Pest

In Pest, players take the helm of ruling houses trying to pull a once‑great empire out of the grip of a cataclysmic plague. The goal is to rebuild ruined cities, cure survivors and develop technologies that keep the disease in check. The game unfolds over seven rounds; at the start of each round a plague card shows how the infection will spread, forcing players to adapt their plans. Each player has a personal board with a pool of action points that can be spent to move a containment team across the modular board, quarantine and heal people, reconstruct buildings, harvest resources and assign workers. As a house’s influence grows, more actions become available, yielding extra resources and allowing more citizens to be housed. This expansion unlocks technological advancements that are essential for controlling the plague. Area majority/influence is key: controlling the most of a region grants end‑game bonuses. Random event cards can dramatically shift the flow, while the modular board ensures a fresh map every play. After the seventh round, players tally Renown – a blend of resources, technologies, controlled areas and end‑game bonuses – and the highest total wins the title of empire’s savior. With a moderate weight (3.3/5) and playtime ranging from 60 to 150 minutes, Pest appeals to fans of worker placement, medical themes and medieval‑style civilization building.