
- BGG rank
- BGG #26,096
- BGG rating
- 5.6
Gone Viking!
- 3–5 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2014

2014
Rules assistance for Zombie Island
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Zombie Island is a board game released in 2014 for 1–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by François Valentyne and its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Grid Movement, and Modular Board.
The family vacation isn't going according to plan. Your boat sprang a leak, but luckily you made it to the beach of a remote tropical island. While you were making repairs your family wandered off. Time to go explore the island and find them. Man, that's thick jungle! Good thing you have a machete as you're going to need it... Zombie Island is all about tactical tile placement and strategic piece movement. The core mechanisms contained in the initial scenarios are the foundation for future expansions and many more scenarios to come! This core game is made for 1-4 players (including an easy-to-learn solo game) and plays in 15-45 minutes.
Zombie Island 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 Zombie Island is 30 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 Zombie Island 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.
Zombie Island has a complexity rating of 1.2 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.
Zombie Island belongs to these categories: Dice, Horror, and Zombies. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Grid Movement, and Modular Board. 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 Zombie Island are: François Valentyne. 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 Zombie Island 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.