Reviews

Another game to cross of my want to learn list.

This is a fantastic game for introducing to people who are new to the hobby. The layout of everything is bright and glossy, the iconography is clear and simple, plus all on the quick-reference guide, there isn't any text or required reading on the cards, and the theme is accessible but not overbearing. There isn't a better game for introducing someone new to the drafting mechanic.

The other sweet spot for this game is playing a large group of experienced gamers who are already familiar with it. It may lake the depth of other longer games, but once everyone knows the rules and cards, this game can fly, almost entering filler territory, with games just taking 10-20 mins., but still having plenty of strategy.

This semi-cooperative zombie survival game mixes elements from at least two of my other favorite games into a rich blend teaming with theme, suspicion, and desperation. Anyone familiar with BSG (or Shadows over Camelot) will understand the betrayer aspect, where one player is working against the group from within, trying to blend in, maybe casting suspicion on others, and preventing the group from accomplishing their goals. Like in shadows, there is only the possibility of there being a traitor, but since everyone has their own goals the need to pursue, it can cause a delicious amount of accusations and defenses every game.

The "Crossroads" cards, or the event cards that flesh out the story, are one of the biggest highlights of this game. The thematic depth these add, and difficult decisions they can lead to remind me a lot of the events encountered in Robinson Crusoe, but what sets the crossroads cards apart is the unknown triggers for them each turn, and how that relates to events of the card.

Other positives for me are the sheer number of different survivors, which you can sometimes control several of each game, the fact that even though this is a zombie game, there really isn't much focus on them, and the way you can play through each of the scenarios in order to form an over-arching narrative, or campaign, as told by diary entries in the back of the rule book.

Negatives for me are the dice rolling, the ease of which you can lose characters (which is also related to die rolling), and the difficulty balance of some of the survivor and betrayer goal cards.

This is a fantastic game everyone should try, but for fans of BSG, Robinson Crusoe, or the zombie-survival genre (e.g. Walking Dead fans), this should be a must-play.

Antoine Bauza's new game? I'm in.