I'm always on the lookout for a game to give to 4th or 5th graders that they could confidently play and finish during an indoor recess. It's good to teach them young that there are games other than Sorry, Battleship, and Connect Four.
My thoughts exactly. I like these "express" versions because I can pack a bunch of small games into a Tupperware container and take them on vacation without the bulk or weight of full games (or damaging boxes). I picked up a copy of Hot Zone before going to visit my parents a few weeks ago and introduced them to Pandemic. We played, and lost, 3 games, so I don't know if it made a good impression on them. 😆 Not to say we would be going on a cruise again anytime in the foreseeable future, but I liked to pack small footprint games for passing time on at sea days.
My personal preference is always shorter and lighter games, but this makes Pandemic almost identical to Forbidden Island. I guess if someone doesn’t have either game, it’s cool that they have different themes to choose from, but Forbidden Island is definitely prettier with nicer components.
That is exactly what I thought when i saw the watch it played video ! I know they are created by the same designer but with this version they are basically the same game
I’m getting it because I’ll be doing a lot of virtual games on Zoom. For that, I need games with no hidden information, a small board/playing space, and it can’t go too long or be too complex. This should be great. Thanks, Zee
Found it in Target today for $10.50! Great value for a travel Pandemic. Hopefully it'll reignite my live for the OG Pandemic. The setup time always made me groan, especially when expansions were involved.
My issue that has arisen (my partner and I have played 3 times) is that the player card deck runs out every time. I can’t see how either of the other scenarios would cause someone to lose. Curing a disease costs 4 cards, and then you have to draw 4 more. Two cures is 8 cards, and that’s likely not going to happen within the first few rounds so the deck is already diminishing. Then after 8 expended cards, we still have to get 4 more in line with one person’s hand. Are we missing something? Are we just dumb? Lol.
Question on the hierarchy of the games okay pandemic the longest and then 20 minutes on this version. P. Reign of Cthulhu, does that fit in between these two games time wise?
In my experience the longest pandemic is Rising tide. It has more "epidemic" (they are called differently of course) cards, making hte setup the longest (since you have to shuffle so many tiny decks) and was in my opinion by far the fiddly-est pandemic I've ever played. Since you have to check for spilling and similar it made the turns go by slower (at least in my experience - I've played it around 5 or 6 times) and the map didn't help (I think it is much less clear thus again slowing down the game). Fall of Rome has some similar "issues" with the between turn upkeep taking a bit longer than in other versions, but less so than Rising tide (you still have to parse which way the barbarians are coming and trace it back instead of just looking where to add cubes like in regular pandemic) Normal Pandemic and Iberia are basically the same timewise. As you said Cthulthu is somewhere in between - the board is sligthly smaller and the difficulty is not changed by the amount of "epidemic" cards, but by removeing regular cards, so you always only have to make 4 piles to shuffle for setup. This one seems certainly shorter than Cthulthu.
Hi Zee, watched the review and bought the game. Z-Man owe you a cent or two in commission...Believe it or not, this was my first ever game of anything Pandemic and I enjoyed it hugely. I am intrigued by the legacy set of this game, is it much of a leap to go from this to that version of the game? Many thanks in advance...
If you already own pandemic, only get this if you really have a desire for a more concise/distilled/light version for whatever reason (table space, shelf space, portability, playtime, people you want to play with), and even then I'd argue the free official print-and-play of it you can get (combined with some components from the regular version) might be enough to satisfy that desire as well. If you own neither but want one of them, then consider the play time, and even then, consider first trying out the free print-and-play of this smaller version, if you like it fine and don't desire anything more, stick with the PnP or buy the game if you want nicer components, if you feel like you've been given a little taste of something good and want more, go for regular pandemic (not only because it gives a longer play time with a better game arc, but also because if you later want even more, you can get expansions for it, which currently isn't the case (yet) for hot zone). If you have a need for a pandemic Demo you can display (e.g. at a store or stand) then Hot Zones is probably ideal.
I’m wondering if this could be a better version of Pandemic for solo-play, because you have to keep fewer things in your head while playing multiple roles at the same time.
