City of Zombies Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• What's the aim of the game?
• Start by sorting the cards
• Overview of Zombie cards
• Zombies
• Events
• Alien Bosses
• Items
• Game Setup
  • 1. Build the Zombie Deck
  • 2. Spawn the first wave of Zombies
  • 3. Place the Rescue Plane on the Approach Track
  • 4. Survivors give you end game points
  • 5. Heroes help you fight Zombies
  • 6. Prepare the Game Ending cards
  • 7. Choose who gets to go first
• How to Play
  • STEP 1: Resolve any Events, take any Items
  • STEP 2: Each Player Fights Zombies
  • MASTER THIS! Power Up & Power Down
  • Defeated all the Zombies in play? SAVE MORE SURVIVORS
  • STEP 3: Any Zombies left on the board move down one row
  • STEP 4: Move the Rescue Plane down
  • STEP 5: Deal out more Zombie cards
• Is the game over? If not go back to STEP 1
• Hero cards
  • How to Set up Heroes
  • Special Moves
• Flip Hero cards
• Choose your level of play
• MASTER THIS! Prime Number Zombies
• MASTER THIS! Negative Strength Zombies
• MASTER THIS! The Power Glove
• GAME OVER - How did you do?
• Apocalypse Mode - For real Superheroes
• Number of Players - Rule Variations

What's the aim of the game?

Defend the Barricade from the advancing Zombies. Survive until the Rescue Plane lands to save you.

Start by sorting the cards

• Zombie cards: used to build the Zombie Deck.
• Survivor cards: used to build the Survivor Deck.
• Hero cards (optional): help players fight Zombies. Each Hero has a Special Move which can be used at any time. When a Hero uses their Special Move they become 'Exhausted'; turn the card sideways to show this. Heroes must be 'Refreshed' before they can use their Special Move again.
• Flip Heroes (optional): must be saved before they become Zombies.
• Game Ending cards: tell a story at the end of your game. When you win or lose, select a player to draw a Game Ending card and read it aloud.

Overview of Zombie cards

There are 4 types of Zombie cards: Zombie, Event, Alien Boss and Item.

On the front of every Zombie card is a small skull icon with a number underneath. This number shows the difficulty level of the cards from 1 - 4.

Zombies

• Zombie's Hunger: the number of Survivors a Zombie eats (or scares away) if it reaches the Barricade.
• Targeting Wheel: laid out like a clock face. When matching coloured numbers are multiplied together they exactly equal the Zombie's Strength.
• Card ID Number: from CZ01 to CZ119.
• Strength: defeat Zombies by combining dice to make a result that exactly equals a Zombie's Strength.
• Apocalypse icons: give the Zombies extra abilities. See the 'Apocalypse Mode' section on page 6.
• Zombie level: you always use level 1 Zombies in the Zombie Deck. Adding other levels makes the game more challenging - see 'Game Setup'.

Events

Events appear randomly as Zombies spawn at the end of each Round. Some Events help, while others hinder.

Sudden Rush: Move all Zombies on the board down one row. Once done, put this Event in the Zombie Graveyard.

Sudden Decay: Choose a Player to roll two dice and add them together. Put all Zombies with an equal or lower strength into the Zombie Graveyard.

Surprise Attack: Deal a Zombie card from the Zombie Deck to every space on the board with a small hand icon. If a Zombie is already there, move it to one side if possible.

Second Chance: Each person playing may re-roll ONE of their Battle Dice on their turn. This Event is active until the end of the Round, when it is put into the Zombie Graveyard.

Sneak Peek: Sneak Peek allows Players to look at the top 8 cards of the Zombie Deck, then return them in any order. This allows Players to move up valuable Items so that they appear faster, or delay tougher Zombies or Alien Bosses when spawning. This is a level 3 Zombie card, so it is only included in the Zombie Deck when playing Expert & Master difficulty games.

Alien Bosses

If an Alien Boss reaches the Barricade it ABDUCTS Survivors from your Safe Zone, or if empty, the Survivor Deck! Abducted Survivors are REMOVED from the current game. Defeat an Alien for a BONUS REWARD...

• Abduction icon: shows the number of Survivors ABDUCTED and removed from the game.
• Targeting Wheel: on some Zombies and Alien Bosses there are no numbers in the Targeting Wheel. If there is a 'P' in the centre it shows that this is a PRIME NUMBER Zombie. See the "Master This! Prime Number Zombies" section for more information.
• Apocalypse icons: See the 'Apocalypse Mode' section on page 6.
• Strength: combine dice to make a result that exactly equals the Alien Boss's Strength to defeat it.

