Pandemic expansions
In the Lab vs State of Emergency
| Question | In the Lab | State of Emergency |
|---|---|---|
| Our label | Depends on your group | Most groups can skip |
| Buy order | #2 for Pandemic | #3 for Pandemic |
| What it adds | A lab board where you collect disease samples and run them through steps to find cures. Also new roles, events, a solo mode and a team mode. | Five roles and three challenges: animal-borne diseases on extra boards, nasty surprise event cards, and a superbug you can't treat, only vaccinate. |
| What it fixes | Curing is just handing in five cards in the base game. Here it becomes its own puzzle. | Gives more ways to tune difficulty, including quarantine markers to make it easier. |
| Type | Expansion | Expansion |
| Players | 1–6 players | 2–4 players |
| Rules load | Adds more rules | — |
| Best for | Best for experienced groups | — |
| What you need | On the Brink first | Just the base game |
| Price guide | — | — |
| More | In the Lab details | State of Emergency details |