Each player in Pandemic takes turns following a structured sequence. Understanding this flow is crucial to planning strategies, preventing outbreaks, and ultimately curing all four diseases before losing conditions occur. This guide walks you through a typical turn and the decisions players face.
Phases of a Turn
On a player’s turn, they must follow three key phases:
- Phase 1: Take Actions (up to 4)
- Phase 2: Draw Two Player Cards
- Phase 3: Infect Cities
Phase 1: Take Actions
Each player can perform up to four actions from the following choices:
1. Move to a Different City
- Drive/Ferry: Move to an adjacent city connected by a white line.
- Direct Flight: Discard a City Card to move directly to that city.
- Charter Flight: Discard the City Card of your current city to move anywhere.
- Shuttle Flight: Move between research stations.
2. Treat Disease
Remove one disease cube from your current city. If the disease is cured, remove all cubes of that color with one action.
3. Share Knowledge
Give or take a City Card matching your current location from another player in the same city.
4. Build a Research Station
Discard the City Card of your current location to place a Research Station there.
5. Discover a Cure
Discard five City Cards of the same color while at a Research Station to cure a disease.
Phase 2: Draw Two Player Cards
Draw two cards from the Player Deck. If you exceed seven cards, discard or play an Event Card.
- Epidemic Cards: If drawn, follow the Epidemic sequence:
- Increase: Move the Infection Rate Marker forward.
- Infect: Draw the bottom card from the Infection Deck and place three cubes on that city.
- Intensify: Shuffle the Infection Discard Pile and place it back on top of the Infection Deck.
Phase 3: Infect Cities
Reveal a number of Infection Cards equal to the current infection rate and place one disease cube in each city drawn.
- If a city already has three cubes, an outbreak occurs, spreading cubes to all connected cities.
Wrapping Up
Each turn in Pandemic follows this structured flow, requiring strategic planning and teamwork to maximize efficiency. Understanding this turn sequence is the key to preventing outbreaks and finding a cure before the game ends.
