Pandemic is a classic board game with a simple goal: save the world from a deadly disease. It is a co-operative game (at least the vanilla game is) and it is great fun to be a well-oiled machine in disease fighting. Or just have fun while being a completely ineffectual disease control force- the choice is yours.
Pandemic (sans expansions) pits you against 4 epidemic diseases in a race against time. Played over a world map, each player moves around the board and uses their actions and special abilities to cure the four types of diseases before one of them kills the world. As per all action-management games, you have to decide what to prioritise your actions on as there is never enough time to do everything you want before one of the games lose conditions is satisfied.
Pandemic is a co-operative game that plays simply but gives you a great sense of satisfaction when you narrowly avoid disaster. The mechanics are easy to pick up and it is easy to guide new players through the first game or two. However, be warned to pick your gaming group carefully. An alpha-player can easily bully players around until there is little co-operation and the game devolves into just one player playing multiple characters.
In order to succeed, each player has to use their roles to maximise their actions. Once you get the hang of this, there isn't much more to the game. However, what it does it does very well. It is a very good co-operative game and a good introductory game. The expansions add more challenge and complex mechanics once some regular players are ready for it.
4 out of 5 disease-ridden waffles.
