Zombie Town
Zombie Town Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Overview
Zombie Town is a zombie survival card game for 3 to 6 players.
In Zombie Town, you play the role of a survivor trying to fight your way through hordes of zombies in an attempt to be the last survivor standing.
Character Cards
Each character has a unique ability described on each character card. Additionally, each character is also skilled at killing a specific type of zombie, indicated at the top right of the character card. This means that the player can use any type of weapon type to kill this zombie type (see "Weapon Cards" and "Zombie Cards").
The character's maximum health is displayed on the bottom left and can never exceed this amount. Health also determines the player's hand limit. Whenever a player's hand size exceeds his hand limit, he has to discard down to his hand limit during the Discard Stage in his or her turn.
When a player's health is reduced to zero, that player dies (see "Dying").
Zombie Cards
During the course of the game, zombie cards will be played in front of you by other players.
There are eight zombie types: normal, hot chick, gray hair, cop, fat, animal, mutant and god. To destroy a zombie the player can use any of the weapon types (see "weapon types") displayed at the top right of the zombie card. This signifies the zombie's weakness(es).
A zombie's health is always one and is placed in the discard pile when killed.
E.g. Max has two zombie cards in front of him. The first zombie is vulnerable to slashing and melee weapons, and the other zombie is vulnerable to melee weapons. He plays his fire axe card (slashing type) to take care of the first zombie and his keyboard card (melee type) to take care of the second zombie.
In addition to the type of weapon symbols, some cards will have an infection symbol. When a player is damaged or hurt by a zombie with an infection symbol, that player has to do an infection test during the Explosion and Infection Stage.
Item Cards
Item cards are one-use cards that can be played during the Survival Stage of a player's turn and then discarded after their effect is resolved. There is no limit to how many cards can be played (unless stated by the card).
Weapon Cards
Weapon cards are used to defeat zombies placed in front of the player and are played during the Survival Stage of his or her turn.
There are four different types of weapons: ballistic, melee, slashing and explosive. Each weapon card has a weapon type and attack power (except for the explosive weapon). Each point of attack power can be used to kill one zombie. After a weapon is played it is discarded. Excess attack power is ignored.
E.g. Ryan has two zombie cards in front of him which are both vulnerable to ballistic weapons. He plays a shotgun (ballistic type with attack power of 3). Both zombies are killed and are discarded. His shotgun card is also discarded and the excess 1 power is ignored.
You may play any number of weapon cards from your hand during your turn.
Special rule for explosive weapons: An explosive weapon has no power indicator and will always kill all zombies vulnerable to explosive weapons in front of the player. When an explosive weapon is used, the player must do an explosion test during the Explosion and Infection Stage.
Location Cards
Location cards represent different locations the survivors can go to during the course of the game (see Moving Stage).
If a hiding symbol is next to the location name, the player must perform a hiding test during the Hiding Stage to determine if the player keeps the location card during his turn.
Having a location card in front of a player can have various different effects which may help the player survive. The effect is represented by the symbol in the top right corner.
- Explosive: If there is an explosive symbol on the location card, the card may be used as an explosive weapon. An explosion test then needs to be performed during the Explosion and Infection Stage.
- Melee: If there is a melee symbol on the location card, the card may be used as a melee weapon with attack strength of 1.
- Slashing: If there is a slashing symbol on the location card, the card may be used as a slashing weapon with attack strength of 2.
- Ballistic: If there is a ballistic symbol on the location card, the card may be used as a ballistic weapon with attack strength of 3.
- Flammable: If there is a flammable symbol on the location card, treat it as an explosive weapon and discard this location card. An explosion test needs to be performed during the Explosion and Infection Stage.
- Draw: If there is a draw symbol on the location card, the player may draw an extra card from the deck during the Drawing Stage.
- Cart: If there is a cart symbol on the location card, the player can transfer a zombie in front of him or her and place it in front of another player instead.
- Heal: If there is a heal marker on the location card, the player can choose any player (including himself). The chosen player will heal one point of health. Note: a player's health may not exceed his maximum health points.
Setup
Each player draws two character cards and chooses one as his or her character. Place the remaining character card face down under the chosen character card, sliding it down until the number of health vials visible equals the character's maximum health (displayed on bottom left of the character card).
Once all players have chosen their characters, they draw the number of cards equal to their health points.
Determine the starting player by rolling a dice (not included) or by any other means.
Turn Procedure
During a player's turn, he has to perform all of the following stages in order where possible.
Drawing Stage
Draw 2 cards from the deck.
Hiding Stage
When a player has a location card in front of him at the start of the Hiding Stage, he has to perform a hiding test. The player turns over and reveals the top card of the deck. If any card other than a zombie card is revealed the player has safely passed the hiding test and may keep the location card in front of him or her. Otherwise the location card is discarded along with the revealed test card.
Survival Stage
During the survival stage, a player tries to get rid of as many zombie cards in front of him as possible. To do this, he or she may play any number of item and weapon cards as he or she has available.
At the end of the Survival Stage, the player has to take 1 point of damage from each zombie card still in front of him. Slide the character card down to reveal remaining health points. Note: zombie cards not dealt with will remain in front of the player after his turn ends.
If, at any point, the player's health total reaches zero, he or she dies (see Dying).
Explosion and Infection Stage
If a player has been hurt by a zombie with an infection symbol, or encountered an explosion (from either an explosive weapon or location) he or she has to perform either an infection or explosion test. To perform an explosion or infection test the player turns over and reveals the top card of the deck. If any card other than a zombie card is revealed the player has safely passed the test. Otherwise that player takes another point of damage and reduces his health by one. Otherwise the location card is discarded along with the revealed test card.
E.g. During the Survival Stage, Rudy uses a Molotov cocktail card (explosive type weapon) to dispose of two zombies in front of him. They are both killed and discarded. He then moves on to the Explosion and Infection Stage. Since he played an explosive type weapon, he performs an explosion test. He flips over the top card of the deck and reveals a Zombie Cop card. He then takes one point of damage and reduces his health points by one.
Moving Stage
During a player's Moving Stage, a player can play a location card in front of him as well as playing zombie cards in front of other players.
Location cards are placed horizontally in front of the active player, replacing a previous location card if he or she had played one before. There can only be one location card in front of a player at a time. The location card stays in front of a player after his or her turn is over unless another effect forces him or her to discard it or a player fails the hiding test.
After a location card is played (or not), the active player may play zombie cards from his hand in front of other players. Starting either clockwise or counterclockwise the active player may play one zombie card in front of each player. He may choose to stop playing zombie cards at any time but may not skip a player in order to play a zombie card in front of the following player.
Discard Stage
If the active player's hand size exceeds his hand limit (current health total), he has to discard down to his hand limit during this stage of his or her turn. Note: it is possible for the player to acquire more cards during other players' turns. Players do not have to discard cards down to their hand limit except during this stage of his or her turn.
Winning the Game
To win the game, a player must be the last remaining "living" player. When every other player has died the game ends and the remaining player is declared the winner.
Dying
When a player's health total is reduced to zero, he dies and becomes a zombie. As a zombie, the player's sole duty is to play zombie cards in front of other "living" players.
During his or her turn, the zombie player draws cards up to his original hand limit (equal to the number of health points displayed on the character card). He then starts either clockwise or counterclockwise and plays a zombie card in front of the remaining "living" players until he has no more zombie cards left. He or she may not skip a "living" player. Afterwards the zombie player discards his or her remaining cards (item, weapon and location cards).