You didn't mention the key point about the Hinterlands Challenge -- that players who meet up in a hinterlands space can share any city cards of that color with each other -- which can make finding cures a lot easier. That's what makes that challenge a lot friendlier and better for newer Pandemic players: it makes one part of the game harder, Infections, while making another part of the game easier, finding cures.
Awesome review, Zee. One constructive criticism - when you're showing the role cards you move them up and down as you're describing them. It's a bit disorienting. Pandemic has become one of my favorites, so I think I'm going to pick up OTB soon. Thanks!
Hey Zee, thanks for the review! I love Pandemic and I love all the expansions. I was wondering what your favorite variants are. Maybe you can do a top 5 best ways to play pandemic video. My personal favorite is 4-6 epidemic cards (depending on desired difficulty) with the 24 cube mutant strain from in the lab and the viral strain from on the brink.
Great Review! How about making a video where you talk about how you prefer to play (or how you most often end up playing) Pandemic? Like, which expansions you use, what difficulty you are playing, picking roles vs randomly drawing them, how many people you prefer etc.
I'm not sure, but seems to me some of those roles/variants would not work well with in the lab (I havent played it in a while but I'm itching to get it to the table again soon) ...Am I wrong ?
Does the insert include room for the other expansions? In the lab and on the brink have identical inserts that hold everything from both and then with some corrosion the base game as well. It has been my favorite containment solution for a game, so does this expansion follow suit?
Brad Rose No it doesn't but everything does fit in the original box (with the lid sticking up about half way). There's a forum post on BGG about this (I can't hyperlink from here for some reason).
I think some of the modules from this expansion could be cleaned up very well and made less cluttered only if they adapt it for the iOS iPad Pandemic game app. The extra boards for the Hinterlands module would be made unnecessary. All they would have to do is just change the board itself which is very simple to do with an game app then with overhauling the physical boardgame itself. The Superbug Module IDK on the other hand TBH being that they would have to change quite a bit of programming with the rules. The added Event cards would probably be the most interesting to see if they would be able to use those in the game app if possible.
Being such an old video I don't think I'll get a response, but where did he get the board with the cure slot for the purple disease? Was it one of the expansions? Which one?
So do all the games connect? Or do you just open one box and play that game? Like would I need the original game to play state of emergency or do you just use the state of emergency game to play?
I only have the base Pandemic game and it is starting to irritate me because we keep losing (only won one game on easy). Is it supposed to be this brutal? Do any of the expansions give a better opportunity to win? I am wondering if we are even playing right because beating forbidden island is a walk in the park. Nice review though, thanks Zee.
then8mac I've noticed a lot of people fail to realize the epidemic cards adjust the difficulty and they play with all epidemic cards or fail to prepare the decks properly. There are also certain roles that are more powerful or better used in combination like the Scientist/Medic combo. I've also noticed in early games that we were discarding too many of certain colors making it impossible to win, so keep track of what you discard and make every turn count because If it's still too hard, you try a houserule like you start the epidemic marker to the left of the spaces for an extra epidemic or that if the player deck runs out, you reshuffle and reuse it, or even that you can trade cards even if the city doesn't match. Increasing your hand limit maybe? The quarantine markers from this new expansion are notable as one of the only expansion components that actually reduces difficulty. I've thought about using tokens to simulate quarantines because I'm really not interested in this expansion otherwise.
If I'm not too late, "On the brink" and "In the lab" are better than "State of emergency" but the developpers suggest that itl be a follow-up to otb, where as State of emergency is fully distinct. On the brink adds more difficulty and In the lab consists of much more varied game modes. Hope this helps.
Great for Pandemic to stay relevant! Nice to see these classic IPs still bringing up new ideas. While I am not sure I will buy, yet, I am very willing to try.
I really only gravitate to expansions that you buy, you mix in with the main game that day and play in that updated way from that day forward. Not sure I like the mix and match when in comes to consistency from game to game and different gaming groups.
Really glad that Zee is now doing reviews on his own for Dice Tower. So when are you guys going to do an episode on Game Reviewers who Fired Other Game Reviewers?
Soooo. Hinterlands can be replaced by regulard d6 and putting cubes aside, if you already have On the Brink and Legacy (which you should if you like Pandemic) you can use purple cubes as superbug, roles are easily looked up, you don't really need the cards, and use whatever pawns. So 40$ for emergency events?
Love the game but this review is pretty much what I was expecting. Good variations that don't seem to be worth the cost and extra complexity. I have the other two expansions and don't think I'm gonna pick this one up. Besides, changing component material (wood for plastic) and making me have one extra box (the other two expansions fit together with the base game in one single box) are some of the downsides. Too bad, the roles seemed very cool.
