This was originally posted to GameWyrd’s Lost Archives to mark the start of 2000.
Zombies is an easy Live Action Roleplaying Game that emphasises action rather than roleplaying. It’s hide and seek meets chase. A shuffling chase.
Zombies requires a bunch of people, sensible people who won’t run. The trickiest and most important rule in Zombies is: don’t run.
Zombies can’t run. In this game, zombies must shuffle around – you know, like zombies. They should have their arms out in front of them and moan – you know, like zombies. Zombies can’t talk. Zombies can’t do clever sign language or write notes for each other. Zombies aren’t all that smart but can perform basic flanking techniques.
Humans can’t run. In this game, humans can walk faster than zombies. Not running is a safety thing. Don’t run. Humans can talk and can coordinate. Humans have to avoid being touched by a zombie.
If a zombie touches a human, then that human becomes a zombie.
To play the game, you need a large house, a creepy gothic house is best, but any house, large apartment, University dorm or similar locale is required.
Pick some players to be zombies, pick some players to be humans, and you’ve got a start.
- Option #1: Divide the zombies and humans equally among the players. You can draw straws, dice off or decide on this.
- Option #2: Have a random amount of zombies. For example, all players roll 1d6 at the start of the game; people who roll 1, 2 or 3 are zombies and the rest are human.
- Option #3: A nasty trick is to hide the zombies among the humans. Everyone is given a bit of paper, to begin with, which will secretly say either “human” or “zombie”. Everyone goes off to hide, and the game begins without anyone knowing who a zombie is or not.
- Option #3.5: As with option #3, have everyone randomly and secretly pick bits of paper which will say either “human” or “zombie”. People must go and hide in pairs, then at the given time or signal, the game begins, and players discover whether they’re hiding with a zombie or not!
The zombies win if there are no more humans left.
The easiest way to play the game is on a time limit. Humans have to survive until midnight. Alternatively, you can put a victory condition on, too; humans have to find Artifact X and take it to Location Y, or the humans have to find all 5 scraps of paper with the arcane words on, and someone has to be left alive to read all 5 before midnight.
Zombies doesn’t even need a GM or marshal but, as with all LARPs, are likely to benefit from one.
Zombies is an easy game which extends and expands well. If you’ve any suggestions for options, then email them in or visit the forums and share. The best ideas will be published here. A selection of zombie masks is on display too.
GameWyrd did not invent Zombies. This is a LARP that hundreds of gaming groups around the world have come up with by themselves and on their own.
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