Parasite is a co-op survival board game designed for 4 to 8 players, challenging the essence of humanity in an environment where trust is a luxury. Will you resort to chaos and violence, or strive to earn trust through kindness? Will you prevent the end of the world or relish in its ruins? Your choices will determinate its fate!
During the game players share the small outpost with four locations which provide resources, events, and a timer that ticks down as the helicopter is preparing to Escape back to the civilization. While gathering resources players have to make tough choices between items and special actions, each card is contains an one more unique actions, deciding what to keep and use while trying to survive is a key feature. Death is always close, staying healthy and out of harm’s way will be a struggle without good communication between players.
While sharing same space, players spread their infections using tokens to track their exposure to other players. Each player has personal infection that determinate the players' loyalty and their winning and losing conditions.
The game ends when the Helipad locations runs out of cards, at that point all alive players can choose to escape. If the Parasite escapes, the Humans will lose. If a humans make it out without carrying Parasite's contamination, Humanity is saved.
With multiple winning conditions, unknown loyalties and constant danger from infection and player eliminations, make the players desperate and ready to step out side from social norms.
Can you trust your fellow scientists, or are they the Parasite, or maybe you are already infected?
—description from the designer