Pandemic: The Cure cover
2014BGG rank #613

Pandemic: The Cure

by Matt Leacock · Z-Man Games

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Players2–5
Time30m
ComplexityMedium-Light
Age8+

About the game

What is Pandemic: The Cure?

Pandemic: The Cure, a dice-based version of the popular Pandemic board game, sets up in less than a minute and plays in 30 minutes. As in the board game, four diseases threaten the world and it's up to your team to save humanity. You and your team must keep the world's hotspots in check before they break out of control, while researching cures to the four plagues. Players roll dice each turn to determine the actions available to them. They can fly and sail between the six major population centers of the world, treat disease in their current region, collect samples for further study, and exchange knowledge to help them in their goal of discovering cures. Each player takes on a different role that has its own unique set of dice and abilities — and players must take advantage of their specializations if they are to have any hope of winning the game. The Dispatcher, for example, can spend dice to fly others around the board, while the Medic is particularly adept at treating disease. Players can roll their dice as often as they like, but the more times they re-roll for the perfect turn, the more likely the next epidemic will occur. At the end of each turn, new "infection dice" are rolled to determine the type and location of newly infected populations. If any region on the board is infected with more than three dice of a given color, an outbreak occurs, spreading disease into an adjacent region. If too many outbreaks take place, too many people get infected, or the rate of infection gets too high, all the players lose. If, however, the players can discover the cures to the four diseases, they all win and humanity is saved! Part of the Pandemic series.

How it plays

Mechanics

Cooperative GameDice RollingHand ManagementPoint to Point MovementPush Your LuckRe-rolling and LockingSet CollectionSolo / Solitaire GameTagsVariable Player Powers

On the shelf

Categories

DiceEnvironmentalMedical

Questions players ask

Questions to bring to BoardGameBrain

  • How do setup and the first turn work in Pandemic: The Cure?
  • When does scoring happen and what ends the game?
  • How should the table resolve an unusual timing or rules interaction?