Have you tried Pandemic: Fall of Rome ? That version has a separate solo mode, which helps if you don't really want to play multiple hands of cards. The changes in that mode makes it so that, despite playing 3 roles you only have one single hand of cards (but as I said still 3 roles) :)
If theme is irrelevant, look into Tetrachia. If you are a PNP person look for the 9-card Epidemic on BGG. Or if you like dice even more, Pandemic the Cure is awesome.
Did they release this just to make up for the fact that we still haven't got Pandemic Legacy season 3? Because they should have just spent the time finishing that one instead.
Check out iota from GameWright. Tiny box, but it does need some space to play. Otherwise, the Pack'o Games series, which Zee has reviewed and is generally a fan of.
Great game if you travel a lot and want a smaller version of Pandemic to play with Family. Also if you have only 30-40 mins to play something, this is great! I would definitely get this! Im a big fan of Pandemic either way
Strange timing to release this game, to say the least ... I think TtR London/NY does a much better job at shortening a great game, Pandemic is a game that does not necessarily need that short version edition. Love to see Downfall of Pompeii on the shelf, just an awesome game all around!
The timing makes sense to me. I don't know if sales of Pandemic have grown over the last few months, but sales of the computer game Plague Inc have surged. People like to have entertainment that reflects current events, for a variety of reasons.
We didn't need a shorter ticket to Ride neither, but people still buys lots of them. Did we need a shorter pandemic, no. Do people still want it, probably yes 😂
I wonder why they never took the Ticket to Ride route with Pandemic and make different map expansions, each with a slight twist. I mean, I guess why do it when you can sell them the same game multiple times XD
This is so disappointing. There is a fantastic print and play of Pandemic Express, and that’s what this should have taken notes from rather than being essentially Pandemic on a smaller board.
I relate to your thoughts, just don't be afraid to say we didn't need this :) I guess it's just a game for the mass market, more than Pandemic itself is.
Makes me wonder if it would have been better to take different colors for the viruses. With blue and red all being in the Northern part, it almost looks like a US map on election day...
I already have Pandemic, Reign of Cthulhu, and Iberia... yet, I’m tempted to get this one because my family likes shorter games. For our last game night we played Ticket to ride London and Hardback...
This is a very strange review. You say Pandemic is a 10/10 for you and this is a 7/10, but the real differences are the time and size? Do those differences make up for the 3 points missing or are you considering pandemic a 10/10 in its own time, and with all its expansions?
As in regular Pandemic the big dots do not represent the exact location of the cities (otherwise Los Angeles would be underwater). You might notice a thin line emerging from each dot that points to the correct place.
GARBAGE GAME! The first thing I thought of when I saw this was those city versions of Ticket to Ride, WHICH I HATE. I understand the need to make versions of these that go a little faster. I especially understand that for Ticket to Ride, which can sometimes drag. But Pandemic never drags and it never takes an hour. Getting rid of the actions that make this a puzzle and replacing them with luck is NOT the way to make this shorter. It's a way to make it boring. I like the idea of introducing people to Pandemic via Cthulhu, which last 45 minutes, AT MOST. The luck there is still tolerable, but it does a much better job of removing some of the puzzly nature of the game without turning it into slightly-puzzly version of Go Fish!
Original Pandemic was partially inspired by the SARS outbreak in 2003, so was it bad taste? I see it as encouraging people to think about how these things spread or how we can't eradicate everything in real life.
I'd like a shorter Pandemic, and I ain't talking about board games right now.
Same
sadly, that one was a 1-2y playtime.
This is technically just Epidemic.
Only 4 likes in 4 days is frankly not good enough.
I'm always on the lookout for a game to give to 4th or 5th graders that they could confidently play and finish during an indoor recess. It's good to teach them young that there are games other than Sorry, Battleship, and Connect Four.
This is like pandemic travel version. I can see my self packing this up in a back pack and play on vacation..
My thoughts exactly. I like these "express" versions because I can pack a bunch of small games into a Tupperware container and take them on vacation without the bulk or weight of full games (or damaging boxes).
I picked up a copy of Hot Zone before going to visit my parents a few weeks ago and introduced them to Pandemic. We played, and lost, 3 games, so I don't know if it made a good impression on them. 😆
Not to say we would be going on a cruise again anytime in the foreseeable future, but I liked to pack small footprint games for passing time on at sea days.
