Pandemic

Save the world together, or spend an hour arguing about how you're going to lose.

4.3/5

Players2-4

Play time45 min

WeightMedium

Ages8+

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The verdict

The game that taught a whole generation of players that working together is harder than it looks.

Best for: Tables that would rather play with each other than against

The full review

What it is

Pandemic puts the whole table on one team of specialists fighting four diseases as they spread across the map. You pool what you know, plan your routes, and try to lock in cures before the outbreaks cascade out of control. When it lands, it's a tense group puzzle with everyone leaning over the board at once.

The catch

Here's the one warning worth giving. Co-op games invite the alpha player, the most experienced person at the table quietly taking over everyone else's turns. Agree before you start that each person makes their own calls, and Pandemic turns from a lecture back into a real, shared nail-biter.

Who it's for

It's hard, and sometimes you'll lose with the last cure one card out of reach. Somehow losing together still feels warm. It's a good pick for couples and families who are tired of beating each other up over a board.

Pandemic

What it is

The catch

Who it's for

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