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Highly awarded
Gloomhaven
Best for: Dedicated gaming groups, RPG fans, campaign lovers, solo tacticians
Dice TowerGolden Geek
1–4120mHeavy
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Exceptional consensus · 3 organizationsSee buying options →
Pandemic Legacy: Season 1
Rob Daviau, Matt Leacock · Z-Man Games · 2015
The cooperative disease-fighting game transformed into a legacy campaign where every decision permanently changes the board, rules, and story across 12-24 sessions. Cities fall, characters gain scars, and the narrative twists based on your wins and losses.
Players
2–4
Time
60 min
Ages
13+
Difficulty
Medium
Why you'll like it
- Narrative twists are genuinely shocking
- Permanent consequences make every decision momentous
- Cooperative pressure bonds your group
- Builds on familiar Pandemic mechanics
- Perfectly paced 12-24 session arc
How it plays
Pandemic Legacy builds on the classic cooperative game Pandemic: you and your team travel the world, treating outbreaks and racing to find cures before diseases spread out of control.
The legacy part is what makes it special. You play through a 12-month campaign, and the game changes permanently as you go. You'll write on the board, put stickers on cards, open sealed boxes and even destroy some cards. Decisions in one game carry forward to the next, and the story has real surprises.
Each month you get two chances to succeed, so the campaign is roughly 12 to 24 sessions. Because the game changes permanently, you play it through once with the same group, a bit like a TV series you watch together.
May not be for you if…
- One-time experience — campaign ends, game is done
- Requires consistent group across many sessions
- You physically destroy components
- Start with base Pandemic if you're new
Best for
Dedicated gaming groupscooperative fansnarrative lovers
Awards
- 2016As d'OrExpert
- 2015Golden GeekBest Thematic Game
- 2015Dice TowerBest Cooperative
- 2015Golden GeekBest Strategy Game
- 2015Golden GeekMost Innovative Game
- 2015Dice TowerGame of the Year
- 2015Golden GeekGame of the Year
- 2016Kennerspiel des JahresKennerspiel des JahresNominated
Appears in
Where to buy
- AmazonCheck price →
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Common questions
Can you replay Pandemic Legacy?
Not really. The campaign changes the components permanently, so it's designed to be played through once. Many groups consider that part of the appeal.
Do you need to have played Pandemic first?
No, the game teaches you the basics. But if someone in the group knows Pandemic, the first session goes faster.
How many sessions does it take?
Roughly 12 to 24 sessions of about an hour each, depending on how often you win. It's best with a regular group of 2 to 4 players.
If you like Pandemic Legacy: Season 1, try
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Award winner
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Spiel des JahresMensa Select
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