Pocket Pharma

About this board game

Pocket Pharma is a 30-minute board game for 2–5 players about competing pharmaceutical companies that formulate, create, and market drugs for profit.

Players use public card drafting to collect compounds, placing their choices on a lab bench as they work toward effective formulations. The compounds combine into “poker hand” style patterns, turning the search for the right drug into a contest of timing, combination-building, and market awareness.

• Draft compounds from a shared, public selection.
• Arrange them on your lab bench.
• Use poker-style combinations to formulate drugs required by the marketplace.
• Manage efficacy and severe side effects to avoid penalty points.

Creating a successful drug involves more than finding a combination that matches demand. A formulation can receive penalty points when it is not efficacious or contains severe side effects beyond tolerable norms, making the search for the perfect compound mix critical to your results.

However, taking too long can be just as costly. If another company reaches a required drug first, your market penetration and resulting profit may be reduced. Players must therefore weigh careful formulation against the danger of letting competitors claim the opportunity.

With its streamlined design and pocket-sized format, Pocket Pharma presents a focused race through pharmaceutical research and marketing. The player with the most profitable outcome wins.