As a kid, monsters all seemed about the same to me. Vampires, werewolves, mummies and zombies all sort of existed under one big monster umbrella. As I’ve grown older, much of the scare-factor has worn off for all these except for that of the slow, shambling, groaning zombie horde. Vampires got sexy, werewolves lost popularity and mummies were resigned to action movie bad guys. Zombies though, if anything, have become even scarier as I’ve grown older. The new breed of zombie (think 28 Days Later or Resident Evil), created by engineered viruses gone haywire gave the zombie genre a fresh coat of paint and far more plausibility than most other monster types.

Needless to say, board game designers took notice of this popularity and have been busily creating dozens of new games to scare, thrill and delight both casual gamers and board game enthusiasts alike. Here’s our list of 5 super fun zombie games to check out today. No matter if you’re looking for solo, competitive or cooperative gameplay there’s something here for everybody. Let our zombie game gift guide commence!

---

Zombies!!!

Zombies!!! is the perfect place to start our list. This game does everything right. Designed for 2 to 6 players, Zombies!!! offers different game modes allowing for competitive or cooperative play. Players start the game on a central game tile and as they reach the edge, new tiles are flipped up and before long, a town begins to emerge. Each round, zombies appear on the open edges of each tile and before long, a shambling horde begins to emerge. Players take turns moving, smashing zombie heads or grabbing equipment or health tokens along the way.

Buried deep in the stack of board tiles is a helicopter pad which is where players need to be to save themselves from the horde. When zombies are done right, there’s a certain claustrophobic feeling the viewer gets as escape becomes less and less likely. This game definitely scratches that itch. There are a lot of zombie miniatures included in this game and, if left to gather steam, the horde will overrun even the most experienced players. As mentioned earlier, you can approach this game as a unified team or you can play every zombie survivor for themselves. There aren’t a ton of games out there offering both competitive and cooperative play in the same box which makes this feature stand out.

---

Zombicide

Zombicide is a game designed for up to 6 players and is totally playable in a solo setting as well. Something really cool about this game is how players can customize their characters by finding weapons, blasting zombies and gaining XP that can be spent on upgrades. The leveling up of your character keeps this game feeling fresh as there are new abilities unlocked along the way.

Zombicide has also opted to include a variety of zombie types. There’s your run-of-the-mill zombie but they’ve also added zombies that have mutated to either be extra tough to kill or be able to run. I don’t know how I feel about running zombies but I guess at this point they’ve permeated the zombie universe so here we are. Running zombies do add a spike of fear which isn’t a bad thing.

Zombicide offers a bunch of missions each with its own win condition. Again, this is a great way to keep the game feeling fresh…or at least as fresh as fighting a bunch of rotting zombies and feel. On top of the original game release, Zombicide has spawned several ghoulish expansions giving players a choice between futuristic or fantasy gameplay. The common thread here is the zombie threat. Let the Zombicide begin!

---

Dead of Winter

So far, we’ve covered zombie games that offer competitive or coop play but Dead of Winter adds a new flavour to this list. Designed for 2 to 5 players who take on the role of faction leaders, this game starts out with everyone working together to manage what little resources they can muster and keeping their faction in line. The twist is that each player is given a secret win condition that needs to be met. While not all win conditions involve back-stabbing, many of them will end up pitting you against your former allies. This also means multiple people can win a game by completing their goals before the game ends. This also means everyone can lose!

One of my favourite features of this game is the politics involved. For instance, on any player’s turn, they can initiate a vote to exile another player. If successful, that player must draw a card from the Exiled pile and add it to their current secret goal. Adding stuff like this into a board game keeps the game interesting and increases the fun factor.

If you’re looking to get a game that offers exploration, looting, zombie bashing and just a hefty slice of betrayal and revenge, Dead of Winter is the game for you. As with most of the games on this list, Dead of Winter has grown and expanded with titles such as The Long Night (this one is a stand-alone) and Warring Colonies (this one needs to be combined with the original game or Long Night). It’s the Dead of Winter, who’s got the will to survive?

---

Last Night on Earth

Last Night on Earth pushes the zombie pace and offers a new type of competitive play by making one of the players be in charge of the zombie horde. I think this is a really cool feature as most zombie games generally use static rules to determine when the undead appear and how they act. By putting the horde in the hands of a player, it gives the shambling undead an unpredictable element that adds to the fun.

The game board is randomly created by laying modular tiles with different buildings and areas to explore. Each character in the game has their own special abilities which are vital to surviving The Last Night on Earth. The game box comes loaded with miniatures so don’t worry about running out of zombies during gameplay!

Last Night on Earth was originally released in 2007. If you’re lucky, try to find the 10-year anniversary edition with adds a bunch of cool add-ons to enhance gameplay. If you’re looking for something a little different and want to put the undead in the hands of a fellow player, Last Night on Earth has your name written all over it…written all over it in zombie blood!

---

City of Horror

City of Horror is an easy-to-learn, fast game lasting four rounds total. This game revolves almost completely around player politics and requires everyone to be engaged for it to truly shine. The premise is simple enough: Each player controls several characters, moving them around to different parts of the randomly created, modular tiled map. Regardless of where you try to hide, eventually, the horde will find you. Here’s where politics come into play.

Voting is the most pivotal mechanic in this game. When you and your fellow players get caught by zombies, each player makes their case as to why they shouldn’t be eaten. After voting, someone gets eaten. Remember, everyone has multiple characters so you still have time to redeem yourself but you get the point. This game has a light coop feel but it’s rife with conflict.

Along the way, players will find equipment to help them defend against the horde. Just like with the zombie sacrifices, equipment is rewarded to players through voting. Strategic arguments and diplomacy go a long way in the City of Horrors. As mentioned before, this game has a short run time of only four rounds. Once the final round ends, a rescue team arrives to whisk everyone away to safety. Points are tallied by counting the amount of equipment and surviving characters each player has. This game is lighter on rules which is a nice change and a great game for people who want a more casual gaming experience.