ABG All Board Games
Side Effects box art
Rich game profile

Side Effects

Drug use, personal demons, wild episodes, and more. Side Effects is a "take that" card game where players race to treat all the diseases in their psyche with medication and therapy. Players start with four disease cards dealt face up in front of them (their "psyche") and then fou...

Players

2-8

Time

10-30

Age

13+

Weight

1.2

Rating

6.81

Should this hit the table?

Quick read before the metadata.

Moderate level of interaction

Teach 2.3

Teaching signal

Replay 4.0

High replayability

Interaction 3.7

Highly interactive

Scaling 4.0

Scales well

Strategy 4.5

Deep strategy

Control 3.0

Luck-sensitive

Table feel

Moderate level of interaction

Replay value

Side Effects has a high replayability score due to its high variability gameboard, impactful expansions, deep strategic possibilities, and good scalability. It offers a fresh experience each time it is played and allows players to discover new tactics and strategies. The game adapts well to different player counts without compromising its appeal or balance. While it may not be the easiest game to learn, it offers a good balance between easiness and depth.

Luck profile

Side Effects has a moderate level of luck influence. While random elements like card draws and dice rolls have a notable impact on the game outcome, players also have the ability to mitigate the effects of luck through strategic decisions and planning. The game strikes a balanced mix of luck and strategy, making it suitable for players who enjoy a combination of both elements.

Overview

What ABG knows about this game

Drug use, personal demons, wild episodes, and more. Side Effects is a "take that" card game where players race to treat all the diseases in their psyche with medication and therapy. Players start with four disease cards dealt face up in front of them (their "psyche") and then four cards in a concealed hand. Players take turns picking up cards from the deck and trying to find the right drugs to treat their diseases. A drug card will treat a disease but also leave the player open to receiving new diseases (of that drug's list of side effects) from other players. Each disease card has a unique punishment written on it and episode cards will trigger these punishments. Play an episode card on another player to hinder them or help yourself. The game is over when one player treats all of the diseases in their psyche.

Media

Images and visual references

Images, galleries, and videos are grouped here so the page feels visual before every asset is fully hosted.

Editions

Versions and regional releases

Edition Year Language Publisher / Region
No editions imported yet.

Files and documents

Rules, aids, translations

No files imported yet.

Credits

People and publishers

Designers

3
Jen Igartua Jade Shames Kat Thek

Artists

1
Ben Bronstein

Publishers

1
Pillbox Games

Linked items

Graph expansion queue

Related games and expansions help build a connected catalog around every title.

No linked items imported yet.