Pandemic Iberia is a spin-off of the hit board game that puts players in a point of history far earlier than the present. With this shift in time period comes some changes to core gameplay. In a world without fight, movement around the board is somewhat hindered. In a world where science is far more primitive, you don’t have the means to cure diseases. Is this evolutionary step backwards compelling enough of a twist to get board game players to the table?
pandemic
Introducing Board Games to Non-Gamers
One of my favourite things to do as it pertains to board games is to introduce newcomers to the hobby. With the way the scene has grown in terms of gameplay innovation and variety, I feel like everyone can enjoy what board games are today on some level. From coworkers, to kids, to those who read this website, to even my mom, it’s been cool to be a part of someone discovering how fun modern games can be.
Based on my experiences as a “board game guru” and as a former non-gamer, I’ve picked up a thing or two on how to introduce board games in the best light. I’m not promising that this will help you turn a non-gamer into a super fan, but it can help bridge the gap.
Board Game Night Playlist: Games Designed by Matt Leacock
You may not be familiar with his name, but there’s a good chance that if you’re a modern board game fan, you know at least one of his games. He’s the guy that created Pandemic, one of the biggest and best modern board games in existence.
Looking at his portfolio of games, he clearly has a niche. Co-operative games are his bread and butter, which he does better than just about anyone in the business. In this edition of the Board Game Night Playlist, you’re not only getting a spotlight on Matt Leacock games, but also a great co-operative game night.
Early Impressions of Pandemic Legacy
Classic Pandemic is a co-operative board game where players team up in an effort to cure four deadly diseases before they wipe out the human race. No pressure, right? In the moment, it’s one of the most intense board games on the market. However, as soon as the game is over, the slate is wiped clean and you can start again as if nothing ever happened.
This is where Pandemic Legacy differs from its predecessor. Taking heavy influence from Risk Legacy, events that take place in each game leave a lasting impact on subsequent plays until you hit the final stage of the campaign. If you thought that the original game was stressful, wait until you play this version where the rules constantly change, characters can die and entire cities can be wiped off of the map forever.
Pandemic Legacy Added to the List of Awesome Board Games You Should Play
For the past month or so, my board gaming group have been playing Pandemic Legacy. Unlike classic Pandemic, where the world resets after each game, Pandemic Legacy takes players on a disease-fighting adventure that spans a year of time in the game world. Every decision in the game is permanent, as stickers are used make adjustments to character cards and boards, cards are required to be ripped up, and characters can even die if they get unlucky.
We’re not done yet, but the experience so far has been stellar. I didn’t play enough of the 2015 crop of board games to name a definitive game of the year, though this one squeaks by Codenames as my personal pick. Steer clear if you haven’t played classic Pandemic yet. However, if you have, what are you waiting for?!
Check out the list of Awesome Board Games You Should Play!
Board Game Night Playlist: Cooperative Play
Up until relatively recently, board games have been a primarily competitive medium. Thankfully, thanks to innovations in game design, players can now work together to face off against an opposing force that can only be stopped with your combined talents. This edition features a group of games that will keep you working as a team all night long.
Pandemic: Contagion Review
Pandemic for iOS Review
Pandemic on iOS is a direct adaptation of the board game with the same name. In it, players must work together to contain and cure four deadly viruses before they ravage the world. As daunting as it sounds, this is one of my favourite board games thanks to how tense the action always is and how it requires players to work as a team versus competing against one another.
I know the game has been available on iPad for quite some time. However, I do most of my digital board gaming on my iPhone, so a purchase on iPad wouldn’t be worth it for me. That is, until recently, when the app was finally updated with iPhone support. Now that I have it, is this a worth port of a fantastic board game?
Board Gaming on Mobile Devices
I fell out of love with mobile gaming ages ago. What once was a platform full of potential has degraded into a free-to-play money grab for the likes of Farmville, Candy Crush Saga and Clash of Clans. For those of you that like those kinds of games, that’s great. However, the types of games and the business models that drive them no longer appeal to my gaming sensibilities. At this point, my final vestige of mobile gaming comes from digital adaptations of analog board games.
Pandemic: The Cure Review
Throw on your Hazmat suits, kids. The smash-hit board game about curing four deadly diseases before they ravage the world returns as a dice game in Pandemic: The Cure. As such, both games follow the same premise and are similar in many respects. However, making the transition from a board game to a dice game has turned The Cure into a faster and somewhat more casual affair. Hoping that this game will surpass its legendary predecessor may be asking for too much, but does it stand out on its own as a fun and unique take on the tried-and-true formula?
In Third Person 