Humans vs. Zombies
Encyclopedia
Humans vs. Zombies is a live-action game
predominately played at college campuses where players begin as Human
s and try to survive in a story where Zombie
s have begun to rise from the dead
. The ultimate goal of the game is for either all Humans to be turned into Zombies, or for the humans to survive a set amount of time. Humans can defend themselves using any item that is approved by a
moderator
and thereby deemed safe and appropriate, but the most common equipment includes balled up socks, marshmallows, and foam dart guns. With these items, the goal is to hit a Zombie player with a thrown or launched item, thus stunning the Zombie player; Zombies are unarmed and must tag
the Humans to gain a kill and, in some cases, avoid "starvation", thus forcing them out of the game. Safe zones are established so that players can eat and sleep in safety.
The game was created in the fall of 2005 at Goucher College
by Chris Weed and Brad Sappington, who have since created an official website with general guideline rules and information for other universities to create and customize their own HvZ game. Final rules are determined by each game's moderators and admins. Since the game's creation, Humans vs. Zombies is played at over 1,000 locations, spanning across six continents.
Humans vs. Zombies has grown in popularity across campuses, with more than one thousand players participating in one game. Some schools and universities have banned the game due to its perceived violent nature. An increase in sensitivity to gun violence
following the 2007 school shooting
at Virginia Tech also led to worries about the game's continuation at Goucher and elsewhere, and several games have been shut down due to concerns about Nerf Blasters
being used.
While predominately played on college campuses as stated previously, Humans vs Zombies is also played in residential areas, camps, and even military bases.
blasters or any other toys deemed safe and appropriate; if a zombie is hit by one of these methods of defense, they are stunned (not allowed to interact with the game in any way) for fifteen minutes. The goal of the zombies is to turn all the humans; the humans, meanwhile, must outlast all the zombies. The official rules, produced by Goucher College
students, can also be modified to suit a particular campus; schools can host their games for free at www.HumansVsZombies.org, the official site for the game.
The different universities have different rules for the game. For example, depending on the number of players at the university, the game may start with more than one original zombie. Also, the amount of time varies as well as the time each zombie has to get at least one bite before dying. Some administrations bring players back, traditionally as a zombie, in order to make the final mission, objective, or overall finale more interesting.
The rules for zombies are also known to change in storylines, traditionally after completed missions. This can include alternate stun times, transformation times, or death times. These possibilities make a zombie generally more directly affected by stories than humans.
s, dining halls, Academic buildings, Health centers and other such places. Safe zones vary by the rules set at each separate University. Some include every building on the campus and all vehicles, others may exclude some, but not all, buildings and vehicles. Players are also considered safe attending a mandatory academic or athletic event or practice. They are not safe, however, going to or coming from these events. Some colleges also consider a "wheel
rule" where players are in a safe zone if they are on a skateboard
, bicycle
, or wearing rollerblade
s. Generally, HvZ is played on-campus, so off-campus is considered a safe zone as well. Under original rules, however, all Humans must sleep on-campus and being away for longer than 24 hours warrants automatic death or removal. Every area not designated a safe zone by administrators is considered a free-play area where players may tag or be tagged. Under the original rules, the game is played at all times and never stops until the game has reached the conclusion.
ned the game outright due to concerns voiced about gun violence
. Goucher College and other universities playing the game came under particular scrutiny after Virginia Tech shootings in 2007; reporter Laura Wexler of The Washington Post
stated that since the games are occurring in the midst of several shootings, "[there has been] a heightened sensitivity and fear, and desire to prevent such occurrences. The reaction may not be completely rational, but it is understandable". For instance, Alfred University
was locked down on April 8, 2008 after reports that a young man was carrying a gun around before police determined the gun was a toy
and the student was a participant in a Humans vs. Zombies game. Goucher college president Sanford J. Ungar
released a statement saying:
In response to these complaints, game moderator Max Temkin said, "It's unfortunate that people feel threatened at Goucher. . . If people are concerned about their well-being, they should probably go to Public Safety and report the nature of their concern. No one's ever been hurt by a Nerf gun in our game." In response to players wearing military garb
, Temkin said, "The players I know of that were wearing these fatigues were players who are in the military, and as far as I'm concerned, they've earned the right to wear that uniform however and wherever they please, and it's not up to me or anyone else to tell them not to wear it."
