Our Pandemic review, what we have to say about the cooperative race against time that started it all. This game puts you and your fellow players on the frontline against a virus that is spreading rapidly across the globe. You are a team each with a very different job to collectively play whack-a-mole with infections that spring up in different cities before it gets out of control and destroys humanity. This is a very iconic and top-selling board game out there mainly because it started this kind of co-op experience and is considered the gold standard.
We took a look across fun, replayability, player interaction, quality and art & style to come up with the overall score for our Pandemic review. See the breakdown by category below.
FOR MORE: Pandemic Page | How To Play Pandemic | Games Like Pandemic | Buy Pandemic on Amazon
– CATEGORY BREAKDOWN –
Fun (8 out of 10)
Being completely honest, this is not the most fun game on the market and the highest marks of this Pandemic review are not going to be found here. This may be because you are are on a tough mission and it doesn’t always work out. The frustration can sometimes get out of control but it is in fact satisfying when you can actually figure it all out and get the job done.
Replayability (7 out of 10)
The goal is always the exact same but Pandemic but there are a few bells and whistles that can make games run differently and keep things interesting. The virus starts in different locations and the powers of your team can shift. They are very successful in aiding the flow, but it can only do so much. This is all very arbitrary and really comes down to if you like this kind of game but this Pandemic review delivers a definitive 6.
Player Interaction (9 out of 10)
This is a cooperative board game so there is already lots of player interaction built into this Pandemic review. The game is all how you can be as a team so we need to be very hard on it. We will say that it is top-notch and deserves that credit it has out there on the street. There are some other things out there that are more cohesive and option plentiful but respect all the way.
Quality (9 out of 10)
Pandemic is on the board game royalty list, it was a trailblazer and it has sold many copies to many satisfied customers. Many consider it to be the gold standard in the cooperative, variable player power, race against time, whack-a-mole genre. They would be right. All components are of top quality. The box could use more sorting areas but it gets the job done just fine.
Art & Style (7 out of 10)
The art & style here is nothing groundbreaking but this Pandemic review gives a solid 6. This game relies on a realism and brings you into a conflict that can happen to all of us (see 2020). The art, style and everything else is very cohesive and successful in supporting this. The attention to detail is there and well done, there is just not that much needed.
– IN CLOSING –
Pandemic Review | Board Game Halv
Pandemic is an icon in the board game world. It really made the cooperative board game a thing and continues to hold that title today. As far as the variable player powers team games that has you putting out a threat before it can spring up, this is a great choice. Playing this game is a rite of passage here, but maybe make sure you love it before buying. We hope you have enjoyed our Pandemic review.
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8
See the full explanation of the judging criteria here.
Although Pandemic solidified the co-op genre of board games, it was Lord of the Rings: The Board Game (2000) that really put co-op games on the map.