After an unacceptably long board game hiatus, it was great to jump back in brains first with some serious zombie ass-kicking action. While I’ve never been an exuberant fan of the zombie genre, I have to say that Last Night on Earth made me a believer – at least of the board game variety.

For a first time designer and publisher - Jason Hill and Flying Frog Productions respectively - have done a decent job fleshing out a zombie board game that is both tactically and visually engaging. Last Night on Earth combines the dice roll and card strategy action of Risk with the variable board tile placement of Settlers of Catan without the friendship breakdowns. No matter how intense the action, the result is nothing nearly as serious – just a bloody fun and highly playable game of living vs. undead.

Players choose whether they are hero or zombie, and the great thing is that either is satisfying so you won’t be bickering over who’s who. The highly detailed playing pieces include eight archetypical hero figures such as Jenny the Farm girl, Johnny the high school quarterback or the Drifter and 14 zombie figures,  controlled by 1 or 2 players. The action takes place in a small-town setting which incorporates a variety of randomly placed location tiles where the heroes can search for zombie-slaughtering weaponry and the living dead can shamble their way towards a healthy dose of brain-munching. Combat outcomes are determined by dice rolls and strategic card-plays allowing for advantages and disadvantages for all players. The heroes have more dynamic range, coordination and attack options while the zombies are limited to a slow zombie-esque approach to their tactics. Pre-constructed scenarios (basic and advanced), customization possibilities and future expansions pave the way for countless nights of gameplay.

Last Night on Earth accommodates 2-6 players for ages 12 and up, with games falling nicely between the 60-90 minute estimates. The rules aren’t difficult, but plan for the first couple games to be a learning curve.