(This is NOT offiically connected to the Pandemic boardgame franchise...)
(The photo is of the mockup. If it gets published, I imagine all the graphics will change.)
I've spent the last 9 months or so (since ebola began to break) redesigning this commercial boardgame prototype, which I originally submitted to the publisher of the popular boardgame Pandemic back in 2010. It draws on what I learned doing tabletop work to train hospital staff to deal with epidemiological events. In this game a team of players cooperatively manage a hospital responding to a pandemic.
The first prototype was in submission for almost a year. This time I've overhauled it, simplified it and fine-tuned the balance design. The game has benefited from more than two years of design, redesign and playtesting. Particular thanks go out to my friend Chris MacAllister for his time in playtesting.
The game now I think has arrived. It takes about 90 minutes to play out, and it presents players with definite puzzles which they have to truly think about to survive the epidemic. Things get a little "grindy"... in other words, you must spend some time focusing on the details... but I couldn't get away from some of this. It is simply the nature of this scenario: dealing with patient loads, dealing with resupply of materiel and personnel, finding space for the patients, and so on. That's what an epidemic looks like in a hospital. To try to manipulate it otherwise, in my opinion, is to be dishonest to the subject matter.
The Pandemic publisher rejected it I think mainly because the game's frank honesty frightened them. They felt squeamish about the subject-matter. Well... Sorry, but patients sometimes die. Sometimes in waves if you aren't smart. But this is a pandemic, after all. Oddly, while the Pandemic game franchise deals with... erm... pandemics, and all the apocalyptic destruction native to plagues, disease and so on... that franchise has a reputation as being light and fun. So I guess they didn't want to disrupt this light funness with... you know... dealing with people who are sick and sometimes having to face your inability to save everyone. (That's one thing that new doctors and nurses have to face... That human limitation of medicine.)
Anyway, not everyone has that aversion to healthcare issues. That's why there are hit hospital shows like ER, Grey's Anatomy, House, etc.
One of the most satisfying parts in this game is the Healing Phase. If you've done your job well, you get to discharge many formerly sick patients, sending them home and increasing your Dedication score. It is a very light and fun thing to do, and dealing with the devil of the details is the investment you make to win such a reward.
