Pandemic the board game recorded a 520.8% jump in Steam concurrent peak players in March 2020 — the single sharpest monthly move in its digital history — triggered entirely by the WHO’s pandemic declaration. This article covers physical sales figures, Steam player trends from 2020 through February 2026, review data, and where the cooperative game genre sits within the broader board games market.
Pandemic Board Game Statistics: Key Numbers
- Physical copies sold reached approximately 5 million by 2021, according to Tabletop Trove.
- Z-Man Games recorded a 400% rise in physical sales during the first months of 2020 lockdowns.
- Steam peak players hit 169 in February 2021 — the all-time concurrent high — driven by a Humble Bundle promotion.
- The current Steam monthly peak stands at just 16 players as of February 2026, per SteamDB.
- The global board games market reached $15.83 billion in 2025, up 10.3% year over year.
How Large Is the Board Games Market in 2025?
The global board games market grew from $14.37 billion in 2024 to $15.83 billion in 2025, a 10.3% year-over-year increase. The online segment reached $2.27 billion in 2025, with a projected CAGR of 7.1% through 2030. Kickstarter alone pulled in $185.4 million in board game funding during 2024.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Global Board Games Market (2024) | $14.37 billion |
| Global Board Games Market (2025) | $15.83 billion |
| Year-over-Year Growth (2024–2025) | 10.3% |
| Online Board Games Market (2025) | $2.27 billion |
| Online Board Games CAGR (2025–2030) | 7.10% |
| Cooperative Games CAGR (through 2030) | ~12.1% |
| Kickstarter Board Game Funding (2024) | $185.4 million |
How Did COVID-19 Affect Pandemic Board Game Sales?
When the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2020, Steam peak players jumped from 24 to 149 in a single month — a 520.8% gain. Physical sales at Z-Man Games rose 400% during the same lockdown period. The digital peak held through April 2020 at 151 players, then dropped 37.7% by May as lockdown novelty faded.
This makes Pandemic Digital a clean example of demand driven entirely by external events rather than game updates, sales, or marketing. The board games industry overall saw a 20% sales rise in 2020, according to NPD Group data.
| Month | Steam Peak Players | Month-over-Month Change |
|---|---|---|
| January 2020 | 32 | +23.1% |
| February 2020 | 24 | −25.0% |
| March 2020 | 149 | +520.8% |
| April 2020 | 151 | +1.3% |
| May 2020 | 94 | −37.7% |
| June 2020 | 55 | −41.5% |
Pandemic Steam Player Data: The 2024–2026 Decline
After its all-time peak of 169 concurrent players in February 2021, Pandemic Digital has trended consistently downward. Monthly peak players across the past 24 months ranged between 16 and 29, with no single gain exceeding 22.2%. The game was removed from the Steam storefront, cutting off its main discovery channel.
Without a relaunch or mobile port, player counts have no structural path to recovery. Seasonal swings still appear in the data, but they are small movements within an overall decline.
| Month | Peak Players | Month-over-Month Change |
|---|---|---|
| March 2024 | 29 | +16.0% |
| June 2024 | 25 | −7.4% |
| September 2024 | 26 | +8.3% |
| December 2024 | 20 | −23.1% |
| March 2025 | 25 | +13.6% |
| June 2025 | 20 | −9.1% |
| September 2025 | 22 | +22.2% |
| December 2025 | 21 | +5.0% |
| February 2026 | 16 | −15.8% |
Pandemic Steam Reviews and Reception
Pandemic Digital holds a mixed rating of 59.73% on SteamDB, based on 680 total reviews. That figure uses a Wilson score confidence interval rather than a raw positive percentage, making it a more conservative measure than the 61.3% raw positive rate.
Negative reviews — 38.7% of the total — consistently cite interface quality and AI behavior. A 38.7% negative rate would have suppressed organic purchases even before the game was removed from sale. The estimated owner count varies widely: VG Insights puts it at around 13,200, while PlayTracker estimates 294,100 — a gap that reflects fundamentally different counting methods, with PlayTracker likely capturing all-time bundle activations.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Reviews | 680 |
| Positive Reviews | 417 (61.3%) |
| Negative Reviews | 263 (38.7%) |
| SteamDB Weighted Rating | 59.73% (Mixed) |
| Steam Hub Followers | 5,290 |
| All-Time Concurrent Peak | 169 (February 2021) |
| Current Monthly Peak (Feb 2026) | 16 |
| Estimated Owners (VG Insights) | ~13,200 |
| Estimated Owners (PlayTracker) | ~294,100 |
How Fast Is the Cooperative Games Segment Growing?
Cooperative board games — where players compete against the game rather than each other — are projected to grow at roughly 12.1% CAGR through 2030, faster than the overall market’s 10.3% pace. Strategy and war games hold the second-largest genre share at 24%, while family games lead at 26%.
A 2023 Merchoid survey of 1,479 respondents found 37% were spending more time on tabletop gaming post-COVID than before lockdowns ended. That sustained interest benefits the cooperative category broadly, though it has not reversed the decline of Pandemic’s retired Steam version.
| Genre | Market Share (2024) | Growth Outlook |
|---|---|---|
| Family | 26% | Steady |
| Strategy and War | 24% | Steady |
| Party | 18% | Moderate |
| Cooperative | ~12% | Fast (~12.1% CAGR through 2030) |
| Educational | 10% | Moderate |
Where Does Pandemic Digital Sit in the Online Board Games Market?
Mobile accounts for 68% of online board games revenue. Pandemic Digital launched on Steam for PC and macOS only, and never expanded to mobile — putting it in the minority segment of digital board game spend from the start.
For comparison, Monopoly GO! — a mobile-first adaptation — reached $2 billion in lifetime revenue by March 2024. That comparison isn’t entirely fair given the difference in IP scale and studio resources, but it shows the gap between Steam-only positioning and mobile-first strategy. Multiplayer modes drive 61% of the online board games market, another area where Pandemic Digital faced persistent interface criticism.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Online Board Games Market (2025) | $2.27 billion |
| Mobile Platform Share (2024) | 68% |
| Multiplayer Mode Share (2024) | 61% |
| Strategy and Abstract Genre Share (2024) | 29% |
| Advertising-Supported Model Share (2024) | 46% |
| Subscription/Season-Pass CAGR (2025–2030) | 12.8% |
FAQ
How many copies has Pandemic the board game sold?
Pandemic reached approximately 5 million physical copies sold by 2021, according to Tabletop Trove. Physical sales rose 400% during the 2020 lockdown period.
What is Pandemic’s current Steam player count?
The current monthly peak is 16 concurrent players as of February 2026, per SteamDB. The all-time peak was 169 in February 2021 during a Humble Bundle promotion.
Why is Pandemic not available on Steam anymore?
Asmodee Digital retired the listing from the Steam storefront. The title no longer appears for purchase, which eliminates the main discovery channel for new players.
What is Pandemic’s Steam review rating?
Pandemic Digital holds a Mixed rating of 59.73% on SteamDB based on 680 reviews, with 61.3% positive and 38.7% negative. Negative reviews most often cite interface and AI quality.
How fast is the cooperative board games market growing?
Cooperative games are growing at roughly 12.1% CAGR through 2030, faster than the overall board games market rate of 10.3% year over year, per SQ Magazine and Fortune Business Insights.
Sources:
Fortune Business Insights — Board Games Market Report
Mordor Intelligence — Online Board Games Market
