Playing the Munchkin Zombies Game: A Beginner’s Guide

Hey there! Ready to dive into the thrilling world of Munchkin Zombies? Well, you’re in luck because I’m here to guide you through the game rules. Trust me, it’s going to be a wild ride!

Goal of the Game

The goal of Munchkin Zombies is to slash your way through hordes of zombies, level up, and become the ultimate undead killing machine. Sounds pretty awesome, right? To win, you need to reach level 10 before anyone else does. It’s all about survival and defeating your opponents!

Starting the Game

Alright, let’s get this game started! Each player begins with a hand of cards. You’ll have Door Cards and Treasure Cards. The Door Cards represent dangerous situations and monsters you’ll encounter, while the Treasure Cards contain gear and goodies to help you on your quest.

Now, flip over a Door Card and follow its instructions. It might be a monster you have to fight, or maybe a curse you have to overcome. Be careful! If you defeat a monster, you gain a level and grab some treasure. If you fail, well, things might not go so well for you.

Leveling Up

To level up, you need to defeat monsters and collect treasures. As you gain levels, you become stronger and can face even more terrifying foes. You can also use items and spells from your hand to give you an extra edge in battle. Get ready to unleash your inner zombie-slayer!

Combat!

When you encounter a monster, it’s time to fight! You’ll need to compare your combat level to the monster’s level. If you’re stronger, you’ll have a better chance of defeating it. If you’re weaker, well, good luck! But don’t worry, you can always ask your friends for help. Just be prepared to offer them a share of the treasure.

Winning the Game

Victory is sweet and oh-so-satisfying! Reach level 10 before anyone else, and you’ll be crowned the ultimate zombie slayer. But beware, my friend. Your opponents will do anything they can to stop you. Keep your wits about you, use your cards wisely, and claim your well-deserved victory!

So there you have it, the thrilling world of Munchkin Zombies. Are you ready to dive in and unleash your inner zombie-slayer? Grab your cards, gather your friends, and let the undead mayhem begin!

You won’t believe it, but the munchkins are back from the dead! They’ve turned into zombies, and guess what? They level up by chomping on delicious BRAAAIINNNS!

Munchkin Zombies is a spin-off of the original Munchkin game, and you can mix it in with any other Munchkin set or play it on its own (check out the last page for more details).

In this game, most of your enemies are regular people doing their best to avoid becoming zombie snacks. But we still call them “monsters” for consistency with the earlier games. After all, you’re zombies and you don’t know any better!

And those enemies that aren’t regular people? Well, they’re rogue zombies, and they’re just as delicious as the rest.

Components

• 168 cards
• one six-sided die
• Rulebook

Setup

Hey there! Ready to have some fun? This game is for three to six players. Make sure you have 10 tokens for each player. You can use coins, poker chips, or anything that you can count up to 10 with. Alternatively, you can also use any gadget that can keep track of the count for you.

Now, let’s get everything ready. First, divide the cards into two decks – the Door deck and the Treasure deck. Shuffle both decks really well. After that, deal four cards from each deck to every player. Remember, each player gets four cards from each deck.

Card Management

Let’s talk about how to handle your cards in the game. You need to keep separate piles for the cards you discard. However, remember that you can’t look through the discard piles unless you play a card that lets you do so!

If one of the decks runs out of cards, you need to reshuffle the discards for that deck. But here’s the catch: if a deck runs out of cards and there are no discards, nobody can draw any more cards from that deck!

In Play

These are the cards that are currently on the table in front of you. They show your Mojo, Powers (if you have any), and the Items you’re carrying. Some cards, like Continuing Curses, also stay on the table after you play them.

Your Hand

The cards in your hand are not in play. They can’t help you, but they can’t be taken away unless a card specifically affects your hand. Just remember, at the end of your turn, you can’t have more than five cards in your hand.

When Cards Can Be Played: Each type of card can only be played at a specific time. Make sure to check the rules on page 5 to know when you can play each type of card!

When you have cards in play, you can’t simply put them back in your hand. You have to either discard them or trade them with other players if you want to get rid of them.

Creating My Character

So, here’s the deal: we all start off as Level 1 zombies with zero mojo. Yep, it’s a zombie movie, so no one has any special abilities just yet.