I'm not the biggest fan of this modular design. In my group we basically settle for our favourite combination after we tested everything so basically 2/3 of the expansion gets stuffed back in the boxer never to see the light of day again.
The hinterlands areas should have been layover cardboard like the old purple disease marker. so that it lays over the board, connecting cities. instead of giant sideboards with animals on em.
Plastic pieces, revised roles listed as "new" role cards, hinterlands boards (which I'm ambivalent about), and a few rules tweaks or new events.... and still the same not-so-easy-to-swallow expansion price? This is more a variant pack than an expansion. Ehhhh.... I could get this free with my store credit, but I think I'll leave this on the store shelf.
Great review brother, excited to try this one out. Pandemic is one of the biggest hits on our game nights so this may be a slam dunk right off the bat!
PleeeeeeeeeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeeeeeeeEaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaeaeeaeaeaeaeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaeeeeeees es make a rewiw on the to ekspansions pleas
I think Zee is right in saying that Pandemic is almost at the point where it's getting fiddly, and I even found the previous expansion fiddly. Then again... I find Pandemic boring, and I'm not a fan of the theme in the first place. So what do I know?
I feel like the only person in the world that doesn't like Pandemic. I don't hate it, I just don't find it exciting or fun to play, and none of the expansions make me any more excited. Maybe I just don't like coops, since I've never played one I like yet.
You didn't mention the key point about the Hinterlands Challenge -- that players who meet up in a hinterlands space can share any city cards of that color with each other -- which can make finding cures a lot easier.
That's what makes that challenge a lot friendlier and better for newer Pandemic players: it makes one part of the game harder, Infections, while making another part of the game easier, finding cures.
Awesome review, Zee. One constructive criticism - when you're showing the role cards you move them up and down as you're describing them. It's a bit disorienting.
Pandemic has become one of my favorites, so I think I'm going to pick up OTB soon. Thanks!
Hey Zee, thanks for the review! I love Pandemic and I love all the expansions. I was wondering what your favorite variants are. Maybe you can do a top 5 best ways to play pandemic video.
My personal favorite is 4-6 epidemic cards (depending on desired difficulty) with the 24 cube mutant strain from in the lab and the viral strain from on the brink.
Given the real pandemic we are going through (May 2020) this expansion turned out to be the most realistic and relevant!
Great Review! How about making a video where you talk about how you prefer to play (or how you most often end up playing) Pandemic? Like, which expansions you use, what difficulty you are playing, picking roles vs randomly drawing them, how many people you prefer etc.
I would love to see a Pandemic special vid going over this!
I'm not sure, but seems to me some of those roles/variants would not work well with in the lab (I havent played it in a while but I'm itching to get it to the table again soon) ...Am I wrong ?
They're all compatible with the lab challenge. Rules sidebars in the Hinterlands rules describes how to use them with it where more info is needed.
Does the insert include room for the other expansions? In the lab and on the brink have identical inserts that hold everything from both and then with some corrosion the base game as well. It has been my favorite containment solution for a game, so does this expansion follow suit?
Brad Rose No it doesn't but everything does fit in the original box (with the lid sticking up about half way). There's a forum post on BGG about this (I can't hyperlink from here for some reason).
Brad Rose The insert is the same as base pandemic, just the folded thin cardboard.
I think some of the modules from this expansion could be cleaned up very well and made less cluttered only if they adapt it for the iOS iPad Pandemic game app. The extra boards for the Hinterlands module would be made unnecessary. All they would have to do is just change the board itself which is very simple to do with an game app then with overhauling the physical boardgame itself. The Superbug Module IDK on the other hand TBH being that they would have to change quite a bit of programming with the rules. The added Event cards would probably be the most interesting to see if they would be able to use those in the game app if possible.
Being such an old video I don't think I'll get a response, but where did he get the board with the cure slot for the purple disease? Was it one of the expansions? Which one?
Comes with On The Brink!
Where did you get the board with the extra spot for the purple disease?
That is a decal you add to the board as part of the "on the brink" expansion.
So do all the games connect? Or do you just open one box and play that game? Like would I need the original game to play state of emergency or do you just use the state of emergency game to play?
+teamcanadia72 It's an expansion, so you need the original to play.
thanks
Yay Senji on the shelf! Played finally a few months ago and love that game! Off topic I know but hey, more people should play Senji!
I only have the base Pandemic game and it is starting to irritate me because we keep losing (only won one game on easy). Is it supposed to be this brutal? Do any of the expansions give a better opportunity to win? I am wondering if we are even playing right because beating forbidden island is a walk in the park.
