---
product_id: 44081220
title: "Virulence: an Virus-Themed Card Game | Biology Board Game for Kids, Teens, Adults, and Teachers | Fun & Engaging Science-Accurate Game to Learn Viruses, Virology, and Infectious Diseases"
brand: "genius games"
price: "€ 47.16"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 9
category: "Genius Games"
url: https://www.desertcart.pt/products/44081220-virulence-an-virus-themed-card-game-biology-board-game-kids
store_origin: PT
region: Portugal
---

# 2-5 players, including smart 2-player variant 3 viral structures: helical, icosahedral, spherical 15-20 min fast-paced rounds Virulence: an Virus-Themed Card Game | Biology Board Game for Kids, Teens, Adults, and Teachers | Fun & Engaging Science-Accurate Game to Learn Viruses, Virology, and Infectious Diseases

**Brand:** genius games
**Price:** € 47.16
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🦠 Infect your game night with science and strategy!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Virulence: an Virus-Themed Card Game | Biology Board Game for Kids, Teens, Adults, and Teachers | Fun & Engaging Science-Accurate Game to Learn Viruses, Virology, and Infectious Diseases by genius games
- **How much does it cost?** € 47.16 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.pt](https://www.desertcart.pt/products/44081220-virulence-an-virus-themed-card-game-biology-board-game-kids)

## Best For

- genius games enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted genius games brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Master Viral Strategy:** Engage in a unique blind bidding system that sharpens risk-reward analysis and strategic timing.
- • **Inclusive for All Ages:** Intuitive enough for kids 8+ yet challenging for adults, making it a perfect family or professional gift.
- • **STEM-Approved Learning:** Accurate viral components and terminology aligned with NGSS standards for middle & high school.
- • **Innovative 2-Player Mode:** Clever dummy deck mechanic ensures competitive play even with just two players.
- • **Quick & Addictive Gameplay:** Fast 15-20 minute rounds perfect for game night, classrooms, or casual play.

## Overview

Virulence is a fast-paced, educational card game where players bid to collect viral components like helical and icosahedral structures. Designed for ages 8+, it blends STEM learning with strategic gameplay in 15-20 minute rounds, supporting 2-5 players with a smart 2-player variant. Perfect for classrooms, families, and science enthusiasts seeking a fun, quick dive into virology concepts.

## Description

Virulence is a strategic bidding and engine-building card game that’s addictively quick and simple. Players compete as viruses trying to collect viral component cards and take over the host cell!Each player starts with the same set of six bidding cards, and each of the six has a different strengths. Every round, Viral Component Cards worth varying numbers of points are flipped face up in center of the table. Players then use their bidding cards to simultaneously place secret bids to determine the order they will select from those Viral Component Cards. Highest bidder selects first, followed by the next highest bidder, and so on down to the lowest bidder. Players try to get their highest pick for the lowest bid - but bid too low and you might get stuck with whatever's left!While most of the Viral Component Cards score points, some of them add to the strength of a player's hand, improving their bidding power for future rounds!Virulence is great for your gaming group, game night with family and friends, or introducing the study of viruses in the science classroom! Virulence encourages risk-reward analysis, critical thinking and strategic timing. All the viral components covered in Virulence are components that would be introduced in a basic high school level lesson on viruses. And it does so in a way that is fun and intuitive for everyone!Virulence was created by a professor of game design who is also a chemical engineer and science teacher!Genius Games is a STEM-centered publishing company that creates high-quality tabletop games and children's books. We demystify intimidating concepts in the sciences through the thrill of play. We engage players in a lifelong process of inquiry by rewarding curiosity with fun.Play:Ages: 8+ Players: 2 - 5 Time: 15 - 20 minsScience Concepts covered in Virulence:Structure and components of viruses, genome, helical, icosahedral, spherical envelope, virus replication, vaccines, mutations

Review: An Inventive, High-Quality Game. Highly Recommended - This game neatly combines card auctioning with set building to create a fun, quick, competitive card game. Quick Overview Players each have identical hands of bidding cards, numbered from 1 to 6, indicating different levels of virulence. A dealer then deals out a number of cards from a deck, equal to the number of players, plus an additional card on top of the first card in the "lineup." The cards in the lineup can contribute to your cause, either by providing victory points or contributing to sets of cards you're trying to accumulate, or by providing even more powerful bidding cards, thus making your bidding hand more "virulent." Or, cards in the lineup might be harmful. They might include vaccine cards which reduce victory points or weak bidding cards that reduce your hand's virulence. For any given lineup, you want to select a virulence card of the appropriate strength, relative to the choices of your opponents, which allows you to acquire useful cards and avoid being stuck taking penalty cards. Over the course of the game, you'll want to accumulate cards that provide individual points, as well as sets of cards that provide points based on the number of cards in a set. The result is a relatively simple game to learn and play, while providing interesting choices for the players. 2 Player Variant Often, these sorts of auction games don't work well with only two players. But Virulence has a clever 2-player variant. Basically, you create a "dummy deck" of bidding cards. Shuffle the dummy deck and, after players select their own bidding cards, you randomly draw a card from the dummy deck. If you selected a bidding card that has a lower virulence value than the dummy deck, then the dummy player acts before you can select a card from the lineup, removing most of the valuable cards before you can choose. This makes your decisions about which virulence card to play more interesting and complicated. Kudos to the designers for figuring out how to make a two player auction game that plays really well! Educational Value Other reviewers have indicated that this game "teaches while having fun." I'd like to hear more from them, as I'm hard pressed to say that a player learns more about how viruses work through playing the game. Certainly, the game introduces terminology and concepts that can inspire students to investigate further, but I have a hard time seeing how the mechanics and gameplay align with how viruses work. If you're looking for a game that introduces concepts that inspire learning, this may be for you. If you're looking for a game that teaches through gameplay, I'm not sure this does it. Final Verdict Virulence is a solid, fun game that's easy to learn, easy to teach, quick to play, while providing an engaging gaming experience. I highly recommend this game.
Review: Great game for science class! - This is SO fun! It took a little while to figure out how to play, but once we understood everything, it's super easy! I recommend laying out everything as you read thru the rules, and be prepared to do a few trial runs... All of the things we found confusing make sense eventually!

