Top 10 Cooperative Board Games Like Pandemic to Play While Social Distancing

As the COVID-19 pandemic is in full-force, people around the world are becoming hysteric. When they are not searching for essential supplies, they are looking for information. If this is your first pandemic, you will not know what to expect. The flu pandemic in 1968 was one of the worst, killing 1 million people. The latest pandemic, HIV/AIDS began in 2005 and ran through 2012, killing 36 million people.

To help you better understand such catastrophic events, you could play board games like Pandemic. A list of options is provided in the article below for your convenience.

Top 10 Games Like Pandemic

1. Forbidden Island

Forbidden Island is a popular board game based on pandemics. The game won the Mensa Favorite Brainy Games in 2010 because of its many life-like features. You can play in twos, threes, and fours, depending on how many willing participants you have on hand. Whatever the case may be, all players must be willing to face one of the most catastrophic events ever experienced by mankind.

To survive, you must be able to solve problems and think strategically. Your enemies are challenging you while you are trying to solve problems. So, you will need to stay on top of your game until the very end.

A single game lasts up to 30 minutes. During those 30 minutes, you will be faced some of the most difficult challenges. You will find yourself in do-or-die situations but if you can pull it off, you will be rewarded with a sacred treasure.

Combine your abilities to make your way through some of the most horrifying adventures. Your goal is to visit the ruins where you will find four sacred treasures. Now, no one is going to guarantee that it will be easy because nothing about Forbidden Island is simple.

Only children 10 and up should play Forbidden Island. It has some pieces which are not suitable for young children. Adults are more than welcome to join in on the fun as well.

2. Gloomhaven

European tactical combat is the inspiration for Gloomhaven. Four players can join in on the horrifying adventure at the same time.  This is a unique board game, as it can accommodate a single player. Each game can last between 60 to 120 minutes, so you must be prepared in advance. Each player must learn how to survive in a world that is continuously changing, The further you venture into the game, the closer you will come to one of the darkest corners of the world.

You will need to work as a team, which is what sets Gloomhaven apart from other board games. You and your teammates will travel through some of the most dangerous lands. And, dungeons and encounter monsters like you have never seen before.

Each player will draw two cards to play out their hand. But, you won’t be in it alone. Your teammates will be right there with you, battling against automated monsters and hoping to survive to the end. As you continue to play, the number of cards you have in your hand will begin to deplete. If you hesitate too long, the only option you may have left is to retreat.

3. Asmodee Ghost Stories

Living through a real pandemic is like having a long nightmare. Those you love a dropping like flies while you try to not follow suit. Are you bored by barred up in your home waiting for the pandemic to end? Well, the answer is the unique and bazaar board game Ghost Stories. The game is set up to accommodate up to four players. You can take the challenge alone or ask a couple of your friends to join you on this horrifying journey of the unknown.

Each player must agree to become a Taoist priest. The prestigious role will give you many difficult responsibilities. One of your most important responsibilities will be to protect your people from ghosts. What is left of the Wu-Feng’s dark forces are coming after your village. The ghosts know no danger, they will do whatever is necessary to take over your village if you allow them to.

The players’ goal is to prevent Wu-Feng from arising. It will take strategy, problem-solving, and will to drive the ghosts from your village. And, you only have 60 minutes to get the job done.

4. Arkham Horror Third Edition

Living in a national pandemic can be horrifying. So can playing the Arkham Horror Board Game where you be transported back to the roaring 20s. You and your teammates will take on dangerous investigative roles and take turns choosing archive cards. Each card will take you on a journey where you will encounter some of the most horrifying events never known to mankind.

As an investigator, you will be challenged by the Great Old Ones. If your investigative skills are up to par, you may be able to save Arkham from destruction. You will encounter strange sightings like creatures you have never witnessed before. If you can keep your fear under control throughout this extensive challenge, you may be the only investigator left standing.

The game is designed to accommodate up to six players. Each player will choose an investigator with a unique past and set of skills. The diabolical servants of the Ancient Ones will be your biggest threat. Ithaqua, Hastur, and Cthulhu will challenge you every step of the way.

5. Mansions Of Madness Board Games 2nd Edition

Mansions of Madness was a major hit for several reasons, but there is no denying that you have probably been around it several times. Probably seen everything that it has to offer. Well, if you are looking for something similar, but refreshing, look no further than the 2nd Edition. This is a fully cooperative, app-driven board game filled with intrigue, horror, and mysteries that you’ll only grow more and more compelled to uncover. The game can consist of anywhere from 1 to 5 players and takes place in the same universe as Eldritch Horror and Elder Sign.

