Pathogenesis (Second Edition)

About this board game

Pathogenesis (Second Edition) is a deck-building game for 1–4 players, with games lasting around 60 minutes, in which players take the roles of bacterial pathogens attacking the human body.

Built on 100% real science, its mechanics are designed to mimic how real biology works. Players familiar with popular deck-building games will find a recognizable foundation, while the game’s evolved and mutated systems give it an identity of its own.

Pathogenesis offers several ways to play, making it suitable for different group sizes and play styles:

• Solo play
• Cooperative play
• Competitive play
• Team play

No prior scientific knowledge is required to play. At the same time, the game was developed to support learning about the immune system at the college level, offering an approachable way to engage with its subject matter through play.

The Second Edition updates the immune system with four immune system cards, supplied in four copies each, that provide more consistently damaging effects than before. Updated antibody tokens now have an attack value of their own, adding another threat for bacterial pathogens to face.

The adaptive immune system response has also been revised. It is now less volatile and even more dangerous than before, making the immune challenge a sharper part of the experience. Developed in partnership with scientific illustrator somersault1824, Pathogenesis combines deck-building gameplay with an educationally focused biological theme.