Pandemic is a cooperative board game that challenges you to stop the spread of four diseases around the world. The challenge is tough, with players battling against each other as well as the diseases themselves. To make things even more difficult, sometimes your group will be given cards which can change how you play and win! If you love Pandemic but don’t have enough time for a whole game or if you are looking for something different from it, then this blog post has five games like Pandemic that will keep you entertained and help improve your strategy skills.
What Is Pandemic Board Game?
Pandemic is a board game that was created by Matt Leacock and published in 2008. There have been many expansions for the original version of Pandemic, with new ways to play and different characters! The aim of the game is to win together as a team, but one player will take on the role of ‘The Director’ who tries their best not to lose. You must work together quickly too because when players lose they also become infected meaning you can eventually spread diseases across all continents!
The Gameplay of Pandemic Board Game
When playing Pandemic the aim is to cure all four diseases before they spread around the world. If you do not succeed in this task then players lose and become infected themselves too! The game can be played with two or three people, but if there are fewer than four it will be a bit harder because one player must double up roles. For example, if there were only two people playing then both would need to take on ‘The Director’ role as well as their own main character role.
Sometimes there will be a card that allows you to give another player an extra AP, but this can only be done once per turn so it is not very helpful if someone needs more than one action point! Players who start losing the game will also become infected with diseases too meaning they must swap between being ‘The Director’ or playing as one of their characters.
One way in which Pandemic stands out from other board games is that two different types of cubes are used throughout gameplay: disease cubes and research stations/vaccine tokens. If players do not cure all four diseases then these cubes begin appearing around the map because some countries have fallen under attack by them! This means continents are becoming harder to travel between and the chance of catching a disease is increasing. The more cubes there are on the board, the less likely you will win because it becomes easier for diseases to spread!
Why Do You Need to Play This Game?
Pandemic is a fun and challenging board game that tests your communication skills. If you like working together to solve problems then Pandemic might be the best choice for you! It is also not necessary to have knowledge of Latin in order to play this game, but it can sometimes help with understanding what certain card names mean when they are flipped over (e.g ‘Epidemic’ or ‘Quarantine’). The most important thing during gameplay though, is how well players communicate and work together because miscommunication could lead them all to lose the game very quickly if no one knows who should cure which disease first!
What Are Pandemic Alternatives?
Pandemic keeps you on your toes as a player and with this many games like pandemic available, it is easy to see why so many people love the cooperative experience! If you are looking for another co-op board game that challenges players in a similar way then check out our list of best Pandemic substitutes below.
| Image | Product | |
|---|---|---|
Best Game like Pandemic  | Forbidden Island
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Best for Challenging Cooperative Gameplay  | Castle Panic
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Best for New Take on Cooperative Gameplay  | Forbidden Desert
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Best for People Who Like a Challenge  | Flash Point Fire Rescue
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Best for People Who Enjoy Survival  | Robinson Crusoe
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1. Forbidden Island – Best Game like Pandemic
Forbidden Island, created by Matt Leacock who also created Pandemic, is an ideal game to play if you are looking for other games like Pandemic. It’s one of the best cooperative board games because it has simple rules and tasks that can be mastered with teamwork! This makes it a great choice for both older children or adults since anyone can pick up this game quickly without having previous experience.Players must find four ancient treasures on the mysterious island map which changes every time someone plays (using different tiles). There are sixty-four unique map layouts in total, which makes this game very replayable. Players will need to use special items such as shovels and life vests if they want to survive because Forbidden Island is an island after all!
Gameplay
Players take on the role of adventurers who are trying to escape from an island. The more players there are, the easier it is for them to win but also the more difficult it becomes too! Players must work together and use items such as tools or life vests wisely in order to move around different tiles safely without sinking into any holes. This game can be very challenging because you never know what your next step will be until everyone has moved their adventurer piece onto a new tile so sometimes this means not all characters may make it out alive before they have found four treasures!
This game might sound intense at first due to its difficulty level but Forbidden Island provides both younger children and older ones with challenges that need time management skills, patience, and of course teamwork!
Details
- Game Time: 30 Min
- Age: 10+
- Players: 2-4
Final Thoughts
Forbidden Island provides players with a unique experience that tests their problem-solving abilities. It’s an ideal game to play if you are looking for other games like Pandemic since it challenges players in the same way but on a smaller scale!
2. Castle Panic – Best for Challenging Cooperative Gameplay
Castle Panic is a cooperative board game where players must work together to defeat monsters that are trying to destroy their castle. This tower defense-style board game tests teamwork and problem-solving skills because this isn’t an easy task!In Castle Panic, there will always be enemies approaching the player’s territory from different points on the map so everyone needs to stay focused in order not to lose track of them all.
Players have a limited number of resources too such as arrows or catapults which can help prevent some damage being done but these items need time before they’re ready again meaning players cannot rely on just one strategy for winning each round; instead, they’ll need lots of planning ahead in order not take down all the enemies on the map!
Gameplay
In this game, players take on the role of a castle’s ruler and must work together to protect their own land from enemies. Each player has their own character piece to move around the board but their goal is all the same; destroy as many enemies or survive for a certain amount of time.
This game is great for families since younger children can use resource cards or help build towers while older ones will learn about planning ahead and taking turns in order not to lose any resources needed towards winning each round. Castle Panic tests teamwork skills as well as problem-solving abilities which makes this a perfect board game choice for anyone who wants more games like Pandemic, but with tougher challenges that require lots of thinking!