Nice review though, thanks Zee.
then8mac I've noticed a lot of people fail to realize the epidemic cards adjust the difficulty and they play with all epidemic cards or fail to prepare the decks properly. There are also certain roles that are more powerful or better used in combination like the Scientist/Medic combo. I've also noticed in early games that we were discarding too many of certain colors making it impossible to win, so keep track of what you discard and make every turn count because
If it's still too hard, you try a houserule like you start the epidemic marker to the left of the spaces for an extra epidemic or that if the player deck runs out, you reshuffle and reuse it, or even that you can trade cards even if the city doesn't match. Increasing your hand limit maybe? The quarantine markers from this new expansion are notable as one of the only expansion components that actually reduces difficulty. I've thought about using tokens to simulate quarantines because I'm really not interested in this expansion otherwise.
see I'm new to game Community I just got pandemic vanilla if I was to get a few expansions which ones are must and and which one should I pass on
If I'm not too late, "On the brink" and "In the lab" are better than "State of emergency" but the developpers suggest that itl be a follow-up to otb, where as State of emergency is fully distinct. On the brink adds more difficulty and In the lab consists of much more varied game modes. Hope this helps.
Great review and it sums it up perfectly. thank you.
Great for Pandemic to stay relevant! Nice to see these classic IPs still bringing up new ideas. While I am not sure I will buy, yet, I am very willing to try.
I really only gravitate to expansions that you buy, you mix in with the main game that day and play in that updated way from that day forward. Not sure I like the mix and match when in comes to consistency from game to game and different gaming groups.
Zee, I love how blunt you are when reviewing. You are the best.
Really glad that Zee is now doing reviews on his own for Dice Tower.
So when are you guys going to do an episode on Game Reviewers who Fired Other Game Reviewers?
The medic has powers that get better as the game progresses :P
Great Review Zee
can't find on the brink anywhere in the US but we can find in the lab which isn't helpful...
It is currently being reprinted.
Soooo. Hinterlands can be replaced by regulard d6 and putting cubes aside, if you already have On the Brink and Legacy (which you should if you like Pandemic) you can use purple cubes as superbug, roles are easily looked up, you don't really need the cards, and use whatever pawns. So 40$ for emergency events?
Love the game but this review is pretty much what I was expecting. Good variations that don't seem to be worth the cost and extra complexity. I have the other two expansions and don't think I'm gonna pick this one up. Besides, changing component material (wood for plastic) and making me have one extra box (the other two expansions fit together with the base game in one single box) are some of the downsides. Too bad, the roles seemed very cool.
I'm not the biggest fan of this modular design. In my group we basically settle for our favourite combination after we tested everything so basically 2/3 of the expansion gets stuffed back in the boxer never to see the light of day again.
The hinterlands areas should have been layover cardboard like the old purple disease marker. so that it lays over the board, connecting cities. instead of giant sideboards with animals on em.
I have to say some of it seems fiddly. Couldn't they just added one big board instead of those awful two smaller ones to add to the board?
Thank you a lot!
Plastic pieces, revised roles listed as "new" role cards, hinterlands boards (which I'm ambivalent about), and a few rules tweaks or new events.... and still the same not-so-easy-to-swallow expansion price? This is more a variant pack than an expansion. Ehhhh.... I could get this free with my store credit, but I think I'll leave this on the store shelf.
This expansive doesn't look very good. Thanks zhee for the review and the heads up.
Great review brother, excited to try this one out. Pandemic is one of the biggest hits on our game nights so this may be a slam dunk right off the bat!
PleeeeeeeeeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeeeeeeeEaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaeaeeaeaeaeaeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaeeeeeees es make a rewiw on the to ekspansions pleas
Great review but as much as I love the game, this expansion is definitely a pass for me.
I think Zee is right in saying that Pandemic is almost at the point where it's getting fiddly, and I even found the previous expansion fiddly. Then again... I find Pandemic boring, and I'm not a fan of the theme in the first place. So what do I know?
I feel like the only person in the world that doesn't like Pandemic. I don't hate it, I just don't find it exciting or fun to play, and none of the expansions make me any more excited. Maybe I just don't like coops, since I've never played one I like yet.
Expanding the map for a mere extra city (4 total) sounds unbelievably stupid, it could have been made better than this
Oh, also, In The lab still not released in german...so, thanks Obama
Zee, you need new intro music. Not sure if you picked that, but it is very bland. Maybe I'm just hyper-sensitive since I play guitar. Dunno.
TIRD!
I think this should be titled "State of Boredom". To many pointless ideas.