My personal preference is always shorter and lighter games, but this makes Pandemic almost identical to Forbidden Island. I guess if someone doesn’t have either game, it’s cool that they have different themes to choose from, but Forbidden Island is definitely prettier with nicer components.
That is exactly what I thought when i saw the watch it played video !
I know they are created by the same designer but with this version they are basically the same game
I’m getting it because I’ll be doing a lot of virtual games on Zoom. For that, I need games with no hidden information, a small board/playing space, and it can’t go too long or be too complex. This should be great. Thanks, Zee
12:35 Note to self: do not let Zee come near your coffee
Thank you...lol....
Yeah, who does that?
This will be a great version of the game for use in school classrooms, short enough and a tad simpler
Found it in Target today for $10.50! Great value for a travel Pandemic. Hopefully it'll reignite my live for the OG Pandemic. The setup time always made me groan, especially when expansions were involved.
Is this a better version for solo or two player Pandemic (which are my most often player counts)?
My issue that has arisen (my partner and I have played 3 times) is that the player card deck runs out every time. I can’t see how either of the other scenarios would cause someone to lose. Curing a disease costs 4 cards, and then you have to draw 4 more. Two cures is 8 cards, and that’s likely not going to happen within the first few rounds so the deck is already diminishing. Then after 8 expended cards, we still have to get 4 more in line with one person’s hand. Are we missing something? Are we just dumb? Lol.
Question on the hierarchy of the games okay pandemic the longest and then 20 minutes on this version. P. Reign of Cthulhu, does that fit in between these two games time wise?
In my experience the longest pandemic is Rising tide. It has more "epidemic" (they are called differently of course) cards, making hte setup the longest (since you have to shuffle so many tiny decks) and was in my opinion by far the fiddly-est pandemic I've ever played. Since you have to check for spilling and similar it made the turns go by slower (at least in my experience - I've played it around 5 or 6 times) and the map didn't help (I think it is much less clear thus again slowing down the game).
Fall of Rome has some similar "issues" with the between turn upkeep taking a bit longer than in other versions, but less so than Rising tide (you still have to parse which way the barbarians are coming and trace it back instead of just looking where to add cubes like in regular pandemic)
Normal Pandemic and Iberia are basically the same timewise.
As you said Cthulthu is somewhere in between - the board is sligthly smaller and the difficulty is not changed by the amount of "epidemic" cards, but by removeing regular cards, so you always only have to make 4 piles to shuffle for setup.
This one seems certainly shorter than Cthulthu.
Hi Zee, watched the review and bought the game. Z-Man owe you a cent or two in commission...Believe it or not, this was my first ever game of anything Pandemic and I enjoyed it hugely. I am intrigued by the legacy set of this game, is it much of a leap to go from this to that version of the game? Many thanks in advance...
I was thinking about getting this for my little cousins ages 5-9. Do you think it's simplified enough for kids?
If you already own pandemic, only get this if you really have a desire for a more concise/distilled/light version for whatever reason (table space, shelf space, portability, playtime, people you want to play with), and even then I'd argue the free official print-and-play of it you can get (combined with some components from the regular version) might be enough to satisfy that desire as well.
If you own neither but want one of them, then consider the play time, and even then, consider first trying out the free print-and-play of this smaller version, if you like it fine and don't desire anything more, stick with the PnP or buy the game if you want nicer components, if you feel like you've been given a little taste of something good and want more, go for regular pandemic (not only because it gives a longer play time with a better game arc, but also because if you later want even more, you can get expansions for it, which currently isn't the case (yet) for hot zone).
If you have a need for a pandemic Demo you can display (e.g. at a store or stand) then Hot Zones is probably ideal.
Hey! You have On Tour! I Love It!
I never played "Pandemic", cause I like shorter games, so I guess this one's for me. Thank you, Zee!
I’m wondering if this could be a better version of Pandemic for solo-play, because you have to keep fewer things in your head while playing multiple roles at the same time.
Yes, I was wondering the same thing, have you played it solo Zee?
Have you tried Pandemic: Fall of Rome ? That version has a separate solo mode, which helps if you don't really want to play multiple hands of cards. The changes in that mode makes it so that, despite playing 3 roles you only have one single hand of cards (but as I said still 3 roles) :)
@@S0nyb1ack No I haven't tried it, thanks for the suggestion!