Now, take a good look at the eight cards you’ve got in front of you. If you happen to have any Mojo cards, you can choose to play one by placing it right in front of you. Oh, and if you have any usable Items (p. 5), feel free to play them too by putting them in front of you.

And hey, if you’re not quite sure whether you should play a card or not, no worries! You can keep reading below for some guidance, or you can just go ahead and take the plunge. It’s completely up to you!

Beginning and Ending the Game

Alright, now let’s figure out who gets to go first. You can decide in any way that everyone agrees on. Yep, it’s totally up to you. Heh, heh.

Once we’ve settled on who goes first, the game will proceed with each player taking their turns. Each turn has several phases, which we’ll talk about below. When the first player finishes their turn, it’s then the next player’s turn. And this cycle keeps going until the game comes to an end.

So, here’s the deal: the objective of the game is to be the first player to reach 10th level. Seems pretty straightforward, right? Well, there’s a twist. In order to level up, you gotta do some monster slaying. That’s right, taking down these creatures is the key to victory. Unless, of course, you happen to have a card that grants you an alternative path to triumph. So, it’s all about strategizing and seizing those opportunities to come out on top. It’s a game of skill, luck, and a little bit of cleverness. Are you up for the challenge?

Phases of Turning Things Around

Introduction

Have you ever found yourself in a difficult situation without a clear way out? It’s a common experience that can leave you feeling stuck and overwhelmed. But what if I told you there are specific phases you can go through to turn things around?

Phase 1: Assessment

The first step in making a change is understanding where you currently stand: What is the problem? What are the root causes? What are the consequences of staying in this situation? By asking yourself these questions, you can gain clarity and start developing a plan.

Phase 2: Planning

Once you have assessed the situation, it’s time to create a plan of action. Consider your options and make a list of possible solutions: What steps can you take to improve the situation? What resources do you have? By brainstorming and organizing your ideas, you can develop a roadmap for change.

Phase 3: Action

Now it’s time to put your plan into motion. This phase requires commitment and perseverance: You may face obstacles and setbacks, but staying focused and determined will help you overcome them. Take the necessary steps to implement your plan and make the changes you need.

Phase 4: Evaluation

After taking action, it’s crucial to assess your progress and adjust your course if necessary. Ask yourself: Are things improving? Are there any unexpected challenges? By regularly evaluating your situation, you can make informed decisions and optimize your path to success.

Conclusion

Turning things around is not an overnight process, but it is possible. By going through these phases of assessment, planning, action, and evaluation, you can regain control of your situation and create positive change. Remember, it’s not about the size of the steps you take, but the direction in which you are headed. So, take that first step, and let the journey begin!

When it’s my turn to play, I have a few options. First, I can play cards or move items between my “in use” and “carried” piles. I can also trade items with other players or sell items for levels. Once I’ve arranged my cards the way I want, I move on to phase 1.

In phase 1, I kick open the door by drawing a card from the Door deck. If it’s a monster, I have to fight it. I resolve the combat completely before proceeding. If I defeat the monster, I level up and collect Treasures based on the monster’s strength. If I draw a Curse card, it immediately affects me and is discarded. For any other card, I can either add it to my hand or play it right away.

1. Kick Open The Door: Draw one card from the Door deck and turn it face up. If it’s a monster, you must fight it. See Combat. Resolve the combat completely before you go on. If you kill it, go up a level (or two, for some especially nasty monsters!) and take the appropriate number of Treasures. If the card is a Curse – see Curses – it applies to you immediately (if it can) and is discarded. If you draw any other card, you may either put it in your hand or play it immediately.

When I open a door in the game, there are a couple of things I can do. First, if I didn’t draw a monster, I have the option to play a monster card from my hand and fight it. I have to make sure that I can handle the monster before I decide to fight it. If I’m not confident, I can always ask for help.

Another option I have is to loot the room. This happens when I don’t find a monster and I didn’t choose to fight one. I get to draw a second card from the door deck and keep it in my hand. However, if I encounter a monster but decide to run away, I don’t get the chance to loot the room.

