LAST NIGHT ON EARTH
The Zombie Game
Available from Flying Frog Productions
Are you afraid of Black Cats? Do you fear things that go “bump” in the night? Scared of witches and goblins? If any of these things are true this simulation of fantasy is not for you. If, however, you like horror movies, especially the crop of Zombie movies, the campier the better, this game is just what the doctor ordered, providing his name is Frankenstein.
This is a re-creation of the fantasy world of the zombie movies and is designed for up to six players. There are two sides, the Heroes and the Zombies. When there are just two players, one plays the Heroes and one the Zombies. The game is played on a board made up of one central section and four randomly selected border sections, printed with various buildings and each with a zombie-spawning site. The ‘hero band’ consists of four characters selected from the eight provided. There are six border sections to choose amongst, selection of both is best done blindly from the rear of the cards.
Once you have selected your heroes and the look of the town of Woodinvale, you place the figures of your pieces on their starting position. If you selected a person whose starting area is not on the selected map sections, they start from the center of town. This can be advantageous, as you get an additional hero card for placing them there.
Chance and random events are supplied through the inclusion of two decks of cards, one for the heroes and one for the zombies. Each side draws four cards from their respective deck. Hero cards consist of weapons, items and events; zombie cards are only event cards. Weapons picked up in the initial deal can be assigned to any hero and are placed on that hero’s character card. Each hero is permitted one hand weapon and one ranged weapon. Zombies do not use weapons only their rending hands.
Combat is conducted whenever a zombie and a hero character are in the same square.
The zombie rolls one six-sided die plus modifiers and the hero rolls two plus modifiers. Each “hit” scored results in a “wound” marker for the hero, or death for the zombie. Combat is resolved by comparing the die rolls, if the zombie is equal to or higher than the hero’s highest rolled number, the zombie wins the encounter.
The zombie group can consist of up to 14 creatures on the board at any one time. Initially, the Zombie player rolls a pair of six-sided dice and that number of zombies is placed in the four spawning pits. No pit may contain more than one zombie until each pit has one, than two, and so forth until all the zombies rolled for are in their starting positions.
There are five scenario cards, outlining the player’s tasks. The opening scenario, utilizing the basic game, requires the hero band to kill fifteen zombies in the fifteen turns of the game. The hero character cards provide the special abilities of the character and a track to keep tally of their health. Weapons abound, and some are quite lethal. Each time a weapon is used in combat, the die must be rolled to decide if it breaks.
The play sequence begins with the zombie turn. First item of business is the sun track marker, at the beginning of the turn; the marker is advanced one space closer to the sun. Then comes the replenishing of the zombie cards, the zombie player must have four cards in his or her hand at the beginning of the turn. Next is rolling for the spawning of additional zombies, this is done by rolling two dice. If the resulting number exceeds the number of zombies presently on the board, a single die is rolled and that number of zombies is placed on the spawning pits at the end of the turn. Following this is movement; each zombie moves one square, unless cards are played to increase his movement. If a zombie lands in a square with a hero, combat ensues.
The hero’s turn consists of either moving or searching a building, if inside. This benefits the hero by allowing the drawing of one card from the hero deck. Items may be exchanged between heroes in the same square. Before hand-to-hand combat is engaged, in, heroes with ranged weapons may fire them at zombies in their line of sight and range.
Combat is engaged, if the hero enters a square occupied by a zombie. Weapons are utilized at the discretion of the hero. The turn sequence is then repeated.
Victory is specified by the individual scenario, but usually requires the elimination of either zombies or heroes, with the exception of the escape scenario, which requires the heroes to get out of town with the truck.
This game is a lot of fun and can provide the player with endless combinations of results. My suggestion is to turn down the lights and play the creepy soundtrack CD to get into the proper mood for this ghoulish concoction.
