Dr. Microbe

About this board game

Dr. Microbe is a fast-paced dexterity and pattern-solving game for 2–4 players, with rounds that take about 15 minutes to play. Race your opponents to assemble the correct collection of microbes in your petri dish and claim the challenge cards.

Each round begins when a challenge card is revealed. The card shows a combination of microbes and may also include a superbug. Using tweezers, every player simultaneously searches for the required pieces and places them in their petri dish, which is divided into three small sections and one large section.

The key challenge is identifying the correct combination quickly. The superbug must always be a different shape and color from each of the other three microbes in your dish. The first player to fill their dish with the proper items takes the challenge card. Be the first to collect five cards to win the game.

• Players: 2–4
• Play time: approximately 15 minutes
• Core action: race to collect and arrange microbes with tweezers
• Winning goal: claim five challenge cards

For an additional twist, Dr. Microbe includes a purple virus variant. The purple virus begins in the large petri dish containing all the other pieces. A player may grab it and place it in the petri dish of their left-hand neighbor, who can then pass it left again.

A player cannot end the round while the purple virus is in their dish. Whoever has it when the round ends must give one previously collected card to that round’s winner, adding another layer of pressure to every frantic search.