A final modular game for this series turns into a first for the blog.  Up until now, the games I've written about have been for at least two-players.  This game is only for one, making it the first solitaire game I've talked about.  I mentioned it way back in Expansion #9, when I talked about free games.  So, here it is - Zombie in my Pocket.


(BGG image by user arhtu)

Zombie in my Pocket was self-published in 2007 from designer Jeremiah Lee, with art by Kwanchai Moriya.  It is for one player, though a multiplayer version was published in 2009 by Cambridge Games Factory.  The game, which can fit in your pocket, is a tile laying game in which you are trying to find and bury a totem before zombies overrun the world.


(BGG image by user mczolton)

You can get nearly everything you need from the BGG file linked to here, which gives you the rules, the 16 tiles (8 indoor and 8 outdoor), and the nine cards.  You'll also need a pawn and some method of keeping track of health and weapons.  You begin the game with an attack power of 1 and 6 health.


(Image taken from BGG game file posted by )

To start the game, place the foyer tile (seen in the lower right) and remove two cards from the deck.  Move your pawn through the doorway, then draw one of the seven remaining indoor tiles.  You may place it in whatever orientation you wish, as long as one doorway aligns with the door you just came through.  Once you have entered the room, draw a card.


(Image taken from BGG game file posted by )

Each card has three times listed, and what you do depends on the round you are currently in.  At the start of the game, you are in the 9:00 hour.  When you run out of cards, reshuffle all cards and remove two, and you are now in the 10:00 hour.  The same thing happens at the 11:00 hour.  If you run out of cards in the 11:00 hour, you lose.

Read the text associated with the time.  If you drew the first card at 9:00, nothing happens.  If you drew the second card at 9:00, you would be attacked by four zombies.  You have a power of 1 to begin with, which means that if you choose to fight, you would lose Z minus A health (Zombies minus Attack, or in this case, 3).  You could also run away, in which case you would only lose one health, but you would have to run into a room you had already entered, which could back you into a corner.

Had you drawn the third card, you could draw an item.  This means that you draw the next card off the deck and take the item shown in the lower right corner of the card.  This shortens your game, but the items could be useful.  You might find a weapon that gives you more attack power against zombies.  You might find an item that will combine with another (gasoline and candle) to destroy all zombies in one area, which could be particularly helpful when you meet six zombies.  You might find an item that will assist you in running away.  You could also choose not to draw an item.  You may only carry two items at once, and you may only use one weapon at a time.

Once you have resolved the text on the card, resolve the text on the tile you landed on (+1 health, draw an item if you wish, search for the totem).  You may then discard a card from the deck to gain 3 health, then you can move to another room.

If you find yourself on the evil temple tile, you can search for the totem by drawing another card.  Once the card has been resolved, if you remain in the temple, you now have the totem and can head outside.  You can only get outside through the dining room.


(BGG image by user avyssaleos)

When you move outside, you will be on the patio, then can move through any grassy area and place a new outside tile.  The rules for outside are the same, but you are looking for the graveyard.  If you find it, you must resolve one more card in order to bury the totem.  If you are successful, you win!  If you run out of cards, or if your health hits zero, you lose.

And that's it.  Read more at BGG, and expect to pay NOTHING!  It's a freebie, you can get the file from the link provided earlier.  You can also download a computer application (Zombie in my PC) from this site to play on your computer without using printer ink.  And, in the interest of completeness, here's the published version.

Due to a death in the family and looming school commitments, I'm not sure when I'll get to my next series.  But it's coming, I promise.  Happy gaming!