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Should I Play Pandemic Legacy: Season 1?
Players: 2 – 4 players | Game Duration 50 – 70 mins |
Min. Age 13+ | Game complexity: MEDIUM Genre: Environmental, Medical
Solo game mode: No | Co-op: Yes |
Online Version: No
What is Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 about?
Unraveling the Epidemic: Pandemic Legacy Season 1
“Pandemic Legacy Season 1.” combines the best elements of narrative-rich storytelling with the heart-pounding cooperative play that the original Pandemic game is celebrated for.
Gameplay: A Narrative Unfolding
Pandemic Legacy Season 1 is similar to the chapters of a book. Each game you play is a new episode — a chapter — in the larger narrative. Players start by choosing characters with unique abilities, from medicos who can cure diseases faster to researchers who can prevent the spread of illness. Throughout the game, you’ll work across the globe, trying to cure the four diseases threatening to spiral out of control.
However, the game is not so much about if you’ll save the world, but how you’ll prioritize the cities to save and how well you’ll manage the resources provided. Each game, your actions have consequences. Save a city with panic, and you might see it rebuilt with a thriving local resilience. Fail to stave off diseases, and you’ll find those hotspots turning into problem zones.
Game Mechanics: Strategy and Interconnection
Pandemic Legacy Season 1 maintains the core mechanics of the classic Pandemic game, developed by designer Matt Leacock. Players must work together strategically and often with a turn or two of foresight to thwart the diseases in what is a delicate balance act. From trading cards to craft cures, to moving your team effectively around the globe, the game’s core mechanics are enriched by a system of rules that tie each decision to lasting chains of cause and effect.
With each victory or defeat, players are prompted to open secret envelopes that contain new game elements, cards, rules, and even components. Thus, the game evolves over time. This sense of progression — of seeing your decisions make an impact not just from game to game, but from play to play — delivers a uniquely deep and engaging experience.
What Makes Pandemic Legacy Season 1 Fun?
The heart of the game lies in the sense of ownership and story development. The board becomes a testament to the rise and fall of cities, and your characters’ upgrade stickers tell a tale of personal struggle and heroism. The game, in essence, remembers where you’ve been and how you’ve played. As a player, you’ll feel as though you’re not just controlling the fate of the world, but actively crafting the story of saving it.
The elements of surprise — from the opening of new boxes to the unveiling of game-changing plot twists — keeps the game fresh and engaging. Every month brings new challenges that force you to adapt and grow as a player and as a team. This steady stream of content and change is a testament to the game designers’ understanding of what keeps players coming back for more.
Who will find Pandemic Legacy Season 1 fun?
Pandemic Legacy Season 1 is for lovers of deep strategy games, killer storytelling, and those who relish a solid challenge. It’s for the table groups who have spent years campaigning through other legacy titles or are looking for that first grand adventure. It’s for the meticulous planners, the instinctive tacticians, and the narrative enthusiasts who want their efforts to echo through a grand story.
With a new twist around every corner and a world that responds to your every move, this game cements itself as more than a passing trend — it’s a vivid testament to the heights that board games can achieve.
Rules
Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 Videos
Awards Won by Pandemic Legacy: Season 1
2016 SXSW Tabletop Game of the Year Winner
2016 Lys Passioné Winner
2016 Lys Passioné Finalist
2016 Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee
2016 JUG Adult Game of the Year Finalist
2016 Juego del Año Winner
2016 Juego del Año Finalist
2016 International Gamers Award – General Strategy: Multi-player Nominee
2016 Guldbrikken Special Jury Prize Winner
2016 Gra Roku Advanced Game of the Year Nominee
2016 Golden Geek Most Innovative Board Game Nominee
2016 Goblin Magnifico Nominee
2016 Dragon Awards Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game Winner
2016 Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming Nominee
2016 As d’Or – Jeu de l’Année Expert Winner
2016 As d’Or – Jeu de l’Année Expert Nominee
2015 Meeples’ Choice Nominee
2015 Golden Geek Most Innovative Board Game Nominee
2015 Golden Geek Board Game of the Year Winner
2015 Golden Geek Board Game of the Year Nominee
2015 Golden Geek Best Thematic Board Game Winner
2015 Golden Geek Best Thematic Board Game Nominee
2015 Golden Geek Best Strategy Board Game Winner
2015 Golden Geek Best Strategy Board Game Nominee
2015 Golden Geek Best Innovative Board Game Winner
2015 Cardboard Republic Immersionist Laurel Winner
2015 Cardboard Republic Immersionist Laurel Nominee
2015 Board Game Quest Awards Game of the Year Winner
2015 Board Game Quest Awards Game of the Year Nominee
2015 Board Game Quest Awards Best Coop Game Nominee