Not only will you and your team get to travel through the veiled and Misty street of Innsmouth, but you’ll get to stumble through the haunted corridors of Arkham’s cursed mansions. All along the way you and your team will search for answers as well as respite from what lies ahead. There will be plenty of weapons to collect, tons of mysteries to solve, and plenty of death. With over 500 detailed components, 32 plastic figures, and a conversion kit, there will be plenty to keep you and your friends busy for hours on top of hours.

6. Eldritch Horror

Are you starting to burn out on the classic Arkham Horror? Maybe you and your friends have been through every scenario hundreds of times and are looking for something new. This is exactly where Eldritch Horror will come in handy. This fully cooperative game was inspired by Arkham Horror and includes some of the very game tactics and gameplay styles. While the game can be enjoyed solo, it can also be enjoyed with eight of your closest friends. An ancient evil is stirring all across the world, and it will be up to you and your friends to hold it back at the gates.

You’ll get to travel to far and away exotic lands where you’ll work against the odds battling foul monsters and brutal encounters, all the while trying to uncover some of the most obscure mysteries that the world has to offer. This terror and adventure game will have you solving mysteries, gathering clues, and protecting the world from an ancient evil that no one has ever seen the likes of. The game comes fully equipped with its own unique deck of Mystery and Research cards that will only delve further into the lore surrounding this ancient evil. There will be plenty to do, uncover, and explore.

7. Dead Of Winter

The Dead of Winter is the first in a series of a new game that will take you and 5 of your closest friends through 60 to 120 of the most exciting gameplay that you will ever experience. Each player will get to control a weakened colony of survivors trying to live out the rest of their days in what is now a dying world. What little is left of humanity has either gone crazy or turned into flesh-craving monsters? Each player will be assigned a faction of survivors that he or she can control with dozens of different characters.

Dead of Winter isn’t just a survival game, but it is a psychological survival game that will require you to work together with your mates to achieve victory. To makes matters even worse, winter is coming, resources will be dwindling, and each of the members in your faction will be dealing with their own unique psychological imperatives. Designed for ages 13 and up, some games can end will all players being victorious. Others might end with just one player standing at the end. Whatever the situation is, you will surely get a kick out of this survival game, as it will test you to your fullest limits.

8. Zombicide: Black Plague

It is the Middle Ages and there is a terrible mysterious illness sweeping through the countryside. Anyone or anything that comes in contact with it is being turned into a mindless, bloodthirsty walker. It will take a band of brave and strong heroes to survive. This is the exact setting for the Black Plague. You can enjoy the game up to six of your closest friends. You will get to control a fearless party of survivors as they fight not only to survive but to rid the land of this invasion of zombies.

You’ll find weapons, learn spells, battle tough enemies, and gain experience all along the way that can be applied to your characters. The more experience you get, the tougher you and your gang of rag tags will become, but so will the zombies. And, don’t worry about replayability because there are a number of scenarios that will take you and your team everywhere from the medieval streets to the ancient vaults.

9. Mysterium

Do you have a fascination with the spirit world? Always wanted to communicate with the other side? Maybe you have felt like you have always had a connection to the dark side, but have never been able to take it any further. Well, Mysterium is a board game that will let you live out your fantasy. You and 6 of your closest friends can play as a team of psychic investigators. You’ll take to the grounds of Warwick Manor and try to uncover the terrible secrets behind what befell one unlucky individual.

Seven players can play at once. And, the best part is, one of your team can play as the ghost. The ghost cannot talk, but he or she will be able to communicate through visions and other codes. It will be up to you and your team of psychic investigators or decipher each unique clue. The more you cooperate, the more you will uncover. Until eventually, you will know the murder weapon, the location of the murder, and who perpetrated this horrible crime. Children ages 10 and up can join in to take on the horrifying adventures.

10. Betrayal At House On The Hill

If you were a fan of the original Betrayal at House on the Hill, then get ready to strap in for the new updated version. This version not only promises more thrills and spills, but it is a game that will have your heart in your throat the entire time. Children 12 years and up can safely play the game for hours. The game can accommodate up to 6 players at a time. Only three players can join in on the fun but a total of six can participate in each mission. Each game session should last about 60 minutes, but the high replayability makes the game an immediate classic.

You and your friends can join together and investigate over 50 different heart-stopping scenarios. You will encounter dreadful monsters and deadly secrets along the way, but perhaps the most terrifying part is that one of your own will be working against the group. With seven new haunts and dozens of danger-filled rooms, you and your friends will never tire of this instant classic. If you can stomach it, you’ll want to return to the house again and again to explore each new potential scenario. And, there will be plenty of them.