Zombiaki
Zombiaki Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
The game is designed for two players. They sit on the opposite sides of the table (and imagine a board). One of them commands the humans, the other one - hungry zombies. They have a 40-card deck each (the human deck and the zombie deck, respectively). First you split the cards into two parts - the zombie part (with an image of a zombie on its back) and the human part - with a blue background. Then shuffle the cards. Zombie player puts the "Dawn" card at the bottom of his deck.
When everything is ready, the game begins. Instant cards are put aside immediately after use. Cards that will remain in play are put on the table, that is, where you imagined the board with the street printed on it is. The specifications of each card can be found in their individual descriptions (below). You will also need some markers, for keeping track of individual zombie's health. Coins, marbles, poker chips and the like usually make perfect markers.
The board, which is not included, is wonderful. Just imagine it - colorful, big, printed on the glossy, coated paper. It has bright colors and stunning illustrations.
First Game
You do not have to read all the rules to play Zombiaki! Each player has to read the section "Let's Begin!" for their side. Then, every time when he or she draws a card, he or she should read aloud the card's description. In this way, both players will learn how to play during their first duel!
Zombies - Let's Begin!
The gameplay is divided into two phases - the human phase and the zombie phase. The game starts with the zombie phase, and then follows the human phase, and so on, alternatively.
Zombie Phase
- Move - all zombies and dogs make their moves.
- Draw - zombie player draws four cards and puts them face up on the table in front of him (in the first turn, the player draws four cards; in the following turns, he draws so many cards as to have four cards in front of him).
- Discard - player must discard one of his four cards.
- Play - player may use any cards on hand (that is, those which he put in front of him) in accordance with their individual descriptions, after which he puts them aside (dealt from the hand) or on the board (put on the board). Player can leave one or more cards on hand without playing them.
Zombie Card Descriptions
ZOMBIE - Every zombie has its own toughness stat, which is equal to its strength. You play zombies onto one of the three first-row squares, providing another zombie, dog or barrier does not block that square. There can be only one zombie or dog on a single square. In the beginning of zombies' phase every zombie on the board must move one square forward (of course, if the forward movement is possible). Zombies cannot pass through squares occupied by another zombie or dog. If a zombie is hurt, its strength/toughness stat is reduced by a number equal to damage points taken. You should keep track of each individual zombie's health by using markers. If strength/toughness of a zombie drops to zero, it dies and its card is removed from play.
DOGS - Every dog has a toughness of 1 and a strength of 0. We play dogs on the board just like zombies - on one of the first three rows, providing that square is not blocked (by zombie, another dog or barrier). There can be only one zombie or dog on a single square. Dogs move at the beginning of zombies' phase, providing their move is possible (there are no movement-blocking cards on the board). Dogs can move three squares per phase, in any direction except diagonally. They cannot move through squares occupied by zombies or other dogs.
BOSS - You can assign this card to any zombie on board, thus making it the boss. He can give three move orders (only one in a single turn). He can order a backward move, forward move or side move. Only zombies with strength 3 or less take orders, and any single zombie can take only one order per game. If the boss dies, all zombies move back one square if such action is possible.
HUMAN - A living shield! Humans can be played on any zombie card on the street. A human moves with a given zombie. One zombie can hide behind only one human. The living shield absorbs all damage from a single source, after which the card is discarded. The only exception to this rule is the grenade card, which destroys the zombie along with his human shield.
TERROR - In the next human phase, the human player can play only one card.
MASS - A chosen zombie must move to an adjacent square (forward, backward or sideways) already occupied by another zombie. In effect, we get a brand new zombie with strength/toughness equal to the sum of strength/toughness stats of the two zombies of which it is composed. The new zombie cannot move until the next zombie phase!
CHANGE - Two zombies on horizontally or vertically adjacent squares can change places with each other.
BITE - You can play this card if there is a zombie with the human shield on board. A bitten human changes into a zombie with strength/toughness of 1 and is put directly beside or behind his creator (if these squares are occupied or blocked, the bite card cannot be played).
CLAWS - You can play claws on any zombie on board. His strength/toughness goes up by 1 point.
HUNGER - It makes one zombie move one square forward, of course if that kind of movement is possible (that is, the forward square is not occupied or blocked).