## Features

- BIOLOGY CARD GAME - Learn about viruses from a science game! Play as a virus to take over the host cell and collect helicals, icosahedrals, genomes, spherical envelopes just like in biology class.
- STRATEGIC PLAY - A blind bidding card game about viruses with a level of strategy to engage an adult gamer, yet intuitive enough for kids 8 and up to play at home or in the classroom.
- EASY TO LEARN, FAST PACE, QUICK TO PLAY - Virulence is a great game for gamers, science class or family game night. And All viral components and science vocabulary are accurate.
- WHO CAN PLAY - Perfect for the gamer, science class or family game night. Teachers, scientists, biologists, and students love playing this geeky science game; and it makes a great birthday surprise!
- LEARN ABOUT VIRUSES - Designed to show virus structure and viral components like helical, icosahedral, and genomes at middle school or high school levels. Complies with STEM and NGSS standards.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B06XC6GGXX |
| Best Sellers Rank | #171,787 in Toys & Games ( See Top 100 in Toys & Games ) #2,809 in Dedicated Deck Card Games |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (104) |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Weight | 14 ounces |
| Item model number | GOT1005 |
| Manufacturer | FLAHC |
| Manufacturer recommended age | 8 years and up |
| Product Dimensions | 5.38 x 1.7 x 8.63 inches |
| Release date | November 1, 2017 |

## Images

![Virulence: an Virus-Themed Card Game | Biology Board Game for Kids, Teens, Adults, and Teachers | Fun & Engaging Science-Accurate Game to Learn Viruses, Virology, and Infectious Diseases - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81m6MjqWudL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Inventive, High-Quality Game. Highly Recommended
*by J***W on June 6, 2018*

This game neatly combines card auctioning with set building to create a fun, quick, competitive card game. Quick Overview Players each have identical hands of bidding cards, numbered from 1 to 6, indicating different levels of virulence. A dealer then deals out a number of cards from a deck, equal to the number of players, plus an additional card on top of the first card in the "lineup." The cards in the lineup can contribute to your cause, either by providing victory points or contributing to sets of cards you're trying to accumulate, or by providing even more powerful bidding cards, thus making your bidding hand more "virulent." Or, cards in the lineup might be harmful. They might include vaccine cards which reduce victory points or weak bidding cards that reduce your hand's virulence. For any given lineup, you want to select a virulence card of the appropriate strength, relative to the choices of your opponents, which allows you to acquire useful cards and avoid being stuck taking penalty cards. Over the course of the game, you'll want to accumulate cards that provide individual points, as well as sets of cards that provide points based on the number of cards in a set. The result is a relatively simple game to learn and play, while providing interesting choices for the players. 2 Player Variant Often, these sorts of auction games don't work well with only two players. But Virulence has a clever 2-player variant. Basically, you create a "dummy deck" of bidding cards. Shuffle the dummy deck and, after players select their own bidding cards, you randomly draw a card from the dummy deck. If you selected a bidding card that has a lower virulence value than the dummy deck, then the dummy player acts before you can select a card from the lineup, removing most of the valuable cards before you can choose. This makes your decisions about which virulence card to play more interesting and complicated. Kudos to the designers for figuring out how to make a two player auction game that plays really well! Educational Value Other reviewers have indicated that this game "teaches while having fun." I'd like to hear more from them, as I'm hard pressed to say that a player learns more about how viruses work through playing the game. Certainly, the game introduces terminology and concepts that can inspire students to investigate further, but I have a hard time seeing how the mechanics and gameplay align with how viruses work. If you're looking for a game that introduces concepts that inspire learning, this may be for you. If you're looking for a game that teaches through gameplay, I'm not sure this does it. Final Verdict Virulence is a solid, fun game that's easy to learn, easy to teach, quick to play, while providing an engaging gaming experience. I highly recommend this game.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great game for science class!
*by M***L on August 17, 2019*

This is SO fun! It took a little while to figure out how to play, but once we understood everything, it's super easy! I recommend laying out everything as you read thru the rules, and be prepared to do a few trial runs... All of the things we found confusing make sense eventually!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Infectious card game
*by M***D on March 31, 2020*

I bought this for my wife for Christmas and we both found it to be very fun! Simple mechanics (bidding, deck building, card management, card collecting) and very fast to learn! Cool little game for parties or as a warm-up for more complex games. Art is well done, (mostly images of viruses and bacteria) and the tie-breaker dice are also nice to look at. Recommended!

## Frequently Bought Together

- Virulence: An Infectious Virus Card Game - Educational Bidding Game for Kids 8+ - Perfect Biology Board Game for Kids, Teens, and Adults - Medical Science Gifts for Nurses, Doctors, Teachers
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*Product available on Desertcart Portugal*
*Store origin: PT*
*Last updated: 2026-02-02*