Panic Lab

Find the escaped amoeba first: follow the dice from lab to lab, vents included.

Designer: Dominique Ehrhard
Published by: Albi
Editions by: Korea Boardgames, Gigamic, Ghenos Games, Brain Games, FoxGames, Hachette Boardgames USA, Maldón, Land of Beautiful Mind (سرزمین ذهن زیبا)

Amoebas have escaped from the lab and they are slithering in every direction. In Panic Lab, twenty-five cards lie in a circle, and everyone races at the same time. Four special dice tell you the color, shape and pattern of the amoeba you are hunting, plus the color of the lab it fled and which way it went. Find the lab, walk around the circle in the right direction, and spot the amoeba, which might be striped instead of spotted. If you cross a vent on the way, skip ahead to the next vent, because amoebas love the dark. Real-time chaos for two to ten, about half an hour, best with four to six.

Four special dice define each huntEveryone searches at the same timeVents skip you along the circle

Who it's for

You want a speedy game for a big group, with a puzzle you can all attack at once, and a few kids or competitive friends.

Not for you if…

You dislike real-time pressure or you are sensitive to being out-spotted by faster eyes. It rewards quick scanning over thinking.

Vibe's take

Loud, scrambling and slightly silly. Everyone stares at the same circle of cards, someone shouts that they have it, and half the table then discovers the vent they forgot.