Pandemic / Similar games

18 games like Pandemic

The best games like Pandemic are Reign of Cthulhu, Healthy Heart Hospital and Raxxon — the closest of 18 ranked alternatives, scored by shared mechanics and category. Reign of Cthulhu shares action points, cooperative game, hand management with Pandemic.

Every alternative below links to its own Pandemic-style fact page, drawn from MeeplePick’s medical shelf.

Ranked by shared category (3 pts) and mechanics (2 pts), bonus within 0.7 of Pandemic’s 2.4 weight, then BoardGameGeek’s Bayesian rating — one entry per series, 18 shown.

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1. 

   1. Reign of Cthulhu (2016)

   2–4 players · 40 min · ★ 7.4 · Medium-light · See Reign of Cthulhu alternatives →

   Shares with Pandemic: Action Points, Cooperative Game, Hand Management, Point to Point Movement +2 more · 6 shared tags · 6 of Pandemic’s 6 mechanics (100%)

   vs Pandemic: overlaps at 2–4 players · about the same length · 0.2 lighter

   Check price for Reign of Cthulhu →
2. 

   2. Healthy Heart Hospital (2015)

   1–5 players · 60–90 min · ★ 7.3 · Medium

   Shares with Pandemic: Medical, Action Points, Cooperative Game · 3 shared tags · 2 of Pandemic’s 6 mechanics (33%)

   vs Pandemic: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · scales to 5 · ~30 min longer · +0.4 heavier

   Check price for Healthy Heart Hospital →
3. 

   3. Raxxon (2017)

   1–4 players · 45–60 min · ★ 6.8 · Medium-light

   Shares with Pandemic: Medical, Action Points, Cooperative Game · 3 shared tags · 2 of Pandemic’s 6 mechanics (33%)

   vs Pandemic: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · about the same length · 0.5 lighter

   Check price for Raxxon →
4. 

   4. Plague Inc. The Board Game (2017)

   1–4 players · 60 min · ★ 7.5 · Medium-light

   Shares with Pandemic: Medical, Hand Management · 2 shared tags · 1 of Pandemic’s 6 mechanics (17%)

   vs Pandemic: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · ~15 min longer · 0.3 lighter
5. 

   5. Dice Hospital (2018)

   1–4 players · 45–90 min · ★ 7.2 · Medium-light · See Dice Hospital alternatives →

   Shares with Pandemic: Medical, Action Points · 2 shared tags · 1 of Pandemic’s 6 mechanics (17%)

   vs Pandemic: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · ~23 min longer · same complexity
6. 

   6. Herbalism (2017)

   3–4 players · 15–30 min · ★ 6.6 · Medium-light

   Shares with Pandemic: Medical, Hand Management, Trading · 3 shared tags · 2 of Pandemic’s 6 mechanics (33%)

   vs Pandemic: overlaps at 3–4 players · ~22 min shorter · 0.4 lighter
7. 

   7. Holding On The Troubled Life of Billy Kerr (2018)

   2–4 players · 45–60 min · ★ 6.2 · Medium-light

   Shares with Pandemic: Medical, Cooperative Game, Set Collection · 3 shared tags · 2 of Pandemic’s 6 mechanics (33%)

   vs Pandemic: overlaps at 2–4 players · about the same length · 0.2 lighter
8. 

   8. Viral (2017)

   2–5 players · 60–90 min · ★ 7.0 · Medium

   Shares with Pandemic: Medical, Hand Management · 2 shared tags · 1 of Pandemic’s 6 mechanics (17%)

   vs Pandemic: overlaps at 2–4 players · scales to 5 · ~30 min longer · same complexity
9. 

   9. Cytosis A Cell Biology Board Game (2017)

   2–5 players · 60–90 min · ★ 7.1 · Medium-light

   Shares with Pandemic: Medical, Set Collection · 2 shared tags · 1 of Pandemic’s 6 mechanics (17%)

   vs Pandemic: overlaps at 2–4 players · scales to 5 · ~30 min longer · same complexity
10. 

    10. Flatline (2017)

    1–5 players · 25–45 min · ★ 7.2 · Medium-light

    Shares with Pandemic: Medical, Cooperative Game · 2 shared tags · 1 of Pandemic’s 6 mechanics (17%)

    vs Pandemic: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · scales to 5 · ~10 min shorter · same complexity
11. 

    11. Defenders of the Realm (2010)

    1–4 players · 90 min · ★ 7.3 · Medium · See Defenders of the Realm alternatives →

    Shares with Pandemic: Action Points, Cooperative Game, Hand Management, Point to Point Movement · 4 shared tags · 4 of Pandemic’s 6 mechanics (67%)

    vs Pandemic: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · ~45 min longer · +0.3 heavier
12. 

    12. Sekigahara The Unification of Japan (2011)

    2 players · 180 min · ★ 8.0 · Medium · See Sekigahara The Unification of Japan alternatives →

    Shares with Pandemic: Action Points, Hand Management, Point to Point Movement · 3 shared tags · 3 of Pandemic’s 6 mechanics (50%)

    vs Pandemic: both play at 2 · ~135 min longer · +0.4 heavier
13. 

    13. Horrified (2019)

    1–5 players · 60 min · ★ 7.8 · Medium-light · See Horrified alternatives →

    Shares with Pandemic: Action Points, Cooperative Game, Point to Point Movement · 3 shared tags · 3 of Pandemic’s 6 mechanics (50%)

    vs Pandemic: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · scales to 5 · ~15 min longer · 0.4 lighter
14. 

    14. Dead of Winter A Crossroads Game (2014)

    2–5 players · 60–120 min · ★ 7.6 · Medium · See Dead of Winter A Crossroads Game alternatives →

    Shares with Pandemic: Action Points, Cooperative Game, Hand Management · 3 shared tags · 3 of Pandemic’s 6 mechanics (50%)

    vs Pandemic: overlaps at 2–4 players · scales to 5 · ~45 min longer · +0.6 heavier
15. 

    15. Rush M.D. (2020)

    1–4 players · 30–45 min · ★ 7.6 · Medium-light

    Shares with Pandemic: Medical, Cooperative Game · 2 shared tags · 1 of Pandemic’s 6 mechanics (17%)

    vs Pandemic: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · about the same length · same complexity
16. 

    16. Wingspan (2019)

    1–5 players · 40–70 min · ★ 8.1 · Medium-light · See Wingspan alternatives →

    Shares with Pandemic: Hand Management, Set Collection · 2 shared tags · 2 of Pandemic’s 6 mechanics (33%)

    vs Pandemic: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · scales to 5 · ~10 min longer · same complexity
17. 

    17. Marvel Champions The Card Game (2019)

    1–4 players · 45–90 min · ★ 8.2 · Medium · See Marvel Champions The Card Game alternatives →

    Shares with Pandemic: Cooperative Game, Hand Management · 2 shared tags · 2 of Pandemic’s 6 mechanics (33%)

    vs Pandemic: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · ~23 min longer · +0.4 heavier
18. 

    18. Infarkt (2011)

    2–5 players · 45 min · ★ 6.6 · Medium-light

    Shares with Pandemic: Medical, Hand Management · 2 shared tags · 1 of Pandemic’s 6 mechanics (17%)

    vs Pandemic: overlaps at 2–4 players · scales to 5 · about the same length · 0.7 lighter

Looking for the original? See the full Pandemic fact page — players, play time, age and complexity.