When an Alien Boss is defeated choose a BONUS reward:

• Save Survivors: Take the number of Survivors shown in the ALIEN ABDUCTION icon from the Survivor Deck and add them to the Safe Zone!
• Evacuate Survivors: Take the number of Survivors shown in the ALIEN ABDUCTION icon from your Safe Zone and put them to one side. Evacuated Survivors can't be eaten or abducted, guaranteeing some Victory Points if you win.

Items

Items appear randomly as Zombies spawn at the end of each Round. Take any Item cards once all Zombies have been spawned. Items can be used at any time during the game. (Take the Item card and keep it. Use at any time then discard.)

• Energy Drink/Bar: Modify a dice roll or combination by adding +1 or -1 to the result.
• Binoculars: Double a dice roll or the result of a dice combination.
• Dustbin Lid: +1 or -1 to a Zombie's Strength.
• Replay Ray: Re-roll all dice.
• Pizza Delivery: Refresh all Exhausted Heroes. See the section on Hero cards for details.
• Alien Portal: Dice placed onto the Alien Portal card become negative.
• Power Glove: Multiply any dice roll or combination by itself three times, for example a roll of 2 would become 8 (2 x 2 x 2 = 8).
• Toxic Barrel: Place anywhere on the Barricade. Move Toxic Barrel up one row when Zombies move down. Destroy Toxic Barrel to defeat all Zombies within 1 space.

Game Setup

1. Build the Zombie Deck

• Beginner: Level 1 Zombie cards are used in every game (28 cards).
• Advanced: Add level 2 cards (4 cards).
• Expert: Add level 3 cards (16 cards).
• Master: Add level 4 cards (14 cards).

Once your Zombie Deck is built give it a good shuffle. Defeated Zombies, used Events and Items go in the Zombie Graveyard.

2. Spawn the first wave of Zombies

Deal 6 cards from the top of the Zombie Deck into each City space (the top row of the board).

3. Place the Rescue Plane on the Approach Track

Start at position 15 for a full game. For a shorter game start at position 10. (The board shows the Approach Track and the Landing Strip.)

4. Survivors give you end game points

Start the game with some Survivors; each Survivor saved is worth 1 point at the end of the game. Shuffle the Survivor Deck (24 Survivor cards), deal 6 cards face up into your 'Safe Zone'. The Barricade is the row of the board above the Safe Zone.

5. Heroes help you fight Zombies

Heroes are optional. We'd recommend not using Hero cards in your first game. For more information about how Hero cards work read the Heroes section. We'd recommend not using Flip Hero cards in your first game. For more information read the Flip Heroes section.

6. Prepare the Game Ending cards

Shuffle the 4 Game Ending cards and put them to one side.

7. Choose who gets to go first

Give them the 3 Battle Dice.

How to Play

City of Zombies is played over a number of Rounds. Each Round has 5 Steps.

STEP 1: Resolve any Events, take any Items

No Events or Items? Go to STEP 2.

If any Events have appeared, deal with them first, in the order they appeared. Then take any Items. These can be kept and used at any time during the game.

STEP 2: Each Player Fights Zombies

Each Player rolls the 3 Battle Dice to try and defeat some Zombies. When everyone has had a turn go to STEP 3.

How to defeat Zombies. A Zombie is defeated when the result of one dice, or a combination of dice, exactly equals its Strength.

Example: the first Player rolls a 2, 3 & 6 against Zombies of Strength 4, 9, 12, 2, 3 and 6. That's a great roll! Each dice can be used to defeat one Zombie. All the dice have been used, so the defeated Zombies (2, 3 and 6) are removed to the Zombie Graveyard (discard pile for Zombie cards).

Other examples using the same dice rolls:

• Use the 2 dice to hit the 2 strength Zombie.
• Add the 3 & 6 dice to hit the 9 Zombie.
• Use the 3 dice to hit the 3 strength Zombie.
• Multiply the 2 & 6 dice together to hit the 12.
• Take the 2 dice from the 6 dice to hit the 4.
• First multiply the 2 and 3 dice together to make 6. Then add the 6 dice to make 12.

Find a way to use all your Dice or no Zombies can be defeated! Use all 3 dice or you will miss a turn. Everyone playing can suggest ideas for ways to use the dice, but the current Player has the final say. You may choose to ignore this rule with younger players.

MASTER THIS! Power Up & Power Down

Easily defeat Zombies by Powering Up your dice! Power Up a dice roll (or the result of a combination) by multiplying the total by itself. For example Power Up a dice roll of 3 like this: 3 x 3 = 9. This can also be written as 3^2 = 9.

