Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Game
Encyclopedia
Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Game is a survival horror board game
. Players can play on the Hero team or as the Zombies. A modular board randomly determines the layout of the town at the start of each game and there are several different scenarios to play.
To achieve a horror movie feel, all of the art for the game is photographic and the game comes with a CD Soundtrack of original music. The game story borrows a lot from horror film
stereotypes and zombie film plots.
Players are split into two teams, the Zombies and the Heroes. Up to two Zombie players and four Hero players can play and players are split into teams differently depending on the number of players. Four Hero characters are chosen randomly by the Hero team and split amongst the players. Each Hero character has their own starting location, special rules and number of wounds they can take before they are dead. Zombie players roll a die to determine how many Zombies are placed on the board before play.
A Scenario then needs to be chosen, randomly or by vote. Each Scenario has a certain limit of turns, winning conditions, and other Scenario Objectives.
Each team has their own deck of cards. The Hero Deck contains Events and Items, and the Zombie Deck contains Zombie Events. Each Hero character can only hold four Items at a time, two of them being Weapons. Cards may be played at any time, unless noted on the card or after a card has caused dice to be rolled.
Gameplay is split into two turns, the Zombie Turn and the Hero Turn. On the Zombie Turn, the Sun Track marker is moved to show the number of turns that have been taken so far. Zombie players then draw cards to bring their collective hand of cards up to four. They have the option of discarding one card per player at this point. Up to fourteen Zombie miniatures can be in play at one time. To determine if more Zombies are spawned, two dice are rolled and if the sum is higher than the number of Zombies on the board, more Zombies are placed later in the turn. Zombies on the board are each moved up to one square on the board. Building walls do not block movement of the Zombies. If any of these moves causes a Zombie to be in a square adjacent from a Hero character, they automatically move into the same space.
Any Zombie in the same square as a Hero must now fight them. A Zombie player rolls one die, but wins on a tie and the Hero player rolls two dice and uses their higher number. If the Hero wins the fight, the Zombie is "fended off" but remains in place. If a Hero rolls doubles, however, the Zombie is killed and removed from the board. Cards, such as Hand Weapons or Events may be used to change the outcome of a fight.
The Zombie players now roll a die to see how many new Zombies are spawned, up to 6. When spawning Zombies they must be placed on one of the four Spawning Pits. Each L-shaped board has a single Spawning Pit. Before placing more than one Zombie on a Spawning Pit, each of the four Spawning Pits must first contain one of the newly spawned Zombies.
On the Hero Turn each Hero character takes their turn separately in any character order they wish. They first move or search. To move, a die is rolled and the Hero may move up to that many spaces. Some buildings have "Pick Ups", that let the player take a specific Item out of the discard pile instead of the top of the Hero Deck. If a Hero is in the same space as another Hero, Items may be exchanged between the characters. A ranged attack may now be made if the Hero has a Ranged Weapon. Each Ranged Weapon has a specific range and die roll needed to be successful. If successful, the Zombie is killed and removed from play.
Now any Hero and Zombie sharing a space must now fight as described in the Zombie Turn.
Either team wins by completing their Scenario Objective. In addition, the Zombie team wins automatically by killing four Hero characters or causing the last card of the Hero Deck to be discarded. Depending on the Scenario, one team loses if they do not complete their Scenario Objective before the turn limit has been reached.
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
. Players can play on the Hero team or as the Zombies. A modular board randomly determines the layout of the town at the start of each game and there are several different scenarios to play.
To achieve a horror movie feel, all of the art for the game is photographic and the game comes with a CD Soundtrack of original music. The game story borrows a lot from horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
stereotypes and zombie film plots.
Gameplay
Before playing, the board is set up. A double-sided square board, with the Town Center on one side and the Manor House on the other, is placed either side up depending on the scenario. Four L-shaped boards are then randomly chosen and placed around the center square.Players are split into two teams, the Zombies and the Heroes. Up to two Zombie players and four Hero players can play and players are split into teams differently depending on the number of players. Four Hero characters are chosen randomly by the Hero team and split amongst the players. Each Hero character has their own starting location, special rules and number of wounds they can take before they are dead. Zombie players roll a die to determine how many Zombies are placed on the board before play.
A Scenario then needs to be chosen, randomly or by vote. Each Scenario has a certain limit of turns, winning conditions, and other Scenario Objectives.
Each team has their own deck of cards. The Hero Deck contains Events and Items, and the Zombie Deck contains Zombie Events. Each Hero character can only hold four Items at a time, two of them being Weapons. Cards may be played at any time, unless noted on the card or after a card has caused dice to be rolled.
