Zombies!!!

Designed By: Todd Breitenstein

Art By: Dave Aikins

Published By: Journeyman Press, Pegasus Spiele, Twilight Creations, Inc.

Year Published: 2001

# of Players: 2 − 6

Time: 60 Minutes

 

 

The Draw

 Zombies!!! Has a universal appeal to it, kill zombies. The game is a build the world as you go tile game, but each new tile comes with its own set of zombies, and its own rewards. Every turn you move yourself and then you move zombies, that’s right you get to be the zombies too. Block off the path of other players, clear one for yourself, get bullets, stay healthy, and make it to the helicopter pad first leaving all behind to deal with the undead. If you are into games that allow you to harass the other players Zombies may just be for you.

The Mechanics

The mechanics are simple enough, place a tile to add a new section of street to the map, roll to move, roll to fight zombies, roll to move zombies, and use cards for that boost you need to stay alive or to mess with other players. Players can be fast, Zombies are slow, but man, are there a lot of them. While combat seems simple and objectives straight forward, it’s the cards in this game that shakes things up. The only problem is so many of the cards are conditional to locations. It’s not uncommon to give up a chainsaw because the Lawn and Garden center hasn’t been played yet. If you’re anything like me, giving up a good card isn’t easy, but the no more than 3 cards in your hand at a time rule helps you get over it. It also helps with the feeling of urgency that goes along with being chased by the undead. It keeps the game fluid and ever-changing. Strategy needs to be adjusted constantly and the moves of others observed. The game has an alternate way to win as well; the first player to kill 25 zombies can claim victory. This helps keep players on the move taking away the incentive to camp out in safe areas waiting to the helicopter pad to appear. I would say that the Golden rule of this game is to play to win.

The Replay

Zombies!!! Has the blessing of a high replay value. The map is never the same, and strategy is always changing. Changing up the amount of players is another good way to shake up the game, a two player game is very different then a five player game. I also see a lot of room for house rules. Killing 15 zombies before you can head to the helicopter pad, or killing all zombies for a team win could be fun ways to modify the game. The big problem I see is that the Action cards can get old fast, but the good people who make this game have already solved that problem. Expansion packs, more tiles, more cards, more zombies. Too much of a good thing, I think not.

The Recommendation

Jon’s Recommendation:

I’m not going to rave about this game, its fun but it’s about a 6, a 7 at best. I do enjoy having it in my closet knowing that if I am ever board I can kill zombies. It’s easy to teach and let’s face it, when you say “you guys want to play a game where you kill zombies?” who’s not going to be interested? If you have a chance to pick it up I say go for it.

The After Party

Amun-Re

Designed By: Reiner Knizia

Published By: Rio Grande Games

Year Published: 2003

# of Players: 3 − 5

Age: 12+

Time: 90 min.

The Draw

Amun-Re takes players through the experience of being Pharaoh in ancient Egypt, racing to acquire land, create farms and build pyramids. This board game allows players to use their wealth to develop their land, but remember that the God Amun-Re demands his Sacrifice at the end of every season. The action of Amun-Re takes place along the Nile with Egypt divided into provinces, but don’t be fooled into thinking this is a RISK. The action consists more of development of your own land and allocations of resources then it does with harassing other players. That’s not to say some harassment doesn’t take place. The strategy of this game runs deep, and if you can develop a plan, and see the big picture you can win the game, and rule forever as Pharaoh.

The Mechanics

Amun-Re is divided up into two parts, the Old Kingdome and the New Kingdom, and each Kingdome is divided up into 3 rounds, each round in turn is divided up into Phases. In the Phases players acquire provinces, develop them, sacrifice to Amun-Re and Harvest their farms with Scoring occurs at the end of each Kingdome. Each phase has its own mechanic, its own small game within the game. There is a biding system, a buying system, and a system for sacrifice. In the last phase of the round you harvest and see the rewards of your work. Each system allows you to spend your Gold and directly effects how you spend your gold in the next phase. One of the neat tricks in this game is that sacrifice comes before harvest, but how profitable the harvest is, is in direct correlation to the size of the sacrifice. Some people will want a big sacrifice, but there are ways that a small one can benefit others. Each phase has easy to understand, straight forward game play, but the twist comes from the Power Cards. Power Cards grant a player a way to affect normal game play, and there are power cards for every phase including the scoring at the end of each Kingdome. While power cards benefit the user they also cost money.

This Game has two Golden Rules: Nothing is free and what’s good for you is not necessarily good for anyone else.

The Replay

Amun-Re has a good replay value, not the best but it is good. The Game will never play the exact same way but a person’s strategy may become static. If everyone develops their own approach to the game actions can become predictable and it can cause game play to become redundant. This is a problem with many games and the answer is simple, shake up your group. Amun-Re is great because its gimmick, pyramid building pharaohs, appeals too many. It also has the value of not being an incredible hard game to learn, teaching a new player is quick and rewarding as they bring new perspectives to game play.

Recommendation

Jon’s Recommendation:

$40 was a lot for this game it only balanced out for the amount of fun it gave. If you have it, play it, if you want it, get it, and just get it online for cheaper. At first I thought house rules would be fun but as time has gone by I am against them for this game.

Johann’s Recommendation:

This game is pretty fun but I can think of better ways to spend $40. Six days after testing the game, I don’t really foresee myself pining to play it again (except as a opportunity to make more slave jokes). I recommend this house rule: players can choose what power cards to take. This eliminates the only random factor in the game and replaces it with more strategy. However, it might get out of hand if power card expansion decks are ever released. I give the game a 7 out of 10.

The After Party