When comparing Twilight Struggle vs Pandemic Legacy, the Slant community recommends Twilight Struggle for most people. In the question“What are the best board games?” Twilight Struggle is ranked 15th while Pandemic Legacy is ranked 19th. The most important reason people chose Twilight Struggle is:
The event cards used in the game are all based off actual events that occurred throughout the Cold War which helps the games theme be even more immersive.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Incredibly thematic
The event cards used in the game are all based off actual events that occurred throughout the Cold War which helps the games theme be even more immersive.
Pro Very tense gameplay
Twilight Struggle perfectly captures all of the tension of the Cold War through its clever influence system and the way that players must play all of their cards each turn, even ones that would possibly help their opponent. The result is a game where both sides feel stressed (in a good way) as they try to out maneuver the other player.
Pro Has clearly laid out rules and other learning aids
There rule book for Twilight Struggle is well written, and easy to understand and reference during the game. You also get player's aids, which are very helpful as you're becoming more familiar with the game mechanics and rules.
Pro Very high short-term replayability due to the persistent story in the game
With individual plays regularly ending in teasers and cliffhangers players will be eager to play the next round in order to move the story forward and find out what happens next.
Pro A persistent campaign means that your descisions have consequences, both good and bad, in future games
Pandemic Legacy is the latest in the Legacy line of games where things that happen in one game can, and often do, have affects in later games. The characters you use can gain new abilities and or flaws, components can be added and/or destroyed and rules can be added, amended, or removed, all based on the things that you do from game to game. This helps players feel invested in the game and makes their decisions even more meaningful than they already were. This ongoing change also means that your experiences may very well be unique to your group and that other campaigns of the same game will go drastically different, with only main plot points in common.
Cons
Con Very long
A single game of Twilight Struggle can take 2-3 hours. It might take even longer while you're still learning the rules, since you'll need to keep referencing the rule book.
Con Steep learning curve
There are a lot of different mechanics in this game, and a lot to keep track of. Expect to spend the first few games referencing the rule book often. It's definitely not a lightweight party game.
Con Lots of pieces make the game fiddly
There are a ton of little cardboard pieces (260 to be exact) used to track all the various game effects and that can be tedious to deal with.
Con 2 player only
If you are looking for a game to play with a group this isn't a good fit.
Con No long-term replayability
After the main campaign is finished (12-24 games) the game is mostly finished. Technically you can play the final mission over and over, but permanent changes made over the course of the playthrough, such as stickers added to the rules, board, and player sheets as well as components that are physically destroyed make the game less fun to replay after the main story concludes.
Con Requires a commited group to play and experience the full extent of the game
Pandemic: Legacy games are meant to be experienced over 12-24 games with the same players so that everyone involved can share in the overarching story of the game. Unfortunately, many gamers may struggle to find 2-4 players that can regularly meet up to play the game, making it difficult to finish the main story.