If theme is irrelevant, look into Tetrachia. If you are a PNP person look for the 9-card Epidemic on BGG. Or if you like dice even more, Pandemic the Cure is awesome.
@@fearanarchy I will look into those too, thanks!
Love your refferal to the whisp of coffee
Did they release this just to make up for the fact that we still haven't got Pandemic Legacy season 3?
Because they should have just spent the time finishing that one instead.
According to the designer this was originally meant to be used as a demo, but then the publisher decided they should just release it.
A faster, shorter, easier version of pandemic is absolutely something I want in my collection.
Forbidden Island kind of already fills that role for me
Thanks for another great video.
Perfect 👌 review. Completely agree!
I've been looking for a compact board game to put in my emergency go-bag. Something like this would be a good fit.
Check out iota from GameWright. Tiny box, but it does need some space to play. Otherwise, the Pack'o Games series, which Zee has reviewed and is generally a fan of.
@@belg4mit I agree with both. I also have Single card game, I take it everywhere boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/206274/single-card-game
Love this idea...just like the small ticket to ride games. Good fillers and great with kids!
Same with my family. We don't always have time for the longer Pandemic
Quite interested in this! Thanks for sharing
Great game if you travel a lot and want a smaller version of Pandemic to play with Family. Also if you have only 30-40 mins to play something, this is great! I would definitely get this! Im a big fan of Pandemic either way
Great breakdown on the review.
Nice review as always, Zee! I wonder which one you would prefer - this one or Pandemic the Cure for a shorter version of Pandemic?
It's like a mini pandemic
Perfect for an afterschool 3-5th grade board game group.
Strange timing to release this game, to say the least ... I think TtR London/NY does a much better job at shortening a great game, Pandemic is a game that does not necessarily need that short version edition.
Love to see Downfall of Pompeii on the shelf, just an awesome game all around!
The timing makes sense to me. I don't know if sales of Pandemic have grown over the last few months, but sales of the computer game Plague Inc have surged.
People like to have entertainment that reflects current events, for a variety of reasons.
We didn't need a shorter ticket to Ride neither, but people still buys lots of them. Did we need a shorter pandemic, no. Do people still want it, probably yes 😂
@@jean-christopherioux3546
Ticket to Ride is longer and larger than Pandemic.
I wish they had added just one twist to make it different and justify a purchase.
Robin Rising well to be fair, Crisis cards are not in the base game of pandemic. So that’s kind of a twist, not much of one though
Actually there is an expansion in the big version that add some kind of “crisis” cards to the game.
This can be used as a teaching set, for the bigger pandemic
Can we get Zee ranking all pandemic games in a video?
I think he might have done this in a top 100 video - sorry I can't recall which one.
I wonder why they never took the Ticket to Ride route with Pandemic and make different map expansions, each with a slight twist. I mean, I guess why do it when you can sell them the same game multiple times XD
Nice review!! Is that a neoprene mat? Link plz
Mithun Srinivasan looks like a regular cardboard board
@@bagookster He might refer to the greyish thing underneath. Looks neat.
The name of the company that makes that mat is called Quiver. Their site is Quiver Game Gear
This is so disappointing. There is a fantastic print and play of Pandemic Express, and that’s what this should have taken notes from rather than being essentially Pandemic on a smaller board.
I'll look at it.
Seems like a nice one to take to the pub, easily portable, some card sleeves and a roll-out map board and it could be even better.
So this is like Pandemic Medium ?
“Why is there an extra small and an extra large, but not an extra medium?” - Todd Glass
Will you review tang gardens?
Anyone else distracted by the fact that Antiquity and The Great Zimbabwe are on the shelf just over Zee's right shoulder? Are these his game shelves?
Seems like the TtR:London version of pandemic
14:02
@@benlauson555 yeah posted that before I watched the rest of the video 🙂
Probably not as drastic of a difference in size and length though.
This looks like a good game for teaching co-ops to new players.
The map is painful to look at.
Most of the locations are nowhere near their actual location.
i think there are lines by the circles indicating where the locations are actually located at
Um.....when did they get the inspiration for this one.....?
More than a year ago.
Ahhh, Forbidden Island version 2?
