
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,417
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Dr. Eureka
- 2–4 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 2015

2017
Rules assistance for Dr. Microbe
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Dr. Microbe is a board game released in 2017 for 2–4 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Roberto Fraga and Delphine Lemonnier and its main mechanics are Pattern Building and Speed Matching.
Can you grab the microbes you need? In each round of Dr. Microbe, you're presented with a challenge card that shows some combination of microbes and (possibly) a superbug. Each player has tweezers and a petri dish that's divided into three small sections and one large one. As soon as the card is revealed, players must race to place the microbes (and superbug, if present) in their petri dish. What's more, they must figure out which microbes (and possibly the superbug) to place in their petri dish based on this rule: The superbug must always be a different shape and color than the other three microbes in your dish! Whoever fills their dish with the proper items first claims the challenge card, and whoever first grabs five cards wins the game! As a variant, you can play with the purple virus, which starts the game in the large petri dish that contains all of the other bits. You can grab this purple virus and place it in the petri dish of your left-hand neighbor, then that person can pass it left, etc. You can't end the round if the purple virus is in your petri dish! Whoever has the purple virus in their dish at the end of the round must give one of their previously collected cards to that round's winner.
Dr. Microbe supports 2–4 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 Dr. Microbe is 15 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 Dr. Microbe 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.
Dr. Microbe has a complexity rating of 1.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
Dr. Microbe belongs to these categories: Children's Game, Action / Dexterity, and Medical. Its main mechanics are Pattern Building and Speed Matching. 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 Dr. Microbe are: Roberto Fraga and Delphine Lemonnier. 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 Dr. Microbe 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.