Gameplay is split into two turns, the Zombie Turn and the Hero Turn. On the Zombie Turn, the Sun Track marker is moved to show the number of turns that have been taken so far. Zombie players then draw cards to bring their collective hand of cards up to four. They have the option of discarding one card per player at this point. Up to fourteen Zombie miniatures can be in play at one time. To determine if more Zombies are spawned, two dice are rolled and if the sum is higher than the number of Zombies on the board, more Zombies are placed later in the turn. Zombies on the board are each moved up to one square on the board. Building walls do not block movement of the Zombies. If any of these moves causes a Zombie to be in a square adjacent from a Hero character, they automatically move into the same space.
Any Zombie in the same square as a Hero must now fight them. A Zombie player rolls one die, but wins on a tie and the Hero player rolls two dice and uses their higher number. If the Hero wins the fight, the Zombie is "fended off" but remains in place. If a Hero rolls doubles, however, the Zombie is killed and removed from the board. Cards, such as Hand Weapons or Events may be used to change the outcome of a fight.
The Zombie players now roll a die to see how many new Zombies are spawned, up to 6. When spawning Zombies they must be placed on one of the four Spawning Pits. Each L-shaped board has a single Spawning Pit. Before placing more than one Zombie on a Spawning Pit, each of the four Spawning Pits must first contain one of the newly spawned Zombies.
On the Hero Turn each Hero character takes their turn separately in any character order they wish. They first move or search. To move, a die is rolled and the Hero may move up to that many spaces. Some buildings have "Pick Ups", that let the player take a specific Item out of the discard pile instead of the top of the Hero Deck. If a Hero is in the same space as another Hero, Items may be exchanged between the characters. A ranged attack may now be made if the Hero has a Ranged Weapon. Each Ranged Weapon has a specific range and die roll needed to be successful. If successful, the Zombie is killed and removed from play.
Now any Hero and Zombie sharing a space must now fight as described in the Zombie Turn.
Either team wins by completing their Scenario Objective. In addition, the Zombie team wins automatically by killing four Hero characters or causing the last card of the Hero Deck to be discarded. Depending on the Scenario, one team loses if they do not complete their Scenario Objective before the turn limit has been reached.
Growing Hunger
This expansion introduces new game mechanics and three new scenarios as well as a two player mini-game. Includes four new Heroes, as well as seven new red Zombies for use as Plague Carriers, Grave Dead, or to increase the Zombie Horde. New modular game board sections expand the town and feature unique buildings such as the Supermarket, Library, and Antique Shop. New game cards let Zombie players steal weapons from the Heroes and add more powerful double-handed weapons to the Heroes arsenal, such as Garden Shears and the Fence Post. Also included are two new die-cut counter sheets adding Free Search Markers for the Heroes as well as many other counters to the Last Night on Earth toolbox for use with official web content or creating custom scenarios.Survival of the Fittest
This expansion includes three new card decks, as well as new game mechanics, and several new scenarios. The Hero players can now find Unique Items as well as the use of Survival Tactics. The Zombie players now has access to Grave Weapons. These three new decks (Unique Items, Survival Tactics, and Grave Weapons) can be integrated into all existing scenarios using the same modular 'Dots' system first introduced in the Growing Hunger expansion. Survival of the Fittest also includes new cards for the main Hero and Zombie decks as well as additional full color counters for the Last Night on Earth toolbox.Game supplements
- Stock Up!
- Features a new scenario and ten new game cards. The first appearance of the game mechanic, "Sacrifice".
- Special Edition Soundtrack CD
- Features 16 tracks of original music. This includes the original soundtrack plus five new songs. The CD features new artwork and two exclusive game cards.
- Revenge of the Dead
- Features a new scenario and ten new game cards.
- Zombie Pillage
- Features a new scenario and ten new game cards.
- Radioactive Grave Dead
- New crystal green Zombie miniatures and a new scenario, "It Fell From the Sky".
- Hero Pack 1
- Four new Heroes. Characters are Victor the Escaped Prisoner, Jade the Highschool Outcast, Mr. Goddard the Chemistry Teacher and Stacy the intrepid reporter. New game cards are also included.
- Zombies with Grave Weapons
- New Zombie miniatures for use with the Grave Weapons deck included in the Survival of the Fittest expansion. Fourteen plastic Zombie miniatures with seven new sculpts, in two different colors.
Web scenarios
- "We've Got to Go Back!"
- All Hallows Eve
- All Hallows Eve II
- Run For It!
Awards
- 2007 Scrye Magazine's Player's Choice Award, Favorite New Board Game
- 2007 Dice Tower Awards, Best Small Publisher Game Nominee
- 2008 Origins Award Nominee, Board Game or Expansion of the Year
- 2008 Dice Tower Awards, Best Expansion Nominee (Growing Hunger)
- 2009 Golden Geek Awards, Best Expansion Nominee (Growing Hunger)
External links
- Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Game official homepage
- TheZombieGame.com Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Game fanpage