The Story
Platoon Iron Viper, led by Major Francis Cooper, is part of a global campaign to end the zombie war. The living dead now outnumber the living 300,000 to one, and the tide has turned against humanity. During a routine sweep, the platoon is overrun by a massive horde. Only four members survive.
They escape to an isolated farmhouse with the dead close behind. Inside, they manage to barricade the main floor — just enough to buy some time. Over comms, Cooper secures a rescue, but it won't arrive until 6:00 AM. It is now 6:00 PM. The survivors must endure 12 relentless hours, scavenging, fortifying, and fending off waves of the undead. Can they hold out the long hours till dawn?
The Characters
How It Plays
The game runs entirely on a custom-built circuit board — no app required. Major Cooper narrates every moment. Blue LEDs show player positions. Red LEDs track zombie presence (brighter = more zombies). White LEDs mark doors and entry points that can be barricaded. Green LEDs mark locked doors and storage units requiring action to access.
Player Actions
Each player performs actions on their turn using the board's physical buttons. Most actions cost one action point; some end your turn entirely.
Zombie Mechanics
After every player cycle completes, zombies initiate a break-in phase. The undead can only enter through the first floor's eight entry points — a mix of doors and windows. As the night drags on, their aggression intensifies. When an entry point is breached, three zombies flood in at each open point.
After the break-in phase, zombies may move. The chance of movement increases with each passing hour. Zombie behaviour escalates by numbers:
| Zombies in Room | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| < 3 | Cannot move or break barricades. |
| 3+ | Can move into non-barricaded adjacent rooms. Cannot break barricades. |
| 4–6 | Can break barricades, but won't move through the newly broken one. Will move to other nearby unbarricaded rooms. |
| 7–9 | Can break barricades and immediately flood through them. Maximum 9 zombies per room. |
Keep ammo stocked and stay aggressive. A barricade falling triggers an audio warning — the dead are advancing. Zombies spread like an infection: leave them unchecked and entire sections of the farmhouse can fall within a single round.
Combat
If zombies enter a room with a player — or a player enters a room with zombies — a fight begins automatically. Players fire at the horde, consuming ammo. One shot = one dead zombie. Miss, and you hear a "ding" — a wasted shell. Each character has a different accuracy rating:
- Captain Roads — sharpest accuracy
- Corporal Rogers — middle accuracy
- Specialist Barbara — weakest accuracy
Run out of ammo mid-fight with zombies still in the room, and the player dies. Weapons and items found through searching can improve accuracy. The gun on the circuit board has its own LED that fires when a character shoots.
Death & Drops
When a player dies, their entire inventory drops at that location — marked on the board as a blinking backpack icon. At the start of each subsequent turn cycle, Cooper announces the reminder. Any surviving player who reaches that location automatically inherits all of the fallen soldier's ammo, materials, and gear.
Endings & Easter Eggs
There are multiple standard endings — good and bad — plus several secret endings that won't appear in any spoilers guide. The game is also packed with quotes and references to zombie classics: Dawn of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead, Resident Evil, Left 4 Dead, 28 Days Later, Evil Dead, Return of the Living Dead, and more. Every reference is a tribute from Patrick Mitchell — a lifelong fan of the genre — with special love for George A. Romero.
Kickstarter Campaign Video
Gameplay Video
Game Intro
Game Manual
Download the official rulebook to learn how to play before your copy arrives.
Gallery