There's a hint in the Targeting Wheel. The shape in the middle is a Square, showing this Zombie's Strength can be reached by Powering Up (also known as Squaring).

A roll of 4 can be Powered Up to 16 (4x4) or Powered Down to 2.

Defeated all the Zombies in play? SAVE MORE SURVIVORS

First deal 4 cards from the top of the Survivor Deck into the Safe Zone, next move the Rescue Plane down then spawn 6 Zombie cards on the row level with the Rescue Plane. Continue with the next Player's turn and at the end of the Round move on to STEP 3.

STEP 3: Any Zombies left on the board move down one row

If no Zombies reach the Barricade move on to STEP 4. Zombies already on the Barricade don't move.

A Zombie will move into ANY empty space on the Barricade.

Don't let the Barricade get Overrun! If there are 6 Zombies on the Barricade it's overrun and you lose the game!

When one or more Zombies reach the Barricade you lose Survivors! Immediately lose Survivors equal to each Zombie's Hunger. Put these Survivor cards to the bottom of the Survivor Deck. You may have a chance to save them again during your game.

Do Zombies on the Barricade eat every turn? No, their hunger has been satisfied and they do not eat again.

Can't pay the Survivor cost? Let's say you only have 2 Survivor cards in your Safe Zone with 3 Survivors on each, so 6 in total. If the Zombie has a hunger of 5 you would have to lose both cards to pay its hunger cost.

If you lose all your Survivors you have NOT lost the game! Keep playing - if you can defeat all the Zombies on the board you get more Survivors!

STEP 4: Move the Rescue Plane down

The Rescue Plane moves down one space on the Approach Track. Refresh Heroes icon: see the section on 'Hero Cards' Page 5.

STEP 5: Deal out more Zombie cards

1 to 3 Players: Roll 2 dice. Deal out Zombie cards equal to the highest roll. 4 to 6 Players: Always deal 6 Zombie cards during STEP 5.

• When the plane is flying over the City, Zombies spawn across the City row.
• When the plane is over the Road Zombies spawn on the Road.
• When the plane is over the Fields Zombies spawn on the Fields.

Not enough free spaces on a row to deal out all the Zombie cards? Deal the remaining Zombie cards to any free spaces on the row above.

Zombie Deck empty? Shuffle the Zombie Graveyard. This becomes the new Zombie Deck.

Is the game over? If not go back to STEP 1

It's Game Over when...

• WIN: The Rescue Plane lands. Score Survivors saved: add up Survivors and see the How did you do? section on the back page.
• LOSE: The Barricade is full.

Win or lose take a Game Ending card and read it aloud. Get creative - write your own Game Endings cards! (A free PDF template is available from the publisher's website.)

Hero cards

Heroes help you fight Zombies. Each Hero has a Special Move which is described in the text at the bottom of each Hero card. A Hero's Special Move can be used at any time in the game.

When you use a Hero's Special Move they become exhausted. Turn the card sideways to show this. A Hero must be refreshed in order to use their Special Move again.

Refreshing Exhausted Heroes. There are two Hero Refresh Points on the Approach Track. When the Rescue Plane arrives at these points exhausted Heroes are refreshed and can be turned upright again.

The Bonus Game Icon on a Hero card is used to play a free Bonus Game, available from the publisher's website.

How to Set up Heroes

• 1 - 3 Players: During Game Setup, shuffle the Hero cards and deal out 4 Hero cards at random near the Safe Zone area. (Or just choose your 4 favourite Heroes to use.) During the game these Heroes are cooperatively controlled by all players.
• 4 - 6 Players: Each Player takes a Hero card to control during the game.

Special Moves

A few of the Heroes' Special Moves (more are available online):

• Seo-yeon: Roll one dice, add that number of Survivor cards into the Safe Zone area.
• Masaaki: Before rolling any dice, pick a Zombie. If you defeat it, all Zombies behind it (in the same column) are also defeated.
• Stef: Choose one or more dice to flip over to its opposite face, e.g. 2 becomes 5, 6 becomes 1 etc.
• Yas: Refresh any Exhausted Heroes. This does not refresh Yas.
• Maddy: 'The odds are in your favour.' Change one dice to a result of your choice.
• Joe: 'The odds are in your favour.' Change one dice to a result of your choice.
• Jake: 'Trick Shot' Choose one Player, they can re-roll their dice this turn.
• Lucy (Flip Hero): 'Rule Breaker' All Players can double their dice this Round.