MEAT - It forces the human player to remove one card (chosen by a zombie player) from his hand (that is, one of the cards which are displayed in front of the human player).
CLICK! - This card can be played in the human phase as a response to shot, burst or sniper. It counters these cards.
PICK AXE - It destroys one obstacle put on the street by the human player. After destroying the obstacle (wall, rolling barrel, car or mine) the pick axe card is immediately discarded.
NOT SO FAST - You can play this card just before a zombie's move (see Zombie Phase, above). One single zombie will not make his obligatory move this turn.
Movement Rules
Move - In a single turn one zombie cannot move across more than two squares - one square as part of obligatory move, and another as an effect of a special card.
Backward move - is only possible if the square directly behind a zombie or dog is empty. No zombie or dog can be pushed off the board. A zombie cannot back off onto a wall taller than his strength. Barrier, web or freeze could cancel a backward move. Moreover, zombies can only go back as a result of a special card.
Line - Zombies and dogs standing one after another without any gaps in the row compose a line of zombies.
Zombie Victory
The zombie player wins when any of the zombies crosses the final, fifth row of the street and gets through the survivors' barricade.
Humans - Let's Begin!
The gameplay is divided into two phases - the human phase and the zombie phase. The game opens with a zombie phase, and then follows a human phase, and so on, alternatively.
Human Phase
- Move - the rolling barrel card moves one square in the direction of the graveyard (if played by the human player before).
- Draw - human player draws cards to a total of four and puts them face up on the table (in the first turn, the player draws four cards; in the following turns, he draws as many cards as to have four cards on hand). To have cards "on hand" means to have them in front of oneself on the table. The opponent can see your cards at all times.
- Discard - player must discard one of his four cards, so that only three cards remain to be used by the player.
- Play - the player may use any cards on hand in accordance with their individual descriptions, after which he puts them aside (dealt from the hand) or on the board (put on the board). The player can leave one or more cards on hand without playing them.
Human Card Descriptions
SHOT - You can shoot in a straight line (through a single lane only) and you will always hit the first target on the bullet's path. The shot deals damage equal to its power rating (1 or 2). Additionally, a zombie that got hit and was not killed must take a one square step back, if possible (i.e. if it's not blocked by another zombie or a dog).
BURST - You can shoot in a straight line (through a single lane only) and you will always hit the first target on the bullet's path. Burst consists of two or three bullets, and each of them deals one damage point. It means that after killing one target, the remaining bullets may strike another target in the same lane (that is, a straight line). A zombie that got hit and was not killed must take a one square step back (regardless of the number of bullets he just got hit with), if possible. Note: the human card absorbs all damage from one burst.
SNIPER - The card works the same as shot (power 2), but you can hit any target on the street, not only the first in any given lane. Choose any target and shoot.
WALL - You can play a wall only on an empty square, and only if there is no zombie on an adjacent square (vertically, horizontally or diagonally). Also, you cannot place a wall behind any zombie's back or, to be more precise, any rows behind a zombie are off your limits as far as using this card is concerned. You cannot put the wall on the fifth row. Once put, the wall remains there until the end of the game, unless it is destroyed by the pick axe or grenade. The wall can be as high as 5 or 6, which is displayed on the card. The wall blocks the way through the square on which it stands: dogs cannot move over the wall, the rolling barrel crashes into it, zombies must stop on the square directly before the wall if their total strength is smaller than the wall's height. They may form a line of zombies, one after another. Then, the zombies at the back can "push" the front zombie onto the wall, but only if their total strength equals or exceeds the wall's height.
Example: There is a wall, whose height equals 6, standing on square C3, and on C2 there is a zombie which has strength level 2. The zombie cannot move onto the wall, because its strength is not equal or higher than the wall's height. However, if you put a strength 4 zombie on square C1, during the move phase, thanks to the combined strength of the two stiffs, the first zombie moves onto the wall (having been pushed by the other one), and the second one moves to C2. In the next turn, the first zombie moves to C4, but the second zombie stays on C2, unable to get through the wall by himself, unless another zombie is put on the board and their strength total equals or exceeds the wall's height.
BARRIER - It blocks all movement of any zombies and dogs in a single lane for 1 phase. The barrier also prevents anyone from moving to a blocked lane (the player cannot put any zombies or dogs on that lane in his phase). The barrier may be placed only on a free field in the first row.
