Pandemic is a co-operative game, where all the players play against the game scenario, a world wide outbreak of viruses!

Each player selects a random role in the fight to find a cure and eradicate the four different viruses that are breaking out around the world.

If this is your first co-operative game you may be very surprised at how well the team working aspects of the game work.  Each role has a special ability and contributes something different to the game, making each player's involvement important.

The game is played on a board with a world map, showing different city areas connected by flight paths.  Cards are used to randomise the outbreak of diseases as well as to give players options and tools to fight these outbreaks.

As the game progresses it will become more and more important to try contain (or eliminate) the different viruses as there are lots of ways to lose the game.  Another nice feature is that you can scale the difficulty of the game very easily, by including more or less 'infection cards' - the cards that indicate when the virus goes nuts and breaks out into different areas.

Being a co-operative game has it's good and bad points.  The good points are the opportunity to work as a team, share goals and collectively define a strategy to work towards.  On the down side, more aggressive players may 'bully' other players into making the moves that they want them to make.  If you watch for it, this shouldn't be a big problem though - and the co-operative nature of the game actually lends itself to teaching-while-you-play very well.

The game is published by Z-Man Games.