That modular board makes it a lot more travel and... "weird spread on beds/couches/chairs/around the house/on picnic blankets"-friendly, as some people would like to take games with them, while travelling, and not everybody plays board games on tables - at least... not always. :) Love the channel and the clips! :) Thank you, all of you! :)
I love some of the little production touches - the hole in the top of the role card for a lanyard/clip as if it were an ID card, the pegs as little syringes, etc
Tom, I think the reason why the ring breaks down in half is so that the entire game (minus rules) fits neatly in the included little dice bag. It's a nice touch, in retrospect. Makes Pandemic portable! The Dice Tower
In Zees ranking of Pandemic versions he rated the Cure middling...he likes it but not his favourite version. I prefer it to the card/big board version as I think that can be "gamed" easier. The dice make it more random.its more of a gamble rather than a puzzle to solve. I also think it's more focussed. The hot zone variant in the expansion is messy and clunky but the 5th virus and additional roles and events boost it a LOT
you can split the inner ring, so it fits good in the blue bag. i fit everything in the bag and dont have to carry the whole box with me..nice pandemic version for a bar, where cou play card/dice games anyways. doesnt need much space on the table, rules are easy and fast to understand..so to me its more like a quick bar game. if you like pandemic..get this one as "mobile version"
From what I saw in the video when it comes to game pieces and components, it seems like the whole game would have easily fit in a 'Resistance' sized box. I don't know why they made the box for this game so huge lol
This game can get pretty tense and can be a roller coaster. There's moments of doing well, then there's a setback or a sudden turn around after things getting really bad. Sudden catastrophes out of nowhere and such. Containment Specialist with a Dispatcher in the game too is kinda OP though lol
I asked this in your Dice Hospital review; which game did you prefer? Dice Hospital is cool to me because I like the scoring system. This game is just win/lose. Both look neeto. But for family it looks like Dice Hospital may be a better match. This seems slightly more complex than Dice Hospital. Whaddya think?
+harpdevil So, old comment is old. But I had to say that if you like Pandemic, I would at least TRY this. See if your local game store has a review copy maybe. It really does feel pretty similar but plays a lot quicker and is great to bring out with non-gamers because it's so intuitive. It may also be one of my fav solo games if you're into that since you don't have to dummy-player. I actually disagree with Tom here. Maybe because the number and type of people I game with varies pretty widely but I love this as a quicker, cleaner pandemic. I still think I prefer the board game but this is its own thing and I'm glad I have both in my collection.
I have a question. If you were to buy only one (dice vs regular pandemic), and you'll be playing 50% of time with 2 players and the other 50% with 3 or more, which one would you choose?
Kroen Redstone I play it two player VERY regularly with my partner. Usually with all the epidemic cards, and with only two roles. We win probably 1/3 of the time. It is brilliant to play two player, in my opinion, but this really tickles my fancy. Looks like it would play really quickly and still sounds like it has the same flavour. I may pick this up at Christmas.
I didn't even know there was an issue with 2-player Pandemic. I play it that way all the time, and it's one of my favorite games. As for this dice game, it may be very good, but I'm starting to get suspicious of all these variations and expansions. "Milk the cow" syndrome may set in. Or it may keep it fresh. Custom dice are quite appealing. Anyway, there are so many other games I want to try, I'll stick with my ver. 1 Pandemic.
+Dan Shuman lol. 2p Pandemic is fine. We play it all the time. But there are a lot of people that say the game is really balanced for 4 because of the movement system. Sometimes you can get screwed by the flop and there is NOTHING you can do about it because with only two players sometimes you just can't travel across the board fast enough. We've never found it too much of an issue, but I should say that while I prefer Pandemic (the board game) as a whole because of its thematic nature, I do find myself reaching for The Cure more often if I only have two players or if I'm playing with non-gamers. It's just a little more streamlined and a little quicker, without that little movement quibble. Both amazing games, but you may want to check out The Cure if you can...
