Cool Mini or Not - Zombicide - Board Game

This is a big box full of miniatures. It's a very expensive game and therefore a big risk for anyone interested in buying it, so should you?Maybe.I actually really like Zombicide and I have to thank it a great deal for igniting a resurgence in my interest for board games. The artwork and theme here is absolutely fantastic, from the board to the cards and of course the models. What you're paying big money here for is quality (although there's quantity too!). I know some people are not the biggest fans of it's gameplay, but nobody can fault the production quality here.As a game, it has it's flaws. Whilst the core mechanics are fairly fast and fun, one rule in particular is worth picking on. There is a friendly fire rule that means if you are ever shooting into an area containing an ally you AUTOMATICALLY hit them. I have not spoken to a single person who hasn't just been immediately irritated by this idea so I have permanently house-ruled it as so: roll to attack zombies inside the area as you would normally BUT if you roll a 1, the ally takes a wound. This probably upsets the balance of the game as intended by the designer, but for me it's much fairer and has still lead to some awkwardly hilarious deaths.There are a bunch of scenarios included in the game and plenty more you can download from the internet. What's more, this game is designed in a way that makes it very easy to customise, add rules or create your own scenarios. I myself have added a bunch of little tweaks that add flavour to the game and don't seem to break it in any way. The game also scales pretty well for different numbers of players. The most I've played this game with is 8 and that was a little on the ridiculous side, but otherwise 2-6 players works really well. In fact, you could also play this solo easy enough, all you change is how many characters each player controls.I do find a lot of games can get to a point where they are a bit cumbersome. In the later stages of the game you can quickly have an overwhelming number of enemies on the board that all need to be moved each turn. Suddenly you'll run out of pieces to add and have to 're-activate' others.. often it gets annoying and you end up bending the rules to save the effort. This is a shame because, in big scenarios especially it means the end of the game is a bit of an anti-climax and a chore. This doesn't happen every time, but it's something to be wary of.There are also a bunch of expansions available, most noticeably Toxic City Mall and Prison Outbreak. I own both of these and they take up a lot of space. I wouldn't say either were essential and Prison Outbreak can be played as a standalone just like this.. depending on which theme you prefer. I would say that the variety of weapons from this box alone can quickly feel a bit predictable and the wealth of different cards is actually my favourite aspect of the expansions. Owning all 3 has actually meant I've played them less though, as the set-up time now always seems daunting - as is the length of the game (which can last between 1-3 hours). If you bought this box and wanted to get one more.. I would suggest Toxic City Mall as it's cheaper and still adds a bunch of cool stuff.Whilst there are things you can nitpick about the game, it's still a lot of fun. The theme is great and the components alone will probably hold your interest. If this looks like a theme or game you'd enjoy and you can spend the money then it's definitely worth getting. I don't play it as often as I would like, but I'm glad I own it. Maybe on strictly board-gaming terms there are better games you could get for less money, but they might not put as big a smile on your face as this will.

Spent a lot of hours playing this game!Waiting for our Marvel expansion to arrive!

Splashed out & bought this initially more than a little concerned at the cost, three games later we have already had 11+ hours of fun with it & convinced me it's well worth the money! That covers an age range of 12-49, boys, girls & a couple of Dads so no mean feat keeping us all entertained/interested - funny how an apocalypse can bring the family together.The game is nicely packaged with figures and board etc. all good quality, there is a load more downloadable content here [...] more missions plus game map editor and new scenarios etc - all free so good added value there. There are loads of options to extend the game play including varying levels of difficulty, vehicles, weapons, power ups etc. cumulatively gives a structured game play that once established you will get quickly but allows for some flexibility. Don't forget there is also an App that will assist you the game play.Rules are a little complicated to start (not always helped by the instructions which are a little 'Chinglish' in places) but there is a good FAQ on the site that will clear up some grey areas. Persevere & it's not too difficult to get a game going use some good old common sense and make the rest up, we always fell back on 'Act of God' for any moments needing a decision.What I really like about this is the absolute need to co-operate as a group, if you play with 6 of you i.e. each as one character, then all will need to think and collaborate as a group to survive/win. Really encourages the kids to think through and discuss a strategy & the tactics to complete the mission hence I have rated this 4*'s for educational value. Our 3 are normally buried in their rooms clicking on electronic gadgets on their own so them gathering together for some virtual teamwork was actually quite satisfying to see!Can see we will be gathering around for a few more sessions yet plus going to design some of our own weapons and scenarios to really keep the momentum going - is crying out for a grenade launcher, flamethrower & GPMG - lol.Strongly recommend this, not played any of the cheaper options (which might be as good) but this certainly delivered for me for sophistication & great gameplay without being torturous to learn, it has plenty of options for quick or long, simple or complex games and with the extra content on the site will give you some fun for some time to come. Well worth the cost overall.