Following the Virginia Tech shootings, the game was banned outright at some colleges. Other college administrations banned Nerf blasters instead to discourage the game, but students were still allowed to use balled up socks or marshmallow
s, which students have admitted are not as much fun. Many campuses who responded negatively following the shootings have since repealed the NERF bans, though others remain in place.
After a performance at Ball State University on March 1, 2010, comedian Ethan Fixell of Dave and Ethan criticized students who play the school's popular Humans vs. Zombies game during an interview with the BSU Daily News. Fixell said "Humans Versus Zombies is a woman repellent. It’s like anti-cologne. " Some students felt that these remarks were inaccurate, as many of the players of the Ball State Humans vs. Zombies game are women.
A few weeks later, Fixell defended his stance in an interview with HumansVsZombies.org.
Live-action game
A live-action game is a game where the participants act out their characters' actions. Live action gaming was created in 1978 in Branford, Connecticut, USA, by John Dillon III and Walter Gailey.-Play overview:...
predominately played at college campuses where players begin as Human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s and try to survive in a story where Zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
s have begun to rise from the dead
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
. The ultimate goal of the game is for either all Humans to be turned into Zombies, or for the humans to survive a set amount of time. Humans can defend themselves using any item that is approved by a
moderator
Gamemaster
A gamemaster is a person who acts as an organizer, officiant for questions regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer game...
and thereby deemed safe and appropriate, but the most common equipment includes balled up socks, marshmallows, and foam dart guns. With these items, the goal is to hit a Zombie player with a thrown or launched item, thus stunning the Zombie player; Zombies are unarmed and must tag
Tag (game)
Tag is a playground game played worldwide that involves one or more players chasing other players in an attempt to tag or touch them, usually with their fingers. There are many variations...
the Humans to gain a kill and, in some cases, avoid "starvation", thus forcing them out of the game. Safe zones are established so that players can eat and sleep in safety.
The game was created in the fall of 2005 at Goucher College
Goucher College
Goucher College is a private, co-educational, liberal arts college located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson in unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland, on a 287 acre campus. The school has approximately 1,475 undergraduate students studying in 31 majors and six interdisciplinary...
by Chris Weed and Brad Sappington, who have since created an official website with general guideline rules and information for other universities to create and customize their own HvZ game. Final rules are determined by each game's moderators and admins. Since the game's creation, Humans vs. Zombies is played at over 1,000 locations, spanning across six continents.
Humans vs. Zombies has grown in popularity across campuses, with more than one thousand players participating in one game. Some schools and universities have banned the game due to its perceived violent nature. An increase in sensitivity to gun violence
Gun violence
Gun violence defined literally means the use of a firearm to threaten or inflict violence or harm. Gun violence may be broadly defined as a category of violence and crime committed with the use of a firearm; it may or may not include actions ruled as self-defense, actions for law enforcement, or...
following the 2007 school shooting
Virginia Tech massacre
The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting that took place on April 16, 2007, on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. In two separate attacks, approximately two hours apart, the perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people...
at Virginia Tech also led to worries about the game's continuation at Goucher and elsewhere, and several games have been shut down due to concerns about Nerf Blasters
Nerf Blasters
Nerf Blasters are toy weapons made by Hasbro that fire foam darts, discs, or, in some cases, foam balls. The term "Nerf gun", however, is often used as a blanket term for any foam dart blaster, regardless of whether or not it has the brand name. Nerf guns are manufactured in multiple forms,...
being used.
While predominately played on college campuses as stated previously, Humans vs Zombies is also played in residential areas, camps, and even military bases.
Gameplay
Humans vs. Zombies is a survival game of tag, where "human" players fight off increasingly large numbers of "zombies"; if a human is "turned" (i.e. tagged), then that player becomes a zombie in turn. At the game's beginning, there are only one or two zombies; the zombies multiply by tagging humans, turning them into zombies after a period of one hour. Humans can defend themselves from zombies by using socks, marshmallows, NERFNerf
Nerf is a toy brand created by Parker Brothers and currently owned by Hasbro. The acronym NERF stands for "Non-Expanding Recreational Foam". Most of the toys are a variety of foam-based weaponry, but there are also several different types of Nerf toys, such as balls for sports like football,...
blasters or any other toys deemed safe and appropriate; if a zombie is hit by one of these methods of defense, they are stunned (not allowed to interact with the game in any way) for fifteen minutes. The goal of the zombies is to turn all the humans; the humans, meanwhile, must outlast all the zombies. The official rules, produced by Goucher College
Goucher College
Goucher College is a private, co-educational, liberal arts college located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson in unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland, on a 287 acre campus. The school has approximately 1,475 undergraduate students studying in 31 majors and six interdisciplinary...
students, can also be modified to suit a particular campus; schools can host their games for free at www.HumansVsZombies.org, the official site for the game.
