- BGG rank
- BGG #18,186
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Build A Cure
2018
Rules assistance for Build A Cure
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–6 players
- 30–90 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.7/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Build A Cure
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Build A Cure is a board game released in 2018 for 1–6 players, 30–90 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Paul Hinton and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Cooperative Game, and Solo / Solitaire Game.
About the game
In Build A Cure, you and a group of scientists were caught in a nuclear test failure. You were able to make it to a safe house right in time to avoid the explosion, but the problem now: surviving. The only safe house you could find was a storage facility for some of the worlds worst diseases. During the explosion all containment vials were broken, and it is only a matter of time before the diseases set in. Help is on the way, but they have to wait for the radiation levels to drop. Due to the level of risk, the rescue team is unable to release any diseases from the safe house, so all diseases have to be cured in order to attempt the rescue. Use elements and bonds to create compounds to cure all of the diseases that your team is infected with. Win the game by completing all of the diseases that are in play. If you can't solve them before the resources run out, then you lose the game and everyone dies a slow and painful death, locked in the shelter. Each turn every player will have the chance to complete three actions: Place an element, play a bond card (to bond elements), give a card to another player's hand, or discard/skip. Make sure to bond, or get your team to bond, your elements before the start of your next turn, or you will loose your elements to the discard pile! Make sure you don't hold too many cards, because at the end of your turn you will have to discard down to your card limit! Every resource is vital!
Designers
Publishers
- (Self-Published)
- Sky Developed LLC
Questions and answers
Build A Cure supports 1–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Build A Cure is 30–90 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Build A Cure for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Build A Cure has a complexity rating of 2.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Build A Cure belongs to these categories: Card Game, Puzzle, and Educational. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Cooperative Game, and Solo / Solitaire Game. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Build A Cure are: Paul Hinton. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Build A Cure as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.