Outbreak has always been my favorite game on GT. You would think that would mean that I was good at it, but you'd be wrong. So what's the draw? I think it's that the cartoon viruses have individual looks and personalities. Yes, I said viruses, as Outbreak involves one virus taking over and wiping out anything they come in contact with, that old sci-fi staple. It's an icky idea to think of, especially by a person who is too wimpy to watch medical shows on TV, but GT has made the viruses so darn cute! I would say that the game has been Disneyfied, except none of them break into song, so that's not accurate.
Let's look at the viruses, shall we? There are 5 different ones. The one I prefer is the red one, which is shaped like a raspberry and reminds me of my favorite movie character, Oscar, from the Australian film “Oscar and Lucinda”. I used to pout when someone else chose this one before I got to it, but I am trying to be more mature these days. My second choice is the purple one who is smiling and appears to be dancing. The orange one is smiling too, and has their little arms out waving in excitement. This one resembles a strand of DNA or part of a machine, so it seems quite capable. The yellow virus looks like a cheerful broccoli sprout, with Albert Einstein “hair” and appears intellectual.
The two last ones really personify the nastiness of viruses. The green one really looks sick, with their tongue out and crossed eyes. I'd keep my distance to avoid body fluids from that one, who should really be in bed. The blue one is the color of midnight and seems angry, though it could just be frowning. The multiple limbs and shape also reminds me of Sputnik, so it feels vaguely threatening. But that might be leftover attitudes from a childhood during the Cold War. Strangely enough, the dark blue is one of the most popular pieces chosen.
The playing field is a spongy looking surface, though I'm not sure what it represents. I usually just think of it as a petri dish, because isn't that where you want viruses contained? Petri dishes, beakers, test tubes, keep them locked up in a laboratory where they can't do any harm.
The game is played much like Reversi or Ataxx, with each player trying to fill the most squares. This includes flipping, where one player can turn an opponent's pieces into their own. In the official GT rules, it's called “mutation”, just to get that doomsday feeling. This is also where strategy comes in, as there seems to be certain ways to maximize those mutations in one's favor. Taking a virus and moving it to a new area on the board will produce more of your viruses. However, it can leave a hole where your piece originally was, which your opponent can fill. But it's the total numbers which count in the end and that's the most efficient way to increase your viruses. It takes a certain amount of courage to do that, to realize you'll benefit in the long run, even if it leaves you vulnerable at the moment. You can also nibble around the edges, placing your viruses as if saying “Is this seat taken?” which is much less effective, though displaying better manners. Because manners don't count when the world is being overtaken by a virus!
And that is what happens at the end of the game, all of the spaces are taken and whichever virus has gobbled up the most is the winner. And unlike real life, that epidemic is one worth celebrating.