Pandemic (board game): History and Key Facts

Pandemic is a cooperative board game designed by Matt Leacock and first published by Z-Man Games in the United States in 2008. Pandemic is based on the premise that four diseases have broken out in the world, each threatening to wipe out a region. Through the combined effort of all the players, the goal is to discover all four cures before any of several game-losing conditions are reached. The game accommodates two to four players, each playing one of seven possible roles: dispatcher, medic, scientist, researcher, operations expert, contingency planner, or quarantine specialist.

Three expansions, Pandemic: On the Brink, Pandemic: In the Lab, and Pandemic: State of Emergency, co-designed by Matt Leacock and Tom Lehmann, each add several new roles and special events, as well as rule adjustments to allow a fifth player or to play in teams. In addition, several rule expansions are included, referred to as "challenge kits".

Pandemic is considered one of the most successful cooperative games that have reached mainstream market sales, condensing the strategic play offered by earlier cooperative games, like Arkham Horror, into a shorter, more accessible game that can be played by a broader range of players.

Aside from expansions, several spinoffs have been released, most notably the Pandemic Legacy series, which encompasses three seasons (Season 1, Season 2, and Season 0), which adds an ongoing storyline and permanent changes to the game. The Pandemic Legacy games have been received with critical acclaim, with Season 1 ranking 3rd place on BoardGameGeek out of over 100,000 games.

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