
- BGG rank
- BGG #256
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game
- 2–5 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2014

Rules assistance for We Are Dead: Zombie Mall Massacre
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
We Are Dead: Zombie Mall Massacre is a board game released in 2014 for 2–5 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Derak Morrell and its main mechanics are Hand Management.
We Are Dead: Zombie Mall Massacre! The board game where you and your friends take on the role of the shambling zombie horde. Your goal is simple: turn as many mall shoppers as you can into zombies. Achieving your goal is not simple. Human Heroes attempt to put you down permanently and the roaming horde of your victims is trying to eat up your food supply. We Are Dead is for 2-5 people ages 13+ and plays in about an hour. Art for the game was done by two amazing artists, Mike Morris and Mike Collins. I cannot rave enough about how well they brought the vision for this game to life (or unlife). Players take turns attempting to attack the mall shoppers trying to satisfy their recently unlocked hunger for humans. Players will use attack cards from their hands and infection tokens they receive to defeat heroes and turn the humans. During other players' turns each opponent will have the opportunity to play hero cards in the hopes of stopping the player. This interaction during other players' turns reduces down time and keeps all players engaged in the game. While players are busy with their own struggles, the horde grows from their victims. When the Horde! card appears the players must work together to make sure they do not all lose to the massive horde. We Are Dead is easy to learn, but provides enough depth and random elements to allow for good replay-ability. The game uses a hand management mechanic with elements of co-op play and resource management that add layers of strategy to the game.
We Are Dead: Zombie Mall Massacre supports 2–5 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 We Are Dead: Zombie Mall Massacre is 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 We Are Dead: Zombie Mall Massacre for ages 13 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.
We Are Dead: Zombie Mall Massacre has a complexity rating of 1.5 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.
We Are Dead: Zombie Mall Massacre belongs to these categories: Zombies. Its main mechanics are Hand Management. 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 We Are Dead: Zombie Mall Massacre are: Derak Morrell. 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 We Are Dead: Zombie Mall Massacre 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.