Exactly :D
Great explanation Zee! I would never buy this for myself. But, I have been looking forward to something like this to play with my niece and nephew. 👍
This will be perfect for the children I teach. They have enjoyed the junior versions of Stone Age, Ticket to Ride, and Catan, so this will be awesome!
2020 the board game
Coming next month, Pandemic: There's Still Some Milk Left In This Teat
I relate to your thoughts, just don't be afraid to say we didn't need this :) I guess it's just a game for the mass market, more than Pandemic itself is.
"hey its such a cute pandemic"
Reign of Cthulhu... less predictable... you don’t say 😆
Makes me wonder if it would have been better to take different colors for the viruses. With blue and red all being in the Northern part, it almost looks like a US map on election day...
My Little Pandemic
I already have Pandemic, Reign of Cthulhu, and Iberia... yet, I’m tempted to get this one because my family likes shorter games. For our last game night we played Ticket to ride London and Hardback...
Have you tried Forbidden Island?
This one is going into my GeekOn Quad-Mod of small, short, entry level games.
How do the rules compare to normal pandemic?
This seems unnecessary. It’s just mini pandemic. Pandemic already isn’t that long and forbidden island exists which is already mini pandemic
So, tiny epic Pandemic is coming, isnt't it? :-)
Man those cards are warped
Zee's game of the year right here people
Is Indianapolis in St Louis??? Lol, too funny. Whatever, it doesn’t matter... just humorous. Oh, I see. There’s a line to Indy. Ok
You think that’s bad, check out the location of Los Angeles!
@@LanceEhlers there are lines from the token spaces to the city locations.
@@ghyslainabel thought it was a Climate Change crossover
Normally I would buy a new pandemic.. Loved fall of Rome, rising tide etc... But I think I will skip this one. Nothing new. Too light. 😔
I feel like Zee is trying to say, "good game for those interested, but definitely not for me."
This is a very strange review. You say Pandemic is a 10/10 for you and this is a 7/10, but the real differences are the time and size? Do those differences make up for the 3 points missing or are you considering pandemic a 10/10 in its own time, and with all its expansions?
It's a demo (according to the designer) for a 12 year old game that already isn't particularly long or large. Why rate that highly?
He misses the tension as I understand.... Ther original Pandemic is much more tense IMHO.
If I edit _The Godfather_ down to 30 minutes, would you think it was as good of a film?
Some of those cities are not in the right location. I noticed it a lot with the Canadian cities.
they look like they are in the right place. you do realize the little line with the tiny dot is the actual city location.
There are lines from the token spaces to the city locations.
As in regular Pandemic the big dots do not represent the exact location of the cities (otherwise Los Angeles would be underwater). You might notice a thin line emerging from each dot that points to the correct place.
Pandemic, but Americans are familiar with what's on the board
GARBAGE GAME!
The first thing I thought of when I saw this was those city versions of Ticket to Ride, WHICH I HATE. I understand the need to make versions of these that go a little faster. I especially understand that for Ticket to Ride, which can sometimes drag. But Pandemic never drags and it never takes an hour. Getting rid of the actions that make this a puzzle and replacing them with luck is NOT the way to make this shorter. It's a way to make it boring.
I like the idea of introducing people to Pandemic via Cthulhu, which last 45 minutes, AT MOST. The luck there is still tolerable, but it does a much better job of removing some of the puzzly nature of the game without turning it into slightly-puzzly version of Go Fish!
Pandemic "lite"
This is still too long for our youths attention span. Can they please release a pandemic game that is completed in the length of a tiktok video? Haha
I think that version is called "covering your mouth when you sneeze." About one TikTok length.
Too many American cities. Halifax instead Boston, Vancouver instead Seattle, would be greater
Im pandemiced out.
They just released this? I mean, I get the timing marketingwise, but isn't that a little bit of bad taste?
Why? Something going on? I need to pay more attention.
Original Pandemic was partially inspired by the SARS outbreak in 2003, so was it bad taste? I see it as encouraging people to think about how these things spread or how we can't eradicate everything in real life.
Just don't go to New York.
Most viewers of this video already know Pandemic, so a review of basic Pandemic rules really isn't necessary.
The world does simply not need another Pandemic. Game or otherwise.