The Walking Dead: The Boardgame (Z-Man Games, 2011)

The game I chose to my session report on is The Walking Dead: The Board Game, which was released in 2011 and published by Z-Man Games. The game allows up to six players but is recommended to play with 3, 4, or 5. Ages 12 and up are suggested to play, which can last up to 45 minutes. The game is strategy and thematic based. The mechanics used throughout the game are the following: dice rolling, grid movement, partnerships, player elimination, and variable player powers. I played my game with one other player, and rest of this report covers step by step how it resulted.

Once you have chosen a main character, place it on its starting point. You are trying to collect supplies and make it to a safe location while dealing with zombies and encounter cards along the way. This is what the board looks like first-hand. As you can see in the top left corner, three location cards have been placed, which are specific areas on the board any player can go to. If you My character, Glenn, is the lower of the two placed on the board.

This is what my character and supplies board looks like. Each player started on 1 of each of the supplies. We each chose a follower card as well. My follower, Chris, calls for 1 red die, while my character Glenn calls for 2 green and 1 blue. I will you all 5 dice when handling encounter cards.

I also am supposed to draw a location card separate from the public three on the board. I keep this card to myself, but I can go to any of the 4 locations as a safe zone. Like the one shown here, all location cards have requirements to meet in order for the location to actually be safe. If all requirements are met, you win the game.

These are the three location cards at the top of the board.

This is my opponent’s character and supplies board.

This is what the board looks like after a couple rounds. At the beginning of each turn, the player can move three places in any direction they choose. The spots you leave though, are replaced with zombie pieces. If you land on a spot with a supplies marker on it, increase that supply and draw an encounter card. Some spots have 1 supply while others may have 2, an in that case you would draw 2 encounter cards. The supplies offered are food, ammo, and gas.

This is an encounter card after I landed on a piece with supplies on it. It says I must kill 2 zombies. I either must roll more the two zombies or ball caps. As you can see, I managed to roll more than enough so I succeeded the encounter. My reward is finding 1 food supply.

After a few rounds, I made it to the Greene farm, which I chose as the location I wanted to succeed at. I now must not only survive, but win three encounter in order to win the game and declare the Greene farm a safe location

This is the next encounter card I drew, which a thankfully succeeded. I now get to add an ammo to my supplies and only have to win two more encounters.

This was the next encounter I won. I gave 2 ammos to my opponent and took 2 food supplies. It is important to have food, because if you have a fatigue piece on your board from failing an encounter, you can trade 1 fatigue for 2 food supplies to restore your health.

Finally, I succeeded at this third encounter, which not only allowed me to draw two extra followers, but I won the game because I succeeded at all three encounter following the Greene farm, and met all the requirements on that particular card.