
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,508
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Tiny Epic Crimes
- 1–4 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2023

2018
Rules assistance for Tiny Epic Zombies
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Tiny Epic Zombies is a board game released in 2018 for 1–5 players, 30–45 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Scott Almes and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Push Your Luck, and Dice Rolling.
GENERAL INFO: 1-5 players, 30 minutes, 5 play modes including competitive and cooperative play. Cooperative team-play with game controlled Zombies. Cooperative team-play with Zombies controlled by a non-team player. Competitive free-for-all with game controlled Zombies. Competitive free-for-all with Zombies controlled by a player. Solo. THEME: Modern day Zombie outbreak at the Echo Ridge Mall. HOOK: Fast paced, portable, and tons of replayability. Play as the survivors or the Zombies. Plus ITEMeeples! WIN: Survivors must complete 3 objectives - Zombies must kill all the Survivors or gain control of the Mall's Courtyard. OVERVIEW: In Tiny Epic Zombies, survivors are always on the run, collecting weapons, killing Zombies and working toward completing objectives. Completing 3 objectives can win you the game but if you're too focused on the objectives, the Zombies will overrun the mall and that will be the end of you. Based on the mode of play, you will either play as one of the Survivors or as the Zombies. As a Survivor, your turn will consist of moving 3 times. Then based on where you move, you'll be able to do additional things. For instance, if you move into a room with a Zombie, you'll have to fight it by rolling the Zombie die. Or if you move into a room adjacent to a Zombie, you can spend ammo to shoot it. Killing a Zombie is actually pretty easy... but they just keep coming. Keeping them from overrunning the entire mall, while trying to accomplish your objectives, that is hard! After you've taken your 3 moves, you'll search the room. This is done by revealing the Search Card you are holding. Most of the time, you find something useful, like awesome items you can later pickup and equip to your ITEMeeples. Sometimes though, you may find a Zombie lurking in the corner. So be prepared. After you search the room, more Zombies flood into the Mall. Then it's the next player's turn. Simple as that. Note: If your ammo and wound tokens ever meet, you're dead meat! So, keep your wounds low and your ammo high. If you die, that character will turn into a Zombie and you'll have to draw a new character to play. If that happens too many times, you lose the game. As a Zombie player, not only will you control unique Zombies with special abilities, you will control ALL the Zombies! With your help, the Zombies will have a brain in addition to eating brains. Your game will be to overwhelm the players with clever placement and movement of the Zombies. Smother them with your Zombie horde and prevent them from completing their objectives. If you kill enough players or overrun the mall courtyard, you win.
Tiny Epic Zombies supports 1–5 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 Tiny Epic Zombies is 30–45 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 Tiny Epic Zombies for ages 14 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.
Tiny Epic Zombies has a complexity rating of 2.5 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.
Tiny Epic Zombies belongs to these categories: Horror and Zombies. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Push Your Luck, and Dice Rolling. 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 Tiny Epic Zombies are: Scott Almes. 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 Tiny Epic Zombies 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.