- BGG rank
- BGG #14,969
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Attack of the Mutants!
1981
Rules assistance for Attack of the Mutants!
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 30–60 min
- 12+
- Complexity 1.8/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Attack of the Mutants!
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Attack of the Mutants! is a board game released in 1981 for 2 players, 30–60 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Neil Zimmerer and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Grid Movement.
About the game
"Attack of the Mutants!" from Yaquinto is a really campy 1950s B-movie sci-fi horror-zombies board wargame, pitting the "heroes" against the campus membership, newly mutated by a horrible nuclear accident at the nearby power station (the Big Melt-Down of 1993). Kindly old professor Applegate, his toothsome daughter Penny, her heroic but dense love interest Buck and an assortment of other stereotypes (such as the prof's robots) fight to save the world from the awful mutant thingies. Frenzied dashes down polished corridors with howling mobs of beasties in hot pursuit. A kicking and screaming Penny being carried off. Again. A desperate battle for time as the Professor prattles inanely, "Maybe we can reason with them". The mutants come in three flavors: normal, radio-active and leader. Map and set-up are randomized for re-playability (there are movable Wall counters). The game is played in 10 turns; victory for either side hinges on control of the Tech Room (where a gate to an unpolluted Earth-like planet has been opened, hopefully allowing the "normies" to escape the muties). Optional rules allow for hidden movement. Includes 5-page rulebook, 25" x 12" board, 133 counters, reference card. Also the title of a simplified version having the same title. Yaquinto shipped this version free with any order. The mutants, invade the college represented by 25 rooms. If the mutants reach the control room in 10 turns they win. An 11" x 17" sheet of light cardboard includes map, rules and counters.
Designers
Publishers
- Yaquinto
Questions and answers
Attack of the Mutants! supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Attack of the Mutants! is 30–60 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 Attack of the Mutants! 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.
Attack of the Mutants! has a complexity rating of 1.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
Attack of the Mutants! belongs to these categories: Wargame, Horror, and Zombies. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Grid Movement. 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 Attack of the Mutants! are: Neil Zimmerer. 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 Attack of the Mutants! 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.