Really wish he would compared Pandemic/The Cure to Bang/Bang Dice. That would have been a better way to explain why this is or isn't better or worse than the original.
Does anyone know of the 2nd Edition Pandemic with the "On The Brink" Expansion allows full coop for 5 players or is it only for up to 5 players when someone plays as a bio terrorist???
Curtis Bean Thank you for your reply. Could you shortly describe how they managed to allow another player? Are there any significant changes to the game?
Hitchslapped No major changes from 4 to 5 players. You basically throw in a 5th epidemic card and call it good. That being said there are a lot of modular options that can drastically change the game with On the Brink.
Hitchslapped bit late of a reply, but it may help someone. Remember that in on the brink you add 2 event cards per number of players instead of the original amount in the standard game.
Mechanics remind me a ton of Forbidden desert... albeit they were both made by the same person. Hmm... Pandemic, the desert game of flooding dice and pawns. that could be a thing...
I own Pandemic and have played it as a multiplayer many times and not as a 2 player because I read its too easy as a 2 player, so I bought The Cure the fill the niche. After 5 plays with 2 players I must say The Cure is absurdly unbalanced. As soon as you begin to collect samples you suffer a severe handicap because you have to remove action dice along with the sample, which means you either can't move or can't treat. Re-rolling dice simply amps up the rate of epidemics and outbreaks. All five of my plays ended with 8 outbreaks with no more than 2 diseases cured. In one game I rolled a set of 4 yellow disease sample dice 10 times before I rolled a 13 to cure. Z-MAN needs to come out with new 2 player rules. I feel like I wasted $45.00 on this one.
I managed to win a 2 player game using the Medic and Scientist role cards by disregarding the collect sample rule that calls for placing a player dice aside with a disease dice until the disease is cured. With the game starting on the intro biohazard setting, the biohazard marker advanced 18 places and the Outbreak marker advanced 5. If I continue to disregard the "set aside" rule, my feeling is if the biohazard marker is set to standard, the game would be difficult to win, but at least possible.
I feel you may be playing it wrong. My wife and I have a win rate of about 50% and it's always been close. Are you adding dice on a Biohazard roll or something?
@@vrava absolutely! 100+ years ago, white military uniforms turned pink when splashed with red blood. Also, check the first Disney movies, the women had blue dressed, which was the feminine colour at the time.
For me, I just don't like rolling for my actions. The fact that my first roll could just cause an epidemic is quite annoying and a lot of the time, you are forced to reroll your dice in order to not have outbreaks also is kind of annoying. I think the game is fun, but to me, rolling for my actions isn't very fun when everybody is trying to work together. But I agree with Tom, it's all up to what you prefer, and for me, I would just stick with the board game. :)
I love Pandemic, but the dice game was not for me. I see how well designed the components and mechanics are. But the game felt extremely abstract to me. I was instantly bored and could not bring myself to care for the wellbeing of the population of coasters.
“In light of today’s news…”
…2014 Tom had no idea.
That modular board makes it a lot more travel and... "weird spread on beds/couches/chairs/around the house/on picnic blankets"-friendly, as some people would like to take games with them, while travelling, and not everybody plays board games on tables - at least... not always. :) Love the channel and the clips! :) Thank you, all of you! :)
I love some of the little production touches - the hole in the top of the role card for a lanyard/clip as if it were an ID card, the pegs as little syringes, etc
Watched this in 2020. Was almost baffled by the sentence at 0:38
Tom, I think the reason why the ring breaks down in half is so that the entire game (minus rules) fits neatly in the included little dice bag. It's a nice touch, in retrospect. Makes Pandemic portable! The Dice Tower
+DeadkingAZ Hmm--I never noticed that. That's pretty cool, actually!
DeadkingAZ It really, really doesn't. I've tried. Not even close. I have no idea why people keep saying it's possible.
Great review. I want to hear Zee's opinions as Pandemic is his #1 game. Thanks Tom!
In Zees ranking of Pandemic versions he rated the Cure middling...he likes it but not his favourite version.