Details
- Game Time: 60 Min
- Age: 10+
- Players: 1-6
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for other games like Pandemic that require teamwork, then Castle Panic is the game to try! This game really tests problem-solving abilities and patience because players need lots of planning ahead in order not to lose.
3. Forbidden Desert – Best for New Take on Cooperative Gameplay
Forbidden Desert is another cooperative board game that requires teamwork in order to complete a task while dealing with challenging obstacles along the way. In this desert-themed version of Forbidden Island, players must work together and use items such as tools or life vests wisely in order to move around different tiles safely without sinking into any holes!In Forbidden Desert, there are five stages which mean each one gets harder than the last so you never know what your next step will be until everyone has moved their adventurer piece onto a new tile sometimes this means not all characters may make it out alive before they have found four treasures but if they do then everyone wins! This game might sound Pandemic at first due to its cooperative gameplay but the setting and rules make it a different experience for players.
Gameplay
Forbidden Desert is a cooperative board game where players must work together in order to complete their tasks. Each player has an adventurer piece that they have to move around the desert map which means all of them to need to do this at once since it’s not just one person who can win. This makes Forbidden Desert very difficult because if only some characters make it out alive then everyone loses! Players also have life vests and other items but these will be used up quickly so you’ll need lots of planning ahead before using any item or else your heroes might sink into quicksand along with having no way out!
The main challenge is sinking into sand holes since these are impossible to get out without an item which means you’ll need lots of life vests in order to not lose anyone! Players must also be aware that they cannot stay on one tile too long or else the game will end and everyone loses; this makes Forbidden Desert a challenging cooperative board game like Pandemic but with different rules and goals for players.
Details
- Game Time: 45 Min
- Age: 10+
- Players: 2-5
Final Thoughts
For anyone who loves Pandemic, Forbidden Desert is perfect since this game tests teamwork skills as well problem-solving abilities which will be needed in order to advance throughout each stage of play! If you’re looking for other games like Pandemic that are still fun despite having no zombies or diseases then try out Forbidden Desert instead. You won’t regret it!
4. Flash Point Fire Rescue – Best for People Who Like a Challenge
Flash Point Fire Rescue is one of the best board games like Pandemic because, in this game, players have to work together and use their problem-solving abilities in order to complete challenges while rescuing victims from a burning building.Gameplay
Flash Point Fire Rescue is a cooperative board game where players must work as one in order to complete missions and save victims. Players will have to deal with challenging obstacles such as fires, poisonous smoke, and dangerous animals if they want to win!
It’s also important that everyone works together effectively by using items like fire extinguishers or axes at just the right time so there aren’t any accidents along the way. This makes Flash Point Fire Rescue an exciting challenge because seasoned gamers may find themselves dying quite often which will mean that communication is key in order to win.
Details
- Game Time: 30 Min
- Age: 10+
- Players: 2-6
Final Thoughts
Flash Point Fire Rescue is perfect if you’re looking for a challenging cooperative board game that’s similar to Pandemic because this will test your communication skills as well as working with others. If you think Flash Point sounds interesting then try it out today!
5. Robinson Crusoe – Best for People Who Enjoy Survival
The main goal of Robinson Crusoe is for every player on the team to complete their personal objectives before Robinson dies or any other character loses all four pieces; however, this can be very difficult since there are many obstacles along the way that will make it challenging for players to advance. Players also have life vests and certain items they need throughout the play which means you’ll only lose if everyone doesn’t do what they’re supposed to! This makes Robinson Crusoe one of the best games like Pandemic because it tests teamwork skills while requiring problem-solving abilities so gamers who enjoy a challenge will have a lot of fun with this.Gameplay
Robinson Crusoe is a cooperative board game where players must work together in order to complete four different tasks. When it’s time for their turn, each player will have to move the story forward by following what’s written on the card; however, this can be difficult because you don’t know when an obstacle will block your way or if someone else has already solved that part of the mission!
This makes Robinson Crusoe one of my favorite games like Pandemic because it requires problem-solving abilities well teamwork skills which means there are many challenges that will test your abilities.
Details
- Game Time: 60-120 Min
- Age: 14+
- Players: 1-4
Final Thoughts
Robinson Crusoe is perfect if you’re looking for a challenge because it requires good communication, teamwork skills, and problem-solving abilities. If this sounds interesting then give Robinson Crusoe a try today!
People Also Ask
Is Pandemic a difficult game to play?
Yes, Pandemic is very challenging because players must try their best to avoid the outbreak of certain diseases which can be extremely difficult if they don't work together as a team. This makes playing games like pandemic worth it because there are many obstacles along the way that will test your skills and abilities!
Are there any expansions that players can get for the game?
Yes, there are many Pandemic expansion packs available depending on which version you have; however, these only make the game more difficult because they'll increase the number of diseases. This makes playing games like pandemic worth it if this is something you enjoy since every time you play will be a new experience!
What kind of things do people need to do during the game?
During gameplay, every player will have their own objectives which means you'll need to communicate with your teammates in order for everyone to get through certain obstacles. This makes playing games like pandemic worth it if this sounds challenging because there are many fun tasks that require teamwork skills and problem-solving abilities!
Summary
We hope that this blog post helped you learn more about games like Pandemic! Try one of the recommendations above if you’re looking for a game where players must work together as a team or have good communication skills because each version is very challenging and requires problem-solving abilities. This makes playing games similar to Pandemic worth it because there are many obstacles that’ll test your abilities!