Written by Gibran
October 17, 2023
In addition to being affordable, Virus! is one of the easiest games to understand, and it has even inspired some independent variants in a children’s veterinary version.
The objective of the game is to collect 4 different colors of healthy organs. The problem is that opponents will play virus cards to infect and eventually destroy each of your organs organs. The game features special cards that allow you to acquire the healthy organs of your opponents, make them discard all their cards (you must always have only 3 cards in hand), infect all their viruses, or swap your entire game with another player.
Between two players, the games are fast and exciting, lasting about 5 to 10 minutes at most. With 6 players, it’s possible for the games to extend to up to 40 minutes, during which shouts and alliances will be common until the most forgotten player wins in an unexpected moment.
Very addictive
Due to its quick setup and fast-paced gameplay, it can be challenging to stop a streak of games. “Virus!” reminds me a bit of Uno. While in Uno, you can only become hostile with the players on your sides, Virus! constantly makes you shift your priorities in terms of which player to target in order to get closer to victory. You can play almost automatically and it allows for conversations, meditation, or immersion in the game.
Expansions
I know of a Halloween special version that I’m not interested in. But I’ve acquired Virus! 2 Evolution. It consists of a set of cards to add to the original Virus! game, including new types of organs, enhanced viruses and medications, and new special cards to enrich the gaming experience. If you add it for a 6-player game, it can speed up the game, while adding it to a 2-player game might make it longer.
It’s a must-have on the shelf.
Virus! It’s a very original and fun game. I highly recommend it.
It doesn’t require reading a single word, so with the right concentration and patience, a 3-year-old child could learn to play it. In my personal experience, while playing with my wife, we used the cards from the discard pile to teach our daughter the virus-organ-medicine-color relationship used in the game, and we were able to explain these concepts to her. Up to this date, she hasn’t learned to play it, but I admit that it has been a great educational aid.
Regarding the score that I keep with my wife… I must say, the game is so addictive that we simply forget about the score and play it again and again.
Recommendation:
Perhaps you should consider buying an automatic card shuffler; don’t be afraid of being called lazy.
