When my favorite animated shows and board games come together, I absolutely have to scream about it.
Polygon shared Monday that game publishers Asmodee and Z-Man Games announced the latest installment of the Pandemic board game series with Star Wars: The Clone Wars – A Pandemic System Game. After selling it exclusively online at Target, which started September 19, it will be released worldwide in October for retailers.
The Z-Man Games website describes the game as:
"“Despite the overwhelming number of droids, it will take more than simply slashing them apart to achieve victory. The Separatists have laid siege to many planets, and players will need to undertake a variety of missions in order to gain the advantage and free the Republic. Each mission comes with its own dangers and will require their own strategies, but each one completed brings players one step closer to a final confrontation with the true villains behind the armies.Droids and blockades are not the most dangerous threat in the galaxy. An iconic villain such as Darth Maul, General Grievous, Asajj Ventress, or Count Dooku moves from planet to planet, hindering the players and using their own special abilities to gain an advantage. Each villain comes with their own unique scenario for players to experience. In order to win the game, the team of Jedi must confront and defeat the villain once and for all.”"
What I adored about Pandemic as a game was the collaboration element. Instead of fighting my friends, I loved working together, strategizing, and trying to save the world. Translating that to a galaxy far, far away is a fantastic idea. Clone Wars is a great stage set for it because it was a galaxy-spanning conflict allowing for the Pandemic gameplay to really translate well.
On another Z-Man Games page where the game is available to pre-order, it showcases the eleven figures for the game. General Grievous and Asajj Ventress are amazing. I want both of those personally to sit on my Star Wars knick-knack shelf. I’m also pleasantly surprised to see that Aayla Secura and Luminara Unduli are playable figures as well.
The teaser trailer released by Z-Man Games also showed off some of the cards as well. It was no surprise that Commander Cody and Captain Rex would be there. But I definitely squealed seeing my boy Fives as well as Echo in his pre-The Bad Batch design.
The box art is stunning. The pre-sale page has a look at the back of the box which sports a gorgeous picture of Ahsoka. Everything about this product is truly a work of art.
Saying I’m excited for Star Wars: The Clone Wars – A Pandemic System Game is an understatement. I am losing my mind over this. Clone Wars and Pandemic is a match made in heaven. I can’t wait to get my own copy.