
- BGG rating
- 8.7
Zombie World: Bonus Pack
- 3–9 players
- 120–240 min
- 2019

2019
Rules assistance for Zombie World
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Zombie World is a board game released in 2019 for 3–9 players, 120–240 minutes per game, and ages 17 and up. It was designed by Brendan G. Conway and Mark Diaz Truman and its main mechanics are Paper-and-Pencil, Storytelling, and Open Drafting.
Zombie World is a card-based tabletop roleplaying game of survivors fighting against the living and the dead for their own place in the world. The game is designed for easy, quick, and intense play. In Zombie World, you take on the roles of ordinary people caught up in a zombie apocalypse, struggling to survive day after day, month after month, year after year, in a world destroyed by the restless dead. Maybe you’re just an accountant who took up a machete to keep her friends and family safe. Maybe you’re an escaped inmate trying to keep your criminal past a secret from your fellow survivors. Maybe you’re a soldier trying to lead and protect your whole enclave in this ruined world. Zombie World has its roots in the Powered by the Apocalypse system used by tabletop RPGs like Apocalypse World, Monsterhearts, and Masks: A New Generation, but it takes that system in new directions, using special cards to generate characters, create situations, and resolve conflicts. Making a new character takes minutes: you draw a few cards, and you’re ready to go. Every time you take an interesting action in the game, you draw a few cards that will tell you what happens to your survivor. In Zombie World, your story is about the larger group of characters more than it is about any single one of them, as you struggle, sacrifice, and strive to create a place where you and your allies might not just survive...but where you might live. Zombie World comes with all the cards, the playmats, the rules, and even a dry erase marker—everything you need in a small box you can easily fit into your bag and play on the fly. If you’re a fan of The Walking Dead, Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days Later, or World War Z, then Zombie World is the perfect game to satisfy your hunger! —description from the publisher
Zombie World supports 3–9 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 World is 120–240 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 World for ages 17 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 World has a complexity rating of 2.8 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.
Zombie World belongs to these categories: Horror and Zombies. Its main mechanics are Paper-and-Pencil, Storytelling, and Open Drafting. 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 World are: Brendan G. Conway and Mark Diaz Truman. 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 World 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.