I prefer it to the card/big board version as I think that can be "gamed" easier. The dice make it more random.its more of a gamble rather than a puzzle to solve. I also think it's more focussed. The hot zone variant in the expansion is messy and clunky but the 5th virus and additional roles and events boost it a LOT
"Impending sense of dice" - Nice.
That's the kind of thing Barry Doublet would say. :)
you can split the inner ring, so it fits good in the blue bag. i fit everything in the bag and dont have to carry the whole box with me..nice pandemic version for a bar, where cou play card/dice games anyways. doesnt need much space on the table, rules are easy and fast to understand..so to me its more like a quick bar game. if you like pandemic..get this one as "mobile version"
I'd also like to hear Zee's opinion on it, but other than that it was a fine review and it looks like a fun game!
Everything about the components is top notch except the box which contains more air than a bag of chips. Box could and should have been half the size.
From what I saw in the video when it comes to game pieces and components, it seems like the whole game would have easily fit in a 'Resistance' sized box. I don't know why they made the box for this game so huge lol
My favorite game of all time
This game can get pretty tense and can be a roller coaster. There's moments of doing well, then there's a setback or a sudden turn around after things getting really bad. Sudden catastrophes out of nowhere and such. Containment Specialist with a Dispatcher in the game too is kinda OP though lol
Production quality copy? Looks amazing.
I asked this in your Dice Hospital review; which game did you prefer? Dice Hospital is cool to me because I like the scoring system. This game is just win/lose. Both look neeto. But for family it looks like Dice Hospital may be a better match. This seems slightly more complex than Dice Hospital. Whaddya think?
I like Pandemic, I don't see that I need this game but I'm really excited for Pandemic: Legacy.
+harpdevil So, old comment is old. But I had to say that if you like Pandemic, I would at least TRY this. See if your local game store has a review copy maybe.
It really does feel pretty similar but plays a lot quicker and is great to bring out with non-gamers because it's so intuitive. It may also be one of my fav solo games if you're into that since you don't have to dummy-player.
I actually disagree with Tom here. Maybe because the number and type of people I game with varies pretty widely but I love this as a quicker, cleaner pandemic. I still think I prefer the board game but this is its own thing and I'm glad I have both in my collection.
Anybody here watches Community? The board looks like the Remedial Chaos Theory episode :o
I have a question. If you were to buy only one (dice vs regular pandemic), and you'll be playing 50% of time with 2 players and the other 50% with 3 or more, which one would you choose?
good question, CC me on this. Ive already got pandemic but my bestie loves it and we all love dice so im tempted.
I don't get people's gripe for 2p Pandemic. I play it 2p all the time and it's awesome ,we just control 2 roles each/
Kroen Redstone I play it two player VERY regularly with my partner. Usually with all the epidemic cards, and with only two roles. We win probably 1/3 of the time. It is brilliant to play two player, in my opinion, but this really tickles my fancy. Looks like it would play really quickly and still sounds like it has the same flavour. I may pick this up at Christmas.
I didn't even know there was an issue with 2-player Pandemic. I play it that way all the time, and it's one of my favorite games.
As for this dice game, it may be very good, but I'm starting to get suspicious of all these variations and expansions. "Milk the cow" syndrome may set in. Or it may keep it fresh. Custom dice are quite appealing. Anyway, there are so many other games I want to try, I'll stick with my ver. 1 Pandemic.
+Dan Shuman lol. 2p Pandemic is fine. We play it all the time.
But there are a lot of people that say the game is really balanced for 4 because of the movement system. Sometimes you can get screwed by the flop and there is NOTHING you can do about it because with only two players sometimes you just can't travel across the board fast enough.
We've never found it too much of an issue, but I should say that while I prefer Pandemic (the board game) as a whole because of its thematic nature, I do find myself reaching for The Cure more often if I only have two players or if I'm playing with non-gamers. It's just a little more streamlined and a little quicker, without that little movement quibble.
Both amazing games, but you may want to check out The Cure if you can...
I love this game! Better than the board game version, IMO.