NAPALM - It sets fire to any square on the street, and will burn until the next human phase. Whatever is standing or moves into the burning square suffers one point of damage.
Example: There is a dog in square C3, and a zombie in square C2. The human player puts napalm on C3. The dog automatically suffers one damage point and is killed. In the beginning of the zombie phase, the zombie moves from C2 to C3 and suffers one damage point as well.
BLOOD - It forces one zombie or a dog to move sideways.
GET OUT! - It forces the zombie player to remove one card (chosen by the human player) from his hand.
SEARCHLIGHT / SPOTLIGHT - It simultaneously moves all zombies and dogs one square back on a single lane (if possible).
GASOLINE - You can spill burning gasoline on any horizontally or vertically adjacent squares. Gasoline has a power of 4, which means it can deal a total of 4 damage points to zombies and/or dogs remaining in burning squares. To ignite another square in a row, the gasoline must kill a zombie on the previous square. You can also spill gasoline on an empty square, but, in such a case, one damage point is wasted.
BACK OFF - It simultaneously moves all the zombies and dogs one square back on the street (if possible).
FREEZE! - It freezes all movement on the street. Zombies and dogs don't move in their next phase. Freeze ends with the next human phase.
HAND GRENADE - You can throw it on any square on the board. The grenade kills and destroys anything that lays on that square.
NET - You can throw a net on any number of zombies standing on vertically or horizontally adjacent squares, providing that their combined strength does not exceed 6. The net prevents them from moving in their next phase (they cannot make their obligatory move, and they also cannot be moved by means of any cards played by the zombie player, or by boss orders). The net stops working at the beginning of the next human phase.
ROLLING BARREL - You can put the rolling barrel on one of the three fifth-row squares, of course providing that a given square is not blocked by a zombie, dog, wall or barrier. The barrel moves one square forward (towards the graveyard) at the beginning of every human phase. When the rolling barrel meets a zombie or dog, it kills them instantly and is destroyed itself (removed from play). The barrel crashes into a wall or a car, and can fall into a pit trap.
MINE - You can put it on any square, save those directly before any zombies or dogs. If a zombie, dog or barrel moves onto a mined square, the mine sets off. A mine can also be set off by fire (flamethrower, gasoline, street on fire, napalm) or explosion (grenade, car). A zombie or dog standing on a mined square takes 2 points of damage, and one adjacent square, chosen by the human player, receives shrapnel damage equal to 1 point of damage.
STREET ON FIRE - You can play this card on one of the side lanes (not the central one). The fire deals one damage point to every zombie and dog on that lane.
HIGH VOLTAGE - You can play this card on any of the three lanes. High voltage deals one damage point to every zombie or dog on a given lane.
CAR - You can put a booby-trapped car on any square, if there aren't any obstacles (like zombies) on the given lane for the car to drive to that square. You can set the car off with any kind of shot (shot, burst or sniper shot), fire (napalm, gasoline, flamethrower, street on fire) or explosion (grenade, mine shrapnel). Zombies and dogs can walk onto and over the car. An exploding car deals one damage point to the square it is standing on, and one damage point to each adjacent square (even diagonally).
FLAMETHROWER - The flamethrower has a power of 5. It can target the first row having a zombie or dog standing in it, dealing a total of 5 damage points (distributed by the whim of the human player, but concerning the rule that each empty square "wastes" one point of damage). You cannot ignite a target hidden behind a wall.
PIT TRAP - You can play a pit trap on any square on the board. A pit trap has a depth indicator (1 or 2). If any zombie or dog whose strength is equal to or less than a pit trap's depth falls into it, it instantly dies. The pit trap is then considered "filled" (we remove it from the board and put it aside). A zombie whose strength is greater than the pit's depth will walk through it without any problem (the pit trap stays on board). A zombie hiding behind a human will always use him to fill the hole in, and walk through unaffected.
Human Victory
The human player wins when the zombie player draws the "Dawn" card.
Card Symbols
- Card dealt from the hand - the card is discarded/set aside after use.
- Card put on the board - the card remains in play on the street.
- Number - this number represents a shot's power, a zombie's strength, a wall's height or a pit trap's depth.
- Line-of-fire mark - determines if the card requires a clear line of fire (it cannot be used if there is an obstacle between the target square and the user of this card).