Humans
Almost all players begin the game as humans, and must keep their ID cards with them at all times in case a zombie attacks them. If they are tagged, they must surrender their card, and become a zombie after one hour has elapsed. To defend themselves, humans are allowed NERF blasters, socks, or other approved toys. For protection, humans often band together and either stay hidden or attack the zombies directly. Certain areas are declared "safe" and humans can enter these areas without fear of attack. According to the Goucher rules, certain methods of eluding zombies are strictly forbidden; these include use of a car or leaving campus for extended periods. To draw humans into the open and increase the speed of the game, humans can undertake "missions" with varying objectives.Zombies
All zombies wear headbands to distinguish themselves from humans. There is usually at least one original zombie, who starts out the game as a zombie, must start the spread of zombies, and in some rulesets is allowed to be free from wearing a headband for a fixed amount of time. Zombies must gather and input the identification number of all humans that they "turn" into the database to keep track of which humans have been converted. If a zombie is hit with a human's dart or sock, they are "Stunned" for fifteen minutes and cannot interact with the game until that time is up. If a zombie does not make at least one kill in 48 hours of play, then the zombie starves and leaves the game permanently.The different universities have different rules for the game. For example, depending on the number of players at the university, the game may start with more than one original zombie. Also, the amount of time varies as well as the time each zombie has to get at least one bite before dying. Some administrations bring players back, traditionally as a zombie, in order to make the final mission, objective, or overall finale more interesting.
The rules for zombies are also known to change in storylines, traditionally after completed missions. This can include alternate stun times, transformation times, or death times. These possibilities make a zombie generally more directly affected by stories than humans.
Non-Players
People who are not registered players are not allowed to interfere with gameplay. Under the original rules, this includes spying on the other team, or helping players stay in a safe area by bringing them food or doing something for a player which would otherwise require them to leave a safe-zone. If a non-player is shot with a NERF dart or attacked by a player in any way, they should report the player(s) involved, if intentional, and they will be banned under most rules. The original rules, and most University custom rules, stress the importance of safety in the game. The rules stress the safety of the players and non-players by not allowing realistic looking weaponry, weaponry which could hurt on impact, or dangerous behavior during gameplay.Safe zones
Since Humans vs. Zombies can last for days, rules establish "safe zones" where gameplay does not take place, and where players can stop participation in the game for a certain period. Safe zones are designated by the administrators in conjunction with University rules and/or other applicable rules. Safe zones include dorm rooms, bathroomBathroom
A bathroom is a room for bathing in containing a bathtub and/or a shower and optionally a toilet, a sink/hand basin/wash basin and possibly also a bidet....
s, dining halls, Academic buildings, Health centers and other such places. Safe zones vary by the rules set at each separate University. Some include every building on the campus and all vehicles, others may exclude some, but not all, buildings and vehicles. Players are also considered safe attending a mandatory academic or athletic event or practice. They are not safe, however, going to or coming from these events. Some colleges also consider a "wheel
Wheel
A wheel is a device that allows heavy objects to be moved easily through rotating on an axle through its center, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Common examples found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle,...
rule" where players are in a safe zone if they are on a skateboard
Skateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
, bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
, or wearing rollerblade
Rollerblade
Rollerblade is a brand of inline skates owned by Nordica, part of the Tecnica Group of Trevignano, Treviso, Italy.The company was started by Scott Olsen and Brennan Olson in Minneapolis as Ole's Innovative Sports; when they sold the company, it became Rollerblade, Inc...
s. Generally, HvZ is played on-campus, so off-campus is considered a safe zone as well. Under original rules, however, all Humans must sleep on-campus and being away for longer than 24 hours warrants automatic death or removal. Every area not designated a safe zone by administrators is considered a free-play area where players may tag or be tagged. Under the original rules, the game is played at all times and never stops until the game has reached the conclusion.
