
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,494
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Pocket Pharma
- 2–5 players
- 15–30 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2018

2017
Rules assistance for Medical Frontier
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.
Medical Frontier is a board game released in 2017 for 2–5 players, 45–60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Chu-Lan Kao and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Pattern Building.
In Medical Frontier, players play medicine-developing researchers, and their mission is to distribute their own budget on different drug development projects to make new drugs. Players need to ensure the new drugs are safe and efficient in treating diseases, while keeping the side effects at controllable levels. Once you meet all of these marketing approval requirements, the new drugs can be launched. Will you save people's lives while making most profits for your lab?
Medical Frontier supports 2–5 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 Medical Frontier is 45–60 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 Medical Frontier for ages 10 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.
Medical Frontier 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.
Medical Frontier belongs to these categories: Medical and Industry / Manufacturing. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Pattern Building. 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 Medical Frontier are: Chu-Lan Kao. 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 Medical Frontier 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.