think of any other game that's so easy to become invested in.

Ratings

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How we tested Pandemic

I have been playing Pandemic for years as a fan with different player counts and a variety of people to get a feel for how it works - to say nothing of its longevity. This is a staple of my collection and I'll often return to it, so I'm very familiar with its inner workings.

For a better look at our process, see this guide to how we test board games or the GamesRadar+ reviews policy.

Looking to try something else? Be sure to check out the best family board games, or the best card games.