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Expansion for Savage Worlds Showdown: Miniatures Rules for All Genres
Zed or Alive: The Zombie Miniatures Game
2014
Rules assistance for Zed or Alive: The Zombie Miniatures Game
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 60 min
- 13+
- Complexity 1.0/5
Rules assistant for Zed or Alive: The Zombie Miniatures Game
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Zed or Alive: The Zombie Miniatures Game is an expansion for Savage Worlds Showdown: Miniatures Rules for All Genres released in 2014 for 1–4 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by James Houlahan and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Role Playing, and Cooperative Game.
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About the game
Zed or Alive: The Zombie Miniatures Game is a miniature wargame rulebook and setting for use with Savage Worlds: Showdown! The goal of this game is to put a high quality, inexpensive rule set in the hands of players which allows them to play campaigns as various denizens of a post-zombie-apocalyptic world, a genre that we feel is missing an iconic miniatures game that provides a fun, compelling, yet streamlined experience. In Zed or Alive, players choose to either start one of several human group types or they can opt to develop their own unique Virus Strain. Human groups range from standard Survivors, Military units, to even outlandish and savage Tribals. These groups will clash with each other in various Confrontation types (scenarios), all the while fending off independent Shambler zombies (classic "walkers" which are neutral, although Virus Strain players can influence their actions). Additionally, players may choose to go on solo or co-op confrontations if they do not enjoy head to head competitive play. As players go from game to game, they will gain experience and level up characters, add new group members, scavenge loot to barter, sell, or even combine into custom-made gear with the new jury-rigging rules! Powerful groups can get their hands on a vehicle and attempt to get it running, giving themselves a huge advantage both in battle and between games. Virus Strain players, unlike human ones, do not control a specific group of individuals, but instead control their own unique branch of the zombie pathogen. This manifests itself through mutant "Aberrant" zombies which can be controlled during gameplay, able to become part of any scenario and throw a wrench in the works. Some are pure killing machines, others are more insidious and are geared toward influencing the actions of otherwise mindless Shamblers. Instead of gaining experience, Virus Strains gain Evolution Points for inflicting carnage and chaos with which to mutate their Shamblers, different Aberrant types, or their Virus Strain as a whole.
Designers
Publishers
- (Web published)
- Rust Devil Games
Questions and answers
Zed or Alive: The Zombie Miniatures Game supports 1–4 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 Zed or Alive: The Zombie Miniatures Game 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 Zed or Alive: The Zombie Miniatures Game 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.
Zed or Alive: The Zombie Miniatures Game has a complexity rating of 1.0 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.
Zed or Alive: The Zombie Miniatures Game belongs to these categories: Wargame, Zombies, and Miniatures. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Role Playing, 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 Zed or Alive: The Zombie Miniatures Game are: James Houlahan. 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 Zed or Alive: The Zombie Miniatures Game as an expansion for Savage Worlds Showdown: Miniatures Rules for All Genres. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Savage Worlds Showdown: Miniatures Rules for All Genres to use it. Check that your edition of Savage Worlds Showdown: Miniatures Rules for All Genres is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.