
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,018
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Terraforming Mars: The Dice Game
- 1–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2023

Rules assistance for After the Virus: The Long Cold
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
After the Virus: The Long Cold is an expansion for After the Virus released in 2022 for 1–3 players, 20–60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Jacob Fryxelius and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Cooperative Game, and Solo / Solitaire Game.
Summer is coming to an end and it’s time to prepare for a long and cold winter, full of new dangers… The Long Cold takes the apocalypse of After the Virus to a whole new level with new characters, special zombies, and droves of new weapons, traps, and equipment. The new campaign lets players save progress between missions, as well as develop their deck over time. Will you specialize in armor and striking weapons? Or expand your range of companions and animals? -description from designer
After the Virus: The Long Cold supports 1–3 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for After the Virus: The Long Cold is 20–60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists After the Virus: The Long Cold for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
After the Virus: The Long Cold has a complexity rating of 2.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
After the Virus: The Long Cold belongs to these categories: Card Game, Horror, and Zombies. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Cooperative Game, and Solo / Solitaire Game. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of After the Virus: The Long Cold are: Jacob Fryxelius. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists After the Virus: The Long Cold as an expansion for After the Virus. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need After the Virus to use it. Check that your edition of After the Virus is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.