The board game Pandemic is a hit, and it’s different because it is a cooperative board game. Have you played it?
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Cooperative Board Games
The creator of Pandemic board game, Matt Leacock, was inspired to design this game after evenings of competitive game-playing with his wife left too much tension between them.
Cooperative board games are a popular alternative to competitive board games, which can leave tension between the winner and loser. Sometimes the gap between the winner and loser is so wide that playing becomes not very much fun, like watching a lopsided football game.
Enter cooperative board games! In these games, players work together towards a common goal. In Pandemic, it is discovering all four cures together before certain conditions happen that would mean the end of the game. Instead of competing against one another, players work together against diseases, trying to prevent them from becoming a pandemic.
The Pandemic Game: A Timely Subject
Has interest in this board game surged because of the Covid virus? The game was invented in 2007 by Matt Leacock, and was super popular almost immediately. The Pandemic game has won many awards, including the 2009 Golden Geek Best Family Board Game.
The pandemic game has been consistently popular, with many spin-offs and expansions released between 2009 and today. The expansions add new roles or locations to the game, while the spin-offs are games in and of themselves. Themes run in a similar vein, but are different, including dice and card versions.
While the topic may seem coincidental, the game has been popular long enough that it’s not just a pandemic-related fad of 2020.
More Cooperative Board Games
Do cooperative games interest you? Trade the competition and tension for teamwork and cooperation.
Have you played Lord of the Rings, the board game? In this cooperative game, players are members of a team of hobbits who set out to destroy the One Ring. Success or failure comes to the group based on their decisions.
Try Space Alert for more cooperative board game fun. In this game, players work together to survive a mission in outer space. Each play lasts 10 real-time minutes while players cooperate to survive whatever they randomly encounter: a malfunction, hostile aliens, or other challenges to survival.
Or maybe Gloomhaven, with its myriad miniatures and role playing adventures, is more your speed. This adventure board game is getting more and more popular, spawning expansions and related games.
So have you played the Pandemic game? Love it or leave it? Let us know in the comments below!
Enjoy exploring cooperative board games! Be sure to tell us about your favorite cooperative board game in the comments too. Happy playing!
