# Zombicide: 2nd Edition

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2021
- **