Virulence is an addictive, quick card game where players compete for viral components to score points, meanwhile increasing familiarity with the concepts of viral assembly and replication along the way.
All players simultaneously place secret blind bids to determine the order they can take cards for the turn. Players always want to be the highest bidder, but the real challenge is to do so without wasting their best cards. They then choose Viral Component cards which either build the power of their future bids or combine in sets to score points.
Cards include:
Icosahedral
Helical
Spherical Envelopes
Genomes
Vaccine
Mutated Virus
Increased Virulence
Designed by John Coveyou of Genius Games, it can be taught in 30 seconds, and played in 15 minutes. Designed to be played several times in a row. The secret bidding, and the ways players improve their virus card deck and try to reduce the element of luck, present choices for players and opportunities to manipulate the game so that no game is the same.
Type of Game: Blind Bidding, Set Collection
Ages: 8+ Players: 2 - 5 Time: 15 - 20 mins
Science Concepts: Structure and components of viruses, genome, helical, icosahedral, spherical envelope, virus replication, vaccines, mutations