Two new horror-themed board games promise to provide thrilling adventure and a host of chills: Zpocalypse, a zombie survival game from GreenBrier Games, and Darkest Night, a cooperative fantasy game from Victory Point Games.
In Zpocalypse, two to four players start out in an underground bunker and prepare to survive a zombie apocalypse. Each player receives two characters to join his squad, and their various stats are combined on an impressive squad board, complete with stat dials. Your squad is as smart as its smartest player, but only as fast as its slowest player. The characters' hit points and armor are all combined.
Each scenario is divided into days, each divided into four phases. During the first phase, players scavenge for supplies, food and weapons. During the second phase, players must make sure their squad's characters are fed and equipped, or risk losing members of the team. Players can also build up fortifications to slow the zombie advance, depending upon materials gained during the scavenge phase. Phase three is known as Something's Happening, in which players draw an event card that contains some nasty surprises. Finally, players engage in a combat phase in which their squads move around the game board and kill legions of the undead as they advance mercilessly toward the bunker entrance.
First of all, the components are just phenomenal. Dozens of plastic molds represent the players' squads and the hordes of zombies. The game board is a composite of puzzle pieces that are put together during game play. Various character, equipment, weapon and event cards ensure variation in every game.
Zpocalypse is faced with an important question, however: with zombie board games hitting the shelves like the endless horde of the undead themselves, can it successfully compete? The answer is, yes it can. And then some. While Zpocalypse isn't necessarily the best zombie board game out there, it is undoubtedly near the top. The squad mechanic in this game is really a unique twist, as most other zombie board games allow for only one character per player. And the fortification building is also a lot of fun, making Zpocalypse something of a tower defense game.
The game play can bog down at times, however, and it does take awhile to get to the zombie slaying, which is the heart of any zombie board game. Still, Zpocalypse generally succeeds in creating a creepy, fun and dynamic board game experience.
Depending on the scenario, the game, which contains scary and violent imagery, generally lasts about an hour and a half and is recommended for players 14 years old and up.
In Darkest Night, an evil Necromancer has taken control of a fantasy kingdom and has spread blights and monsters throughout the land. One to four players take on the role of heroes who must defeat the Necromancer in order to save the kingdom and restore peace and justice.
The board offers several locations, including a monastery that offers the only haven from the Necromancer's evil. Players start at the monastery and can return to heal and gain other advantages, though they can accomplish little by camping out there. Other locations include a castle, a mountain, a swamp and deserted ruins. Each has their own characteristics, and players must roll a successful dice number in order to search these locations for items and power cards to help them defeat their enemy.
Each player must start his turn by drawing an event card, which generally contains some challenge to overcome, then he may take an action like move, attack a monster or search a location. Players have two important scales they must always track for their character: grace and secrecy. Grace allows players to restore themselves after a monster deals them an otherwise fatal blow, and secrecy allows players to hide from the Necromancer.
The last two guys who’ve asked me out on first dates suggested we go running on the Katy Trail. My first thought was, “Oh, no, I don’t want to smell your BO when I hardly know you.” I also thought it to be a bit curious that these two similar date requests came back-to-back.
Was it because I enjoy fitness and these fellas were trying to select a date they thought I’d enjoy? Or was it because active first dates are the wave of the future in the land of dating? I got to thinking about it and decided I’d very much appreciate it if it were the latter. For starters, coffee dates are getting pretty boring. So are the “grabbing drinks” dates. Why do we always have to be consuming some sort of liquid? But if a guy asked me to pick up a bow and arrow and attend an archery class, that would be a first. I’d be intrigued, perceiving that he was incredibly cool for thinking outside the box.
In the spirit of switching up the run-of-the-mill dating routine, I’ve compiled a list of 10 fitness first dates that sound like a blast and would also provide a backdrop for chemistry and openness. Another perk of an active first date is that the attention isn’t solely on the conversation and the coffee breath. The action is stealing some of your focus and nerves, allowing you to be free and let your guard come tumbling down.Click on their website www.smartcardfactory.com for more information.
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