Pillbox Games Side Effects | Strategic Take That Card Game of Therapy, Medication, Disorder Cards & Chaotic Interaction | Stylish Art Game for 2–8 Players Ages 14+ | 10–30 Minute Playtime

Original price was: 25.00$.Current price is: 21.83$.

SAR: ﷼81.88
PKR: ₨ 6,079.66
AED: AED80.16

Category: Games

Description
Reviews (13)

Price: ~~$25.00~~ - $21.83
(as of Jan 25, 2026 12:37:05 UTC – Details) Side Effects drops players into a darkly humorous struggle to manage Disorders using Drug and Therapy cards while navigating constant interference from opponents. Each player begins with four Disorders face up, shaping their early strategy and creating an immediate sense of tension. To treat them, players must draw or steal the Drug cards that match their conditions, all while staying alert to opponents who may disrupt their progress or hand them new problems to solve. Episode cards add unpredictable twists, shifting momentum and forcing players to rethink their approach from turn to turn. The gameplay is fast, interactive, and filled with dramatic reversals. New players can learn the rules in minutes, yet the timing of when to reveal, treat, block, or sabotage gives experienced players room to explore deeper strategy. Side Effects excels at sparking table talk, laughter, and memorable stories as alliances form and collapse in the span of a few turns. A finalist for the SXSW Gamer’s Voice Award, Side Effects is celebrated not only for its gameplay but also for its striking visual identity. Designed by Jade Shames and Ben Bronstein with artistic contributions from Kat Thek and Jen Igartua, the game blends bold illustration with clean iconography, making it both eye-catching and intuitive to play. With support for 2–8 players and a playtime of 10–30 minutes, Side Effects fits comfortably into any adult game night, offering a stylish mix of chaos, timing, and clever decisions.
STRATEGIC TAKE THAT GAMEPLAY – Race to treat your Disorders using Drug and Therapy cards while protecting yourself from opponents who may steal what you need or hand you new conditions. Every turn adds a twist that keeps players engaged.
EASY TO LEARN, CHALLENGING TO MASTER – With simple rules and short turns, Side Effects is fast to pick up but rewards clever timing, hand management, table awareness, and bold risks. A sharp mix of accessibility and depth for adults and hobby gamers.
SXSW AWARD FINALIST RECOGNITION – Side Effects earned a finalist spot for the SXSW Gamer’s Voice Award, celebrated for its striking visual style, inventive gameplay, and ability to spark conversation at every table.
DYNAMIC PLAYER INTERACTION – Begin with four Disorder cards and search for (or steal) the Drug cards needed to treat them. Episode cards disrupt plans, flip advantages, and create dramatic momentum swings that keep every round unpredictable.
CRAFTED AS A WORK OF ART – Designed by Jade Shames and Ben Bronstein with support from Kat Thek and Jen Igartua, Side Effects pairs bold illustration with refined design to create a striking, memorable tabletop experience.

13 reviews for Pillbox Games Side Effects | Strategic Take That Card Game of Therapy, Medication, Disorder Cards & Chaotic Interaction | Stylish Art Game for 2–8 Players Ages 14+ | 10–30 Minute Playtime

M. – January 25, 2026

Fun and easy to learn! Great little card game!
Side Effects initially caught my eye because of its cool art style. Its skeleton-mental health theme gives it a morbid (and often funny) aesthetic and the box art is gorgeous! The long, skinny “tarot” sized cards are lovely to hold and sturdy, with beautiful artwork on both sides and vertically mirrored effect text that makes it easy to read cards sitting across the table. This small format detail is incredibly important to gameplay.Mechanically speaking, Side Effects is a fabulous, fast-paced little card game with a kind of rock-paper-scissors dynamic! Because you need to sort out conditions to deal out each player’s “psyche” and then reshuffle them into the deck, you are going to have to shuffle these cards A LOT, and I could see that wearing them out in the long term.Side Effects gives each player a psyche full of illnesses that they must treat. But treating them with medication leaves you vulnerable to other conditions, and while you’re attempting to treat yourself you also need to prevent other players from outpacing you or penalizing you. There is a fair amount of strategy to be had here, but it is light enough to be quite beginner-friendly. The game dynamic causes quite a bit of laughter and playful “punishing” moments.For more seasoned board gamers, this game is a wonderful palate-cleanser between games or for the end of a gaming session!
soloreviews – January 25, 2026

Very fun, for adults or older teens.
This is very fun, and easy to play. I wouldn’t play with anyone younger than maybe 16 or 17. The art on the cards and the box is very nice, I was really impressed with it and it is quite funny. It’s not a huge box, so you can easily take it to game night, or it won’t take up too much more space in your closet full of board games if you are like me.
C&K Hsn – January 25, 2026

