- BGG rating
- 7.6
Pocket Pharma: R&D Mini Expansions
- 2–5 players
- 15–30 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,494
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Pocket Pharma
2018
Rules assistance for Pocket Pharma
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 15–30 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.8/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Pocket Pharma
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Pocket Pharma is a board game released in 2018 for 2–5 players, 15–30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Brett J. Gilbert and Chu-Lan Kao and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Pattern Building, and Open Drafting.
Expansions
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About the game
A reimplementation and redevelopment of the recently released game Medical Frontiers, Brett Gilbert creates a more streamlined and engaging game which can fit in your pocket! Set in amongst the high levels of competition between different pharmaceutical companies, Pocket Pharma pits every player to formulate, create and market drugs. With the most profitable being the winner! Using public card drafting to draft compounds which you place on your lab bench, players use "poker hand" style combinations to formulate drugs required by the marketplace. However, creating a drug isn't that easy. Penalty points are applied if your drug is not efficacious and contains severe side effects beyond tolerable norms. Therefore, the search for the perfect compound formulations is critical! However, search for too long, and your competitors may get there first reducing your market penetration and therefore profit.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Alley Cat Games
Questions and answers
Pocket Pharma 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 Pocket Pharma is 15–30 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 Pocket Pharma 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.
Pocket Pharma has a complexity rating of 1.8 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.
Pocket Pharma belongs to these categories: Card Game, Medical, and Industry / Manufacturing. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Pattern Building, and Open Drafting. 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 Pocket Pharma are: Brett J. Gilbert and 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 Pocket Pharma 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.