Zombicide

Gameplay

Each player in the game represents one or more survivors in a zombie apocalypse. Their goal is to complete the scenario objects dictated by their particular mission before being overrun by zombies. The game board represents a zombie infested town, with large square tiles, laid according to the mission selected.

Before the beginning of the game, a mission is chosen. The playing area is built with board tiles and features (icons representing cars, doors and objectives) according to the selected mission. Each players chooses one or more survivors to play and everyone places their survivors on the starting area of the board.

A deck of zombie cards, which will be used to spawn zombies, is placed on the side of the board. The game starts after the group decides who will be the first player. In the game, time flows in “turns”, and each turn is composed of three “phases”.

In the first phase, the survivors perform their actions. They can move, attack and interact with inventory items. During their phase, players can trade items, move, kill zombies or perform other tasks to help their objective. They can also discuss strategies to triumph over the zombies. Also each survivor starts the game with a different zombie-fighting special ability. These special abilities grow as the survivor gains experience from defeating zombies and completing objectives during the game. After the first survivor completes their actions, the turn passes to the next survivor.

After each survivor has completed a turn of actions, the second phase begins. This "zombies phase" is completed by moving and attacking survivors with all the on the board. These moves and attacks are programmed by the game mechanics and are therefore completely predicable.

Finally, comes the end phase, when tokens are managed, a new first players is determined, and another turn begins.

Throughout the game, survivors may collect better items and gain experience to help them kill more zombies and accomplish their mission.

If the players are able to complete all objectives, they are winners and may proceed to the following scenario. If, on the other hand, the zombies kill all survivors, the game is lost.

Expansions and Spinoffs

The popularity of Zombicide led to the creation of spinoff games and products, these are divided in Seasons (1, 2, 3 and 4). Each season comes with special scenarios and miniatures to play with.

The second season, Prison Outbreak was launched in 2013, with the support of almost 10,000 backers.

Zombicide: Prison Outbreak

This expansion was an immediate market success. It features six survivors, each with a carefully planned personality, who face 10 missions in order to turn a prison into a shelter and to do so, they must first rid it from zombies.

The zombies, on the other hand, have gained a significant backing, with its berserker version, immune to ranged attacks.

The board has its own improvements, with doors opened from afar, observations towers and security zones, bringing fun new strategies to the game.

Prison Outbreak is completely independent from Season 1, which allows new players to join the game along with those who have already played the first season.

Toxic City Mall

This expansion brings four new survivors and ten mysterious Zombivor heroes, not to mention ten new missions, four of which can be played with the other game from this same Season: Prison Outbreak.

Also, Toxic Zombies are a new feature. These zombies can infect players, turning them into Zombivors.

Zombicide: Rue Morgue

In Zombicide: Rue Morgue, survivors have to face not only zombies, but also other players. In this expansion, new zombies lurk in the streets, making them more dangerous and demanding team work. Teams, however, do compete against one another, bringing new dynamic to the game.

Zombicide: Angry Neighbors

This expansion brings fifteen new missions, four new survivors and eight companion sidekicks. Survivors receive new weapon cards to plan different strategies and face new and more versatile zombies.

Zombicide: Black Plague

Launched in 2015, this new stand-alone game brings survivors who attempt to save the medieval world from a zombie apocalypse. Survivors face zombies using swords, bows and spells. One to six players may engage in this fantasy setting to save the middle ages from zombies.

Zombicide: Wulfsburg

This expansion was created to be played with Zombicide: Black Plague. In it, survivors have to face packs of ravenous wolf zombies (Wolfz). They move quickly on the board and the pack leader has special abilities that could easily tilt the balance in favour of the zombies.

Awards

2013: As d'Or - Jeu de l'Année - Nominee

2013: Golden Geek Best Thematic Board Game - Nominee

2013: Le Lys Passioné - Finalist

2013: Ludo Award Best Board Game Editor's Choice - Winner

2013: Ludo Award Best Board Game Popular - Winner

2013: Tric Trac - Finalist