Well worth the price, awesome game for older family
Do yourself a favor and buy the expansion pack too, trust me. Great game to play with teens, it’s slightly edgy but also destigmatizes mental illnesses by opening the door to discussion. The information is mostly accurate (pretty sure Madness isn’t in the DSM). It is easy to learn, you’ll just want to keep the instructions handy to refer back to so you can strategize. Shuffling with the expansion pack is no small feat, but well worth the time and effort. My kid love giving each other mental breakdowns and plotting revenge.We added a couple of our own house rules: (1) you can force a treatment on someone (and then give them one of the side effects after). (2) Made it so the Restock card also lets you discard your whole hand. We’re still thinking of changing the punishment for Dry Mouth as it is pretty weak.We can’t wait for the new Vice cards to be released!
Chance of a Lifetime – January 25, 2026

Super fun and great artwork!
We play a lot of games – basic ones and more high strategy ones. This game was actually pretty easy once you got the hang of it. It does take some slight strategy and you definitely have to pay attention to what cards you have and the disorders your opponents have. You cane cure yours, give others more disorders, or make them have an episode, but any action can backfire on you too.My adult son and I played and really enjoyed it! We laughed and had a good time. One game can be very quick or take a but if time – it just depends on the luck of the draw. This is definitely a game we can play over and over again.Pros:Easy to learnCan play with 2-10 people, so more options for group size. We have only played with two and it was fun.The artwork on the cards.It is fun.Cons:The cards are larger than regular cards and harder to shuffle.You have to separate out the disorders, shuffle and deal them out, and then shuffle them back in the deck each game. That is time consuming.Some complained about the fact that it calls out or makes fun of mental health. It is actually accurate on the treatments and side effects of them, so it isn’t making fun and is realistic. Yes, players can give each other disorders and such and make it fun, but it is a game folks! I have a psychology degree and have family members with mental illness and I do not take offense to this game. If you do, don’t play it.I highly recommend this game if you don’t mind the content of it.
Jereme – January 25, 2026

Easy to get into
Played with with family who don’t always get into new games, very easy to get into. Had a fun time, even my dark humor was enjoyed finally lol.
Scott Jones – January 25, 2026

Clever game, nice production values
We were pleased to find the positive messages and mental health resource links in the instructions. For a game that could be accused of making light of serious subjects, this was tastefully done and comes off as a positive not a negative.The cards look and feel a little like Tarot Cards in their size, card stock, and presentation.Game rules are not too difficult.Replayability, maybe middle of the road. This is a really clever game with a novel subject matter, and vary fun to show off to the right audience. Gameplay is a little like Mille Bornes but not as engaging.They use generic names of all the medications, to avoid copyright issues presumably. Sort of wish they could have used the more common names.Buy this one for the subject matter. The design and artwork is delightful. No regrets, go for it.
A – January 25, 2026

Buy it. It’s worth it.
This game is amazing. The expansion pack is worth it. It is a really funny, Everyone I have played this game with has had a good time. It’s great for people who don’t like playing long board games and the quality of the cards are really good.
Brianna Belladonna – January 25, 2026

Super fun game!!
Stumbled upon this game while looking for two player options. Really fun game to play. Love the concept and the artwork is great!!
Devan – January 25, 2026

Excellent game, lots of fun if it matches your sense of humor, easy to understand and makes for a great games night
John Plummer – January 25, 2026

o objetivo do jogo de cartas é simples, você só precisa tratar todas as suas doenças mentais. o problema é que os outros jogadores também estão tentando tratar suas doenças e farão de tudo para impedir que você seja o primeiro. a jogabilidade é muito parecida com Uno, você joga cartas e também faz truques com outras pessoas. a qualidade das imagens nos cartões é incrível, e os cartões são todos grossos e de boa qualidade. o jogo é muito fácil de aprender e dura entre 10 e 15 minutos.
Leonardo Ruiz – January 25, 2026

Side Effects è un gioco semplice e divertente da giocare con i propri amici. le regole si imparano in 5 minuti ed è assolutamente geniale. il tema un po’ dark delle malattie mentali lo rende un gioco intrigante che propongo sempre a tutti i miei amici come alternativa ai soliti giochi di carte. (nelle foto ho censurato solo un codice sconto che ti danno per l’acquisto di un gioco della pillbox)Dato che il gioco è disponibile solo in america non mi aspettavo arrivasse veramente, sono rimasto piacevolmente sorpreso quando ho aperto il pacco e mi sono ritrovato la scatola perfetta e intonsa!
Vaibhav L – January 25, 2026

Can’t wait to buy the expansion!
caitlin – January 25, 2026

Really fun game lots of playability. Gets pretty dark