Virulence: An Infectious Card Game

About this board game

Virulence: An Infectious Card Game is a competitive card game for 2–5 players with a listed play time of 20 minutes. Players take on the role of viruses competing to infect a host cell, replicate their viral components, and score points.

Each round, every player secretly chooses one Virus card from their hand and places it face down. The cards are then revealed simultaneously, showing each virus’s virulence. Players take turns in order from highest virulence to lowest, selecting from the available Viral Component cards.

These components award points in a variety of ways. Some can also help players build their hand of Virus cards, giving them more options and helping them compete for critical components in later rounds.

• Secret bidding: Choose a Virus card and reveal it at the same time as everyone else.
• Competitive selection: Higher virulence determines who selects Viral Component cards first.
• Hand building: Add Virus cards to improve future opportunities.
• Multiple scoring possibilities: Collect components that award points in different ways.

Virulence combines blind bidding and bluffing with engine building and a bit of luck. The rules can be taught in 30 seconds, while the quick rounds keep every decision focused on when to commit a powerful Virus card and when to hold back.

Simple to learn but competitive to play, Virulence delivers a fast contest over infection, replication, and the most valuable viral components.