Missions
Some universities incorporate missions into the game play to encourage more active participation. These missions usually come with a reward for the winning side. This reward could be beneficial for the winners or it could penalize the losing side, thus benefiting the winning side overall. Missions can be easily modified in game to account for how many players are human and how many are zombie or to make the mission easier for one side while making it harder for the opposing side. Missions can also be constructed to follow a storyline throughout the game.Controversy
Humans vs. Zombies games have come under scrutiny on several occasions by concerned members of communities in and around colleges. Many colleges have banBan (law)
A ban is, generally, any decree that prohibits something.Bans are formed for the prohibition of activities within a certain political territory. Some see this as a negative act and others see it as maintaining the "status quo"...
ned the game outright due to concerns voiced about gun violence
Gun violence
Gun violence defined literally means the use of a firearm to threaten or inflict violence or harm. Gun violence may be broadly defined as a category of violence and crime committed with the use of a firearm; it may or may not include actions ruled as self-defense, actions for law enforcement, or...
. Goucher College and other universities playing the game came under particular scrutiny after Virginia Tech shootings in 2007; reporter Laura Wexler of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
stated that since the games are occurring in the midst of several shootings, "[there has been] a heightened sensitivity and fear, and desire to prevent such occurrences. The reaction may not be completely rational, but it is understandable". For instance, Alfred University
Alfred University
Alfred University is a small, comprehensive university in the Village of Alfred in Western New York, USA, an hour and a half south of Rochester and two hours southeast of Buffalo. Alfred has an undergraduate population of around 2,000, and approximately 300 graduate students...
was locked down on April 8, 2008 after reports that a young man was carrying a gun around before police determined the gun was a toy
Toy weapon
Toy weapons are toys that mimic real weapons, but are designed to be fun for children to play with and not dangerous.-Types of toy weapons:Some are essentially similar to the real thing, but less powerful. Weapons for cutting and stabbing have dull blades usually in plastic. Weapons formerly made...
and the student was a participant in a Humans vs. Zombies game. Goucher college president Sanford J. Ungar
Sanford J. Ungar
Sanford J. "Sandy" Ungar is an American journalist, author, and current president of Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland.Sanford J. Ungar became the tenth President of Goucher College on July 1, 2001...
released a statement saying:
It is unfortunate that the latest round of "Humans vs. Zombies" was playing itself out on the day of the events at Virginia Tech, and it is true that the student organizers of the game must be more vigilant about keeping it from interfering with classes and disrupting the daily lives of those who would prefer not to be involved in it. We are working with them to assess the game and its future at Goucher.
In response to these complaints, game moderator Max Temkin said, "It's unfortunate that people feel threatened at Goucher. . . If people are concerned about their well-being, they should probably go to Public Safety and report the nature of their concern. No one's ever been hurt by a Nerf gun in our game." In response to players wearing military garb
Military uniform
Military uniforms comprises standardised dress worn by members of the armed forces and paramilitaries of various nations. Military dress and military styles have gone through great changes over the centuries from colourful and elaborate to extremely utilitarian...
, Temkin said, "The players I know of that were wearing these fatigues were players who are in the military, and as far as I'm concerned, they've earned the right to wear that uniform however and wherever they please, and it's not up to me or anyone else to tell them not to wear it."
Following the Virginia Tech shootings, the game was banned outright at some colleges. Other college administrations banned Nerf blasters instead to discourage the game, but students were still allowed to use balled up socks or marshmallow
Marshmallow
The marshmallow is a confection that, in its modern form, typically consists of sugar, corn syrup, water, gelatin that has been softened in hot water, dextrose, vanilla flavourings, and sometimes colouring, whipped to a spongy consistency. Some marshmallow recipes call for egg whites...
s, which students have admitted are not as much fun. Many campuses who responded negatively following the shootings have since repealed the NERF bans, though others remain in place.
After a performance at Ball State University on March 1, 2010, comedian Ethan Fixell of Dave and Ethan criticized students who play the school's popular Humans vs. Zombies game during an interview with the BSU Daily News. Fixell said "Humans Versus Zombies is a woman repellent. It’s like anti-cologne. " Some students felt that these remarks were inaccurate, as many of the players of the Ball State Humans vs. Zombies game are women.
A few weeks later, Fixell defended his stance in an interview with HumansVsZombies.org.