- BGG rank
- BGG #14,794
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Cubeo
- 2 players
- 5–15 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #25,197
- BGG rating
- 5.8
Epidemic
2018
Rules assistance for Epidemic
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1 player
- 10–20 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.5/5
Rules assistant for Epidemic
For 1 player
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Epidemic is a board game released in 2018 for 1 player, 10–20 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Marek Kolcun and its main mechanics are Action Points and Action Queue.
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About the game
A vicious disease started to spread across the world. For now, nobody knows its origin, not even if it's bacteria or virus. Nothing helps. Mortality is 100 %. That's why a team of specialists lead by you was formed. Your goal is to find the cure before it's too late and disease mutates to its final form. Save the humankind! Epidemic is a an action selection solo game where player chooses between good and bad action cards laid in line. Strength of each card's effect depends on its order, whether it is positive or negative. When the card is resolved, it is then moved onto leftmost position, empowering the cards on the right. The player tries to find the cure by advancing on the research track faster than the disease advances on its own track and changes its behavior into the form it becomes unstoppable. However, finding the cure is not enough - player needs to travel the world and heal the infected at least temporarily. This game, clearly inspired by popular Pandemic series, participated in 2019 9-card nanogame print and play design contest and finished in the top 10 in following categories: best solitaire game, best thematic game, best artwork and best overall game. —description from the designer
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- (Web published)
Questions and answers
Epidemic supports 1 player according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Epidemic is 10–20 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 Epidemic 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.
Epidemic has a complexity rating of 1.5 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.
Epidemic belongs to these categories: Card Game, Print & Play, and Medical. Its main mechanics are Action Points and Action Queue. 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 Epidemic are: Marek Kolcun. 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 Epidemic 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.