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All Things Zombie: Better Dead Than Zed!
2009
Rules assistance for All Things Zombie: Better Dead Than Zed!
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–8 players
- 45 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.6/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for All Things Zombie: Better Dead Than Zed!
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
All Things Zombie: Better Dead Than Zed! is a board game released in 2009 for 1–8 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Ed Teixeira and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers and Cooperative Game.
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About the game
Worthy successor to Two Hour Wargames' Origin Award winner: All Things Zombie. Now revamped, expanded, and improved. Better Dead Than Zed sweeps you up and sticks you right in the middle of a catastrophic zombie outbreak. Who you are when the outbreak occurs is just as important as where you are. Because unlike other zombie games, where the zombies have been around for awhile, you won't be able to tell the humans from the zombies until maybe it's too late. Because it's all happening to you just like it would on Day One. Confusion, chaos, and lack of information are just some of the challenges you'll face when the world starts to crumble. Will you have what it takes to survive the first 30 days? Then what? All Things Zombie takes you to where no other zombie game has before. Yes, it starts on the first day of the outbreak, but then let's you continue your life building your very own future. It's a game where every detail has been covered, as you first escape the soulless creatures that threaten you, then hunt them down and take back what's yours. On the way there you'll find out that maybe your most dangerous enemies aren't the zombies, but maybe your neighbors or sometimes your friends. All Things Zombie can be played solo, cooperatively with everyone on the same side, or competitively with everyone against one another. All Things Zombie can be played as a one up game or part of an ongoing campaign. But it doesn't matter which way you play it, as the goal of All Things Zombie is to rebuild the world, as you knew it; except maybe this time with you in charge.
Designers
Publishers
- Two Hour Wargames (THW Game Design)
Questions and answers
All Things Zombie: Better Dead Than Zed! supports 1–8 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 All Things Zombie: Better Dead Than Zed! is 45 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 All Things Zombie: Better Dead Than Zed! for ages 12 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.
All Things Zombie: Better Dead Than Zed! has a complexity rating of 2.6 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.
All Things Zombie: Better Dead Than Zed! belongs to these categories: Fighting, Wargame, and Print & Play. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers and Cooperative 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 All Things Zombie: Better Dead Than Zed! are: Ed Teixeira. 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 All Things Zombie: Better Dead Than Zed! as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.