Really wish he would compared Pandemic/The Cure to Bang/Bang Dice. That would have been a better way to explain why this is or isn't better or worse than the original.
Does anyone know of the 2nd Edition Pandemic with the "On The Brink" Expansion allows full coop for 5 players or is it only for up to 5 players when someone plays as a bio terrorist???
It has 5 player full coop. Bio terrorist is meant to be played with 3 or 4 (1 bioterrorist and 2 or 3 normal players)
Curtis Bean Thank you for your reply. Could you shortly describe how they managed to allow another player? Are there any significant changes to the game?
Hitchslapped
No major changes from 4 to 5 players. You basically throw in a 5th epidemic card and call it good. That being said there are a lot of modular options that can drastically change the game with On the Brink.
Hitchslapped bit late of a reply, but it may help someone. Remember that in on the brink you add 2 event cards per number of players instead of the original amount in the standard game.
Tom Vasel is like a giant among men!
Others say he's a little bit obsessed.
I don't even have a top ten.
um which way to the bathroom?
thanks for this !!
Love the hammer!
Well, looks like I have to buy another Pandemic game. Darn that completionist mentality of mine!!!!
consumerism
Mechanics remind me a ton of Forbidden desert... albeit they were both made by the same person.
Hmm... Pandemic, the desert game of flooding dice and pawns. that could be a thing...
I own Pandemic and have played it as a multiplayer many times and not as a 2 player because I read its too easy as a 2 player, so I bought The Cure the fill the niche. After 5 plays with 2 players I must say The Cure is absurdly unbalanced. As soon as you begin to collect samples you suffer a severe handicap because you have to remove action dice along with the sample, which means you either can't move or can't treat. Re-rolling dice simply amps up the rate of epidemics and outbreaks. All five of my plays ended with 8 outbreaks with no more than 2 diseases cured. In one game I rolled a set of 4 yellow disease sample dice 10 times before I rolled a 13 to cure. Z-MAN needs to come out with new 2 player rules. I feel like I wasted $45.00 on this one.
I managed to win a 2 player game using the Medic and Scientist role cards by disregarding the collect sample rule that calls for placing a player dice aside with a disease dice until the disease is cured. With the game starting on the intro biohazard setting, the biohazard marker advanced 18 places and the Outbreak marker advanced 5. If I continue to disregard the "set aside" rule, my feeling is if the biohazard marker is set to standard, the game would be difficult to win, but at least possible.
I feel you may be playing it wrong. My wife and I have a win rate of about 50% and it's always been close. Are you adding dice on a Biohazard roll or something?
Imperial assault I SEE IT!!!!!!!!
video review already up
Pretty sure the dispatcher is a guy :p
Yeah, was just about to make the same comment. Real men are featured on pink cards. It's a well known fact. :-)
@@vrava absolutely! 100+ years ago, white military uniforms turned pink when splashed with red blood. Also, check the first Disney movies, the women had blue dressed, which was the feminine colour at the time.
For me, I just don't like rolling for my actions. The fact that my first roll could just cause an epidemic is quite annoying and a lot of the time, you are forced to reroll your dice in order to not have outbreaks also is kind of annoying. I think the game is fun, but to me, rolling for my actions isn't very fun when everybody is trying to work together. But I agree with Tom, it's all up to what you prefer, and for me, I would just stick with the board game. :)
I would argue that the odds are in your favour on your dice that you will get a usable action
Can we have a honking seal for the Seal of Approval? lol
They are really cashing in this Pandemic franchise.
yep. hopefully this is just the beginning. bring it on matt leacock and z-man games =). my wallet is ready.
I love Pandemic, but the dice game was not for me. I see how well designed the components and mechanics are. But the game felt extremely abstract to me. I was instantly bored and could not bring myself to care for the wellbeing of the population of coasters.
dice tower approved!
Showoff! Imperial Assault at your 10! :) :) :)
Those alpha gamers really ruin the games sometimes
So the dispatcher IS a lady. Mystery solved :D
Impending sense of dice