Flip Hero cards

Save them before they turn into Zombies! Players must save Flip Heroes before any Zombies reach the row the Flip Hero is on or the Hero will 'Flip' over and transform into a powerful Zombie!

When flipped to the Zombie side, immediately read and follow the text at the bottom of the Zombie side of the card. When the Flip Hero Zombie is defeated remove it from the game.

Examples of Zombie-side text: "No Zombies can be Defeated until Zombie Alonso is destroyed." "While Zombie Lucy is in play Item cards can't be used."

How to set up Flip Heroes for play. Place the Flip Hero cards human side up on the board at the start of a game. Put one on any space along the Fields row and the other Hero on the Backyard row.

Use the Battle Dice to equal the Flip Hero's Strength to save them and add them to your Safe Zone. When saved you can choose to use their special move or their strength to help you fight Zombies. (Example: Lucy's strength 18 + a dice of 5 = 23 defeats a Zombie of Strength 23.)

Choose your level of play

City of Zombies has been designed for a fully customisable experience. Add or remove different cards to create a challenge that's right for you.

Level	Zombie Deck (levels used)	Survivor Deck	Heroes	Flip Heroes	Apocalypse Mode
Beginner	1	All	Optional	No	No
Advanced	1, 2	All	Optional	No	Optional
Expert	1, 2, 3	All	Yes	Optional	Optional
Master	1, 2, 3, 4	All	Yes	Optional	Optional

MASTER THIS! Prime Number Zombies

You'll need some Brain Crunching Dice Combinations to defeat these Prime Number Strength Zombies (marked with a 'P' in the Targeting Wheel)! Examples:

• Strength 29: 5^2 = 25, 25 + 4 = 29
• Strength 31: 5 x 6 = 30, 30 + 1 = 31
• Strength 37: 6^2 = 36, 36 + 1 = 37

MASTER THIS! Negative Strength Zombies

Negative numbers (with a minus sign in front) are used to count below zero. -1 is 1 below 0.

Examples: 2 - 3 = -1 (defeats a Zombie of Strength -1); 1 - 6 = -5 (defeats a Zombie of Strength -5).

The Alien Portal. Using the Alien Portal is optional. If you want to use it, shuffle it into the Zombie Deck when setting up the game. Dice placed on this card are multiplied by -1 (become negative). Putting one or more dice on the Alien Portal makes the dice negative (multiplied by -1).

MASTER THIS! The Power Glove

The Power Glove ("Cube one or more dice") is a piece of Alien Tech that allows players to multiply dice rolls three times! This is also known as 'Cubing'. Use once per round. In this example, a single roll of 2 could defeat a Strength 8 Zombie! Here's how: 2 x 2 = 4, 4 x 2 = 8, which is the same as 2 x 2 x 2 = 8. This can also be written as 2^3 = 8.

Players keep and re-use the Alien Portal and Power Glove card.

GAME OVER - How did you do?

At the end of the game add up any Survivors in your Safe Zone and check your rank using the table.

Saved	Rank
0	Made it out alive!
1 - 25	Awesome Survivors!
26 - 49	True Champions!
50 - 69	Heroes and Legends!
70	Superheroes!

Apocalypse Mode - For real Superheroes

Green icons activate when Zombies spawn - STEP 5.

• Plus icon: If two or more Zombies with this icon spawn next to each other, spawn an additional Zombie card.
• Down-triangle icon: If two or more Zombies with this icon spawn next to each other, move these Zombies down a row.
• Numbered icon (e.g. 8): Spawn this number of Zombies during STEP 5.
• Plane icon: If a card with this icon is in play the Rescue Plane does not advance.

Blue icons are active when players are fighting Zombies - STEP 2.

• Shield icon: You can not target any Zombies directly behind a Zombie with this icon.
• Target (concentric circles) icon: When a Zombie with this icon is defeated, any unused dice are discarded and can't be used.
• Exclamation icon: If a card with this icon is in play, DO NOT SPEAK or all Zombies will advance one step forward.
• Crossed-hand icon: Players cannot use Items.

Number of Players - Rule Variations

Solo mode for a single player game: Set up the game as normal, then simply take two turns when you fight Zombies during STEP 2.

Team mode for 6 players - This mode is ideal for quick and cooperative classroom play. Divide the 6 players into two teams of 3. Everyone is still on the same side. Each team takes it in turn to play a Round. Any Event card (e.g. Second Chance) or Hero's Special Move (e.g. Rule Breaker) where the effect lasts for a 'Round', now lasts for two Rounds, allowing players on both teams to benefit from the card.