Introduction

These are the official "Goucher-Style" Humans vs. Zombies rules as invented by Brad Sappington and Chris Weed of Goucher College in 2005, with a few changes since to make the game more balanced and safe.

We suggest adapting the rules to fit your school - account for what your administration will allow, what will keep your players safe, and what will keep the game from getting out of control. Please make sure that you that you get the word out about your game before you start playing so you don't scare people who aren't expecting it.

If you do modify the rules, please let us know! Send us an e-mail or head over to the community section of the site. (Photo credit: Alexey Tolchinsky).

Overview

Humans vs. Zombies is a game of tag. All players begin as humans, and one is randomly chosen to be the “Original Zombie.” The Original Zombie tags human players and turns them into zombies. The zombies must tag and “feed” on a human every 48 hours or he starves to death and is out of the game.

Objective

The Zombies win when all human players have been tagged and turned into zombies. The Humans win by surviving long enough for all of the zombies to starve.

Safety Rules

Rules created for the safety of all players are strictly enforced. Violation of safety rules will result in a ban from the game.

- No realistic looking weaponry.
- Guns may not be visible inside of academic buildings or jobs on campus.
- Players may not use cars.
- Darts must not hurt on impact. (If you’re not sure about this, fire it at point-blank range into your own eye and see if it hurts. Obviously this is a joke, but you get what what me mean. If you’re still not sure, just speak with a moderator.)

Required Equipment

This gear is required for all players:

- Bandana
- Nerf gun and/or socks
- One 3x5 index card

Safe Zones

Players are safe (cannot be tagged or shot) in the following areas:

- Dorm rooms
- Bathrooms
- Academic buildings
- Library
- SRC
- Health Center
- Dining Halls.

Human Rules

Staying On Campus: Humans must sleep on campus. If you need to leave campus for longer than 24 hours, we apologize, but there are no exceptions.

I.D. Number: Humans must keep one index card with their unique identification number on them at all times.

Stunning a Zombie: Humans may stun a Zombie for 15 minutes by shooting them with a Nerf gun or throwing a sock at them.

When Tagged By a Zombie: Once tagged, a Human is required to distribute their ID card. One hour after being tagged, a Human becomes a member of the Zombie team. Wear your bandana around your head - now you get to eat humans!

Wearing a Headband: Humans must wear a headband around an arm or leg to identify them as players of the game. (This headband will come in handy when you become a zombie!)

Zombie Rules

Feeding: Zombies must feed every 48 hours. A zombie feeds by reporting their kill on the website.

Wearing Your Headband: The Zombie team must wear a bandana around their head at all times. The Original Zombie does not need to wear a headband.

Tagging: A tag is a firm touch to any part of a Human. After tagging a Human the Zombie must collect their ID card. Kills must be reported within three hours.

Getting Shot: When shot with a Nerf gun or hit with a sock a Zombie is stunned for 15 minutes. Stunned zombies must wear their bandanas around their necks until their stun time is over. A stunned zombie may not interact with the game in any way. This includes shielding other zombies from bullets or continuing to run toward a human. If shot while stunned, a zombie remains stunned for the next 15 minutes.

Other Rules

- Shooting non-players with Nerf darts is a bannable offense.

- People who are not registered participants may not directly interact with the game. This includes bringing food to humans or spying for either team.

- A zombie must have both feet outside of a safe zone to tag a human.
Zombies may not use shields to deflect Nerf darts or socks.

- Athletes are safe during official practices, but not on the way to or from practice.

- Similarly, students at required academic events are safe for the duration of the event (even if this event is in a free-play zone), but they are not safe on the way to or from the event.

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