I originally saw Strain at another local game store, but decided to read a few reviews before purchasing. This game can be very fun to play...if you have the right people to play against and enough time to read and understand the directions. Be prepared to actually read and re-read the instruction booklet over and over again. Most players do not have the patience to learn all the rules and understand the game as a whole. It is actually better to play a few practice rounds before playing competitively.Game play is very fun, once you get the hang of it. I play it with my health professional roommates all the time, and we like how clever the cards are and relatable to actual biology. However, it can be difficult to find enough people for a proper game since they recommend at least 3.This game is a lot of fun. Building up and customizing organisms is great, and makes it a new challenge every game. It does take a while to play(up to two hours), depending on how you and your friends play and how much combat occurs. Good quality materials and colorful game cards make this a visually pleasing game, along with clever humor inserted. I play this with my college friends and we love it. One great thing about this game is that it comes with little plastic bags to keep the cards in. That is a classy move that not enough game makers go the extra mile for! I would definitely recommend this game.It's a very nice game once you understand the rules. It took us 4 to 5 games to fully understand the game. Now don't get me wrong, the game-play is simple, but the rules are a bit confusing. Once you get the hang of it, it's a fast-paced scientific game. It gets even better if you're a bunch of scientists. Always check out the two expansions on their website; they're a missing part of the game in my opinion.Once you figure out the instructions, it's a lot of fun! But the instructions really are super confusing, I'm still not sure if I'm playing it right. An awesome concept thoughFun multi-player game. Played it once with my kids. Will probably play it a few more times, but not a game you play every day... Enough skill to keep it challenging, but enough luck to give variety...Played this game at a friends house out of town and immediately bought it upon returning home. Maybe it's the Organic chemist in my talking but it's great. Played with my non-science friends who liked it as well, they thought it was similar to Magic the Gathering (something I never played). Great and fun gameThis is not my favorite game but it's fun with the right people. Easy to learn, but with enough variation to be enjoyed multiple times.it's really fun to play once in a while. I'm really happy there were free expansions on the designer's web site.