Infection: Humanity’s Last Gasp by Victory Point Games is a game for one person ripped from the headlines of a modern-day newspaper. A deadly virus has broken out in the United States because a man visiting the Congo carries it into the United States. As he shows symptoms and collapses, he is taken to a local hospital and placed in an isolation wing. Doctors discover that he has a highly contagious virus that is resistant to all current antitodes. This could be the end of humanity.
The best thing about this game is that it truly feels like the player is the director of the Department of Plague Control (DPC) trying to dissect a deadly virus to save the world. Tough decisions must be made in a timely manner regarding what aspects of the virus to study, which people to hire and what lab equipment to purchase. Be careful because resources are limited.
A turn consists of drawing a status report card that contains either good or bad news that affects the entire game. Sometimes the staff working on the virus doesn’t get along or the virus is spreading too rapidly.
Next is the player action phase where the tough decisions are made about how to defeat the virus. Does it make sense to hire more personnel? Maybe a new piece of lab equipment would be the key to defeating the virus. Every turn, work is done on the virus, but some turns are more productive. Sometimes a token may come up that gives an added benefit or a horrible obstacle.
The third phase of the turn is the containment role. Does the virus spread or does it remain relatively dormant? The faster the virus progresses, the harder it is to defeat. The final phase is to reset the game components for another turn. If the death toll reaches too high, the game is over. If all mutations of the virus have been researched, the game is won.
This is a great solo game with intense action and tough decisions. There are two modes of play, including the basic and nightmare levels. Nightmare is almost impossible to beat.