• Charity: If I have more than five cards in my hand, I have to play enough of them to get down to five, or give the extra cards to the player with the lowest Level. If players are tied for the lowest Level, I’ll divide the cards as evenly as possible, but it’s up to me to decide who gets the bigger set(s) of leftovers. If I am the lowest or tied for lowest, I just need to discard the extra cards.

Now it’s the next player’s turn.

Combat

To fight a monster, I need to compare its combat strength to mine. My combat strength is calculated by adding up my Level and all the positive or negative modifiers given by items and other cards.

If the monster’s combat strength is equal to yours, or greater, you lose the combat and have to Run Away – see below. But if your combat strength is higher than the monster’s, you defeat it and level up (for some big monsters, you level up twice). You’ll also collect the number of Treasures shown on the monster’s card.

Sometimes you can find a way to get rid of the monster without killing it. This counts as a “win”, but you don’t gain a level.

Depending on the card, you might not even get the treasure. Some monsters have special powers that give them an advantage in combat – like a bonus against certain types of Mojo or Power. It’s important to check these powers before battling.

There are also one-shot cards (the ones that say “Usable once only”) that you can play directly from your hand during combat. You can even use one-shot Items that were already on the table. Remember to discard these cards after the battle, whether you win or lose.

When I play Door cards during a combat, some of them can be monster enhancers.

While I am in a fight, there are a few things I can’t do. I can’t sell, steal, equip, unequip, or trade items. I also can’t play Items from my hand, except for one-shots. Once I reveal a monster card, I have to deal with it using the equipment I have, along with any one-shot items I want to use.

I discard the monster card, along with any enhancers and one-shot cards I played, and then I draw some treasure (see below). However, it’s important to remember that someone might play a hostile card on me or use a special power just when I think I’ve won.

After I defeat a monster, I have to wait for a reasonable amount of time, which is about 2.6 seconds, to see if anyone else has anything to say. Once that time is up, I have officially defeated the monster and I get to claim the level(s) and treasure, even if others still complain or argue.

Fighting Multiple Monsters

Hey there! Ever heard of cards that let your opponents bring more monsters into a fight? Yep, Wandering Monsters is one such card. When this happens, you gotta take on all the monsters together, combining their strengths.

Now, sometimes you might have cards that can specifically take out one monster from the pack and fight the rest normally. But here’s the catch – you can’t just choose to fight one and run away from the others. It’s all or nothing, my friend. So, if you use a card to eliminate one monster and then decide to run away from the others, you won’t get any shiny treasures as a reward. Bummer, right?

Need a Hand?

If you can’t win a fight by yourself, you can ask another player for assistance. If they refuse, you can ask someone else, and so on, until everyone turns you down or someone agrees to help you.

Only one player can help you by adding their combat strength to yours. However, anyone can play cards to affect your combat!

You might need to bribe someone to get their help. In fact, it’s likely that you will. You can offer the person helping you any Items that you currently have or any number of Treasure cards that the monster possesses.

If you choose to give them a share of the monster’s treasure, you need to discuss whether they pick first or you do, or come to another agreement.

When you receive help from a monster against another monster, the special abilities or vulnerabilities of both monsters come into play. This means that if the monster helping you has a special ability or vulnerability, it applies to you as well. For example, if you are not a Voodoo Zombie and a Voodoo Zombie helps you against the Nun, the Nun’s combat strength is reduced by 2.

On the other hand, if you are facing the Tax Man and a Voodoo Zombie helps you, the Tax Man’s combat strength is increased by 5. So, depending on the situation, receiving help from a monster can either make the fight easier or more difficult.

If your helper successfully helps you defeat the monster, the monster is slain. You then discard it and draw a treasure card. Additionally, you must follow any special instructions on the monster card. For each slain monster, you go up a level. However, your helper does not go up a level.

It is important to note that even if it was your helper’s special ability that defeated the monster, you are the one who draws the treasure cards. So, you still benefit from the victory.

Interfering with Combat

• One way to help a friend is by using a one-shot card. You can choose to throw a one-shot at your friend’s opponent, but be careful, as it might accidentally hit your friend too.
• You can modify a monster by playing a card. These cards usually make a monster stronger and reward it with more treasure. You can play these cards during your own combat or during someone else’s.
• If you have a Wandering Monster card, you can play it along with a monster from your hand to join any ongoing combat.
• If you have a Curse card, you can use it to curse your opponents.

Running Away

When you find yourself in a situation where nobody is willing to assist you, or when someone tries to help but your comrades intervene, preventing the two of you from defeating the adversary, there’s only one option left – you have to run away.

Should you decide to flee, you won’t gain any levels or treasure. You won’t even have the chance to search the room for loot. And to make matters worse, you might not always escape unscathed

Here’s what you need to do: roll the die. You’ll only successfully escape if you roll a 5 or higher. Certain items or abilities can make running away easier or more difficult. Furthermore, some monsters are faster or slower, and they can either penalize or offer a bonus to your escape roll.

If you manage to escape, the monster is discarded. However, you won’t receive any treasure for your efforts. Generally, there are no negative effects after a successful escape…but be sure to read the card, as some monsters can still inflict harm even if you manage to evade them!

However, if the monster catches up to you, it will subject you to its Bad Stuff, as stated on its card. This can range from losing an item to losing one or more levels, or even facing immediate defeat.

If me and another player join forces but can’t beat the monster(s), we both have to run away. We roll the dice separately. The monster(s) can catch both of us.

When trying to escape from multiple monsters, I have to roll the dice separately for each one. I can choose the order. If a monster catches me, I have to suffer the consequences right away.

I have to discard the monster(s) after fleeing.

Now, let’s talk about death. If I die, I lose everything I had, except for my Mojo(s), Power(s), and Level. Any curses that were affecting me before I died stay with me. If I had Double Mojo, I get to keep it. My new character will look exactly like my old one.

Looting The Body: When you die in the game, place your hand next to the cards you had in play. Each player, starting with the one with the highest Level, can choose one card from your hand. If there is a tie, roll a die to determine who gets the card. If your character has no cards left, tough luck! Any remaining cards are discarded.

Once you’re dead, you can’t receive any cards, not even through Charity, and you can’t level up.

When the next player starts their turn, your new character appears and can join in combat to help others. However, you don’t have any cards at this point.

On your next turn, you begin by drawing four cards from each deck and placing them face-down. You can then play any legal Mojo, Power, or Item cards that you want, just like when you first started the game. After that, you continue with your turn as usual.

Treasure

When I defeat a monster, whether by killing it or using a card to eliminate it, I receive its Treasure. Every monster has a number on the bottom of its card that represents its Treasure value.

I draw the same number of treasures as indicated on the monster’s card. If I defeated the monster alone, I draw the treasures face-down. If someone helped me, I draw them face-up so that the entire party can see what I got.

Once I obtain treasure cards, I have the option to play them immediately. Item cards can be placed in front of me for later use. “Go Up a Level” cards can be used right away, and I have the freedom to play them on any player at any given time.

Character Stats

Imagine you create a character by equipping them with weapons, armor, and magic items. This character has three important stats: Level, Mojo, and Powers. Let’s say you have a character who is a 9th-level Fast Stealthy Atomic Zombie with Glowing Talons and a Shopping Cart.

Level: This stat measures how strong and impressive you are. Whenever the rules or cards mention your Level, they are referring to this number written with a capital L.

You can increase your Level by defeating monsters or by following instructions on certain cards. You also have the option to sell items you have and use the gold to increase your Level (check out the Items section for more details).

When you play a card that says you lose a level, it means you go down one level. But don’t worry, your level can never go below 1. However, your combat strength can become negative if you are hit with a Curse or some other type of penalty.

Your Special Zombie Powers

Your “Mojo” is what gives you special zombie abilities. There are three types of zombies: Atomic, Plague, and Voodoo. If you don’t have a Mojo card in front of you, you’re just a regular, boring zombie.

Each Mojo has its own unique abilities, which are shown on the cards. As soon as you play a Mojo card in front of you, you gain the abilities of that Mojo. However, you will lose those abilities as soon as you get rid of that card. Some Mojo abilities can be activated by discarding cards. You can discard any card that you have in play or in your hand to activate a special ability. Take a look at the Mojo cards to see when you can use these abilities.

If you ever feel like you don’t want to be a Plague Zombie anymore, you have the power to discard a Mojo card at any time, even during a battle. It’s simple, just say “I don’t wanna be a Plague Zombie anymore” and discard the card. However, when you discard a Mojo card, you become a regular zombie until you play another Mojo card.

Remember, you can only belong to one Mojo at a time, unless you play the Double Mojo card. And don’t try to have two copies of the same Mojo card in play, it’s not allowed.

Powers

In the world of Munchkin Zombies, there are six terrible undead abilities, and you can find 15 cards for each ability. When you play a Power card in front of you, you immediately gain its advantages. However, be aware that you will lose these advantages as soon as you lose or discard the card.

Each Power in Munchkin Zombies is ranked as 2, 3, or 4. As long as the total Rank of your Powers doesn’t go over your Level, you can have as many Powers as you want. But keep in mind that starting zombies cannot have any Powers, as there are no Rank 1 Powers in this game.

Hey there! Powers in this game are just like Mojos. You can’t trade them with other players, but you can play a Power card from your hand at any time as long as you have the legal ability to use it. It’s important to note that you can only play Powers that you’re actually allowed to use.

Now, here’s a catch. If your Level drops below the total Rank of your Powers, you’ll need to get rid of some Powers from your collection so that the total Rank of the remaining Powers is once again equal to or lower than your Level.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, duplicate Power cards won’t give you any extra advantages. When you bite the dust, you get to keep all the Powers you had in play, along with your trusty Mojo. Some Powers may require you to discard cards in order to use them, but don’t worry—you can discard any card, whether it’s in play or in your hand, to power a Power.

Items

Hey there! Let me tell you all about Item cards. They’re pretty cool! Each Item card has a name, a size, and a value in Gold Pieces. But wait, there’s more! Each Item is also good for something. It can give you a combat bonus, a special ability, or even both. How awesome is that?

Now, here’s the thing. An Item card in your hand doesn’t count until you play it. Once you play it, it’s “carried”. You can carry any number of small Items, but only one Big item. Anything that’s not specifically designated as Big is considered small. So keep that in mind!

If you have something that lets you have more than one Big item, like the StrongPower, but you lose that ability, you gotta fix it pronto. Otherwise, you’ll have to get rid of all but one Big item. No cheating allowed!

Okay, so if it’s your turn and you’re not in combat, you have the option to sell any excess Big items. That’s pretty sweet, right? But there’s a catch. You can only sell them if you have at least 1,000 Gold Pieces worth of items to sell. If you don’t meet that requirement, tough luck! You gotta give those Big items away to the lowest-Level player(s) who can carry them. Sharing is caring! And if there are still any Big items left over after all that, you gotta toss ’em in the discard pile. Farewell, dear items.

Hey there! Did you know that when you’re playing this game, you can only wear one headgear, one suit of armor, one pair of footgear, and two “1 Hand” items (or one “2 Hands” item)? Pretty cool, huh? But wait, there’s more! Unless you have a card that lets you ignore these limits, you’ll need to choose wisely. For example, if you happen to have two headgear cards, only one of them can actually help you. Tough choices, right?

Hey there! Let me fill you in on a few important things about the game. If you have any extras or items that can’t be of any help to you, just turn those cards sideways. Remember, you can’t switch out your used or carried items during a fight or when you’re trying to run away.

Now, you can’t just toss away your item cards randomly. You can do a few things with them though. You can sell them to gain a level or give an item to someone else if they want it. You can also discard them to power up certain mojo abilities and powers. Oh, and there’s also curses that might make you get rid of something!

Trading is another nifty feature. You can trade items with other players, but you can only trade items that are out on the table, not the ones from your hand. Trade whenever you want, except during combat. Actually, the best time to trade is when it’s not your turn. If you receive an item in a trade, you have to put it into play; you can’t sell it until it’s your turn.

Hey there! Did you know that you can give items to other players in the game, even without receiving anything in return? It’s a clever way to persuade your fellow players to help you out, like saying, “I’ll give you my Arm and a Leg if you won’t help Bob fight the Action Hero!” And guess what? You’re allowed to show your hand to others. Sneaky, right?

Now, let’s talk about selling items for levels. Here’s the deal: during your turn, you have the option to discard items that are worth at least 1,000 Gold Pieces and instantly level up. Pretty cool, huh? Let’s say you have 1,100 Gold Pieces worth of items to sell – you won’t get any change, but you’ll go up one level. But wait, it gets even better! If you manage to sell items worth 2,000 Gold Pieces, you can jump up two levels at once. The higher, the better, right? Oh, one important thing: you can’t sell items to reach Level 10. Just keep that in mind.

Monsters

When I draw a Monster card face-up during the “Kick Open The Door” phase, it immediately attacks me. It’s like a surprise attack!

If I acquire a Monster card in any other way, like through a door card or a treasure card, it goes into my hand. I can then play it during the “Looking For Trouble” phase and unleash it on another player. Or, if I have the Wandering Monster card, I can play the Monster card on another player even if it’s not my turn.

It’s interesting to note that each Monster card represents a single monster, even if the name on the card is plural. So, for example, if I get a “Zombies” card, it’s actually just one zombie!

Hordes of Zombies

In this set, there are several monsters that are rogue zombies. They are all tagged as Undead. The cool thing is that I can play any Undead monster from my hand into combat to help any other Undead monster. I don’t even need a Wandering Monster card for this. And if I have a card that can make a monster Undead, I can use it with a non-Undead monster and still benefit from this rule.

If you mix Munchkin Zombies with other Munchkin sets, you can add the Undead from those sets to your horde! (Even zombie Clerics from the original Munchkin get extra strength against all Undead monsters).

Monster Enhancers: Boosting and Weakening Monsters

There are certain cards in this game called monster enhancers. These special cards can either increase or decrease the strength of individual monsters. Yup, you read that right – you can even have a negative enhancement! These monster enhancers can be played by anyone at any time during a combat. So, keep ’em handy!

When multiple enhancers are played on a single monster, their effects stack. However, if there are multiple monsters in a combat, the player who plays each enhancer has to decide which monster it applies to. Tough decision, huh? Choose wisely!

Items: Play and Use ‘Em

You can play any Item card to the table as soon as you receive it, or at any time during your turn, as long as you’re not in combat. Of course, there might be some special cards that let you use items during a fight, but let’s forget about those for now.

Using One-Shot Items Like a Pro

Hey, here’s a cool thing about one-shot Items: you can use them during any combat! Whether you have the card in your hand or on the table, these items can boost your chances of winning a fight. Keep in mind that some one-shot Items, like the Wishing Ring, can even be used outside of combat. Sweet, right?

When it comes to playing the game, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Some items you play stay on the table in front of you, even after they have been used. You can keep these items in front of you, even if you can’t use them right now. You just need to turn them sideways to show that they are “carried” but not “in use.” It’s important to note that you can only have one big item in play at a time, unless you have a special power or card that allows you to use more than one.

If you have items turned sideways, you won’t receive any benefits from them. They are just there, waiting to be used.

Other Treasures

There are also other types of treasure cards in the game. These are called “specials.” You can play these cards at any time, unless the card itself says otherwise. Just follow the instructions on the card and then discard it, unless it has a special bonus that lasts for longer.

Curses

If I draw a Curse card face-up during the “Kick Open The Door” phase, it applies to me. It’s like a curse descending upon me just as I thought I had it all figured out.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. You see, Curse cards can be played on ANY player, at ANY time, even if they were drawn face-down or acquired in some other way. Yes, you heard that right – ANYTIME. Imagine the thrill of reducing someone’s abilities when they least expect it, just as they are celebrating their victory over a formidable monster. Talk about fun!

Usually, a Curse takes effect immediately if it can, and then it is discarded. But there are some Curses that bring about penalties later in the game or have a lingering effect. In those cases, you need to hold on to the Curse card until you either get rid of the Curse or the penalty comes into play.

Now, here’s a sneaky move. If someone plays a “your next combat” Curse on you while you are engaged in combat, guess what? It counts in that very same battle! Oh, and by the way, you can’t discard those Curse cards you’re holding onto as a reminder to use your Mojo abilities or Powers. Nice try, but no dice!

And here’s another thing to keep in mind. If a Curse can apply to more than one Item, it’s you – the victim – who gets to decide which Item is lost or Cursed. So make your choice wisely!