Since it hit the gaming scene in 2008, Pandemic has become one of the most widely played modern board games of all time. For us, and countless more, it served as our gateway game into the hobby as we know it — delighting families around the table the world over.
Pandemic has expanded into a large and vibrant family of games over the years. Last year we reviewed one of those exciting additions in Pandemic: Rapid Response. And now, we’re thrilled to give you our thoughts on the newest member of the Pandemic family, Pandemic Hot Zone: North America!
(Make sure you read all the way to the bottom for how Z-Man Games is brining you a way to play Pandemic Hot Zone in your own home today!)
A smaller game that plays just like the original? That’s right!
From the designer of the original Pandemic, Matt Leacock, Pandemic Hot Zone is a distilled version of the original game in a smaller, quicker, more portable design.
That means you will still all be working together as a team to control the spread of viruses by traveling around the map, treating cities, and collecting cards to discover cures. But rather than traveling around a large world map, you will be traveling around a smaller map, this time, North America.
Even though the map is small, Hot Zone plays very similarly to the original game. If you’ve never played Pandemic before here’s a quick overview for both it and Hot Zone.
Players work as a team of specialized disease fighters. Each player will have unique skills that will allow them to do things that other players cannot. On the map, diseases will be represented by cubes. Over the course of the game, these diseases will spread and it’s up to you to use your turn actions to travel around the board, treat cities, and collect cards to discover cures at a research station.
If players are able to discover the cures for all diseases you all win the game together.
If the diseases outbreak too many times, or you run out of cards and the draw deck is exhausted, you all lose together.
For those who’ve played Pandemic before, here are a few of the key differences you’ll find in Pandemic Hot Zone.
- There are only 3 diseases
- You only need 4 cards to discover cures
- There is only 1 research station and you may not build more
- Diseases cannot be eradicated
- There are only 3 Epidemic cards and all must be used
- You can alter the difficulty of the game with Crisis cards
What do we think?
Let me first start by saying that it is a struck of truly unfortunate luck that this game should be releasing now, when all around the world we are experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic. Games take years to develop and produce and there’s no way the team responsible for bringing this game to the table could have ever imagined that it would be releasing during a time where the game’s theme was happening in real time.
The topic of Pandemic, as a game, could be a sensitive one. A main reason we loved Pandemic back in 2008 was because, at its core, Pandemic was about teamwork. Alone you could not overcome the trials of the game but together you could persevere. This message of teamwork in the face of adversity could not be more prevalent than it is now.
So with that, let me now say that I absolutely love what they have been able to do with Pandemic Hot Zone. Much like Ticket to Ride: New York, they have managed to capture the complete essence of what made Pandemic so fun and package it up into a tighter, smaller game.
Playing Hot Zone feels exactly like playing the original does. If anything, Hot Zone may actually be more difficult! We still haven’t beaten it! But we keep coming back again and again. Much like we did with the original Pandemic!
Much like I said in my Ticket to Ride: New York review, Hot Zone may be my new favorite way to play the original Pandemic! I love the shorter time frame while still being completely challenged with the difficulty of the full version. You may have a smaller board, but that doesn’t make your choices any less difficult. Should you cure now? Should you move later? What if you share knowledge? Can you make it back to Atlanta in time to cure the disease?
This “rushed for time” feel is probably my favorite element of Pandemic. It was what Pandemic Rapid Response brought to the forefront as it played the entire game in real time, and in Hot Zone you can just feel time slipping from your grasp with every card flip. That’s where the teamwork really comes into play. You need to use the time wisely by working together, sometimes using your turn to help someone else maximize theirs.
Components
Hot Zone is very well made. Everything inside the box is high quality, ready to hold up to many plays throughout the years.
If I were to change one thing, I wish that they would have given a larger selection of player roles. As it stands, there are only 4. Perhaps including 6 would have been nice so there would have been a bit more choice and variety. It’s a small thing and definitely not a deal breaker.
How does it play with two?
Pandemic Hot Zone is fun at all player counts and is the perfect Pandemic version for two players. The original game can just get out of hand too quickly for two players to adequately control. We’ve always felt that Pandemic plays best when you have at least three or four players to help manage the board. With Hot Zone, the board is sized just perfectly for two players! This is a great date night option!
Can kids play?
This is a great way to introduce kids to Pandemic!
Hot Zone is about as difficult as the original. Our 8 year old picked it up right away and I’d say 8 is probably the perfect age to start here. It’s completely personal preference as for which version you’d want to play first, if you can play one you certainly can play the other.
Compared to the original, Hot Zone feels a bit more approachable. If you have a kid, (or adult) that gets a little overwhelmed by larger games, that is drastically lowered here. It’s nearly the exact same game, just smaller, so you’ll probably be able to teach it to more people. Especially when you consider the smaller time commitment.
Hot Zone was one that I instantly thought would be perfect for my parents. They enjoy playing games, but when a huge board with lots of components hits the table, getting them to play takes more convincing. I can use Hot Zone as an introduction to the game. Once they’re hooked, they’ll delight in being able to play the full, original version. Better yet, they’ll already know the rules!
Summary
Pandemic Hot Zone: North America takes everything that you love about the original Pandemic and packages it perfectly into a smaller, portable, more accessible version that takes about half the time to play. It works amazingly well and for many I can see this becoming their favorite way to play the game.
The smaller time commitment makes this a perfect filler game for nights where you’re waiting for your whole crew to arrive. I see us playing Hot Zone a lot in our home, not just with our daughter or introducing it to new players, but also for those evenings where we want a quick game to play before calling it a night or watching a movie. It’s a great date night option!
To pre-order a copy of Pandemic Hot Zone North America you can do so directly from Z-Man Games, Amazon, or contact your FLGS!
Play Hot Zone in Your Home Today!
Z-Man Games has released the print and play files for Pandemic: Hot Zone North America! Give this game a try today without ever needing to leave your home! Happy gaming, folks!
A special thank you to the folks at Z-Man Games for sending us a copy of Pandemic Hot Zone: North America for review. As always, our thoughts and opinions are our own.
Game Info:
Title: Pandemic Hot Zone: North America
2-4 players Ages 8+
Designer: Matt Leacock
Publisher: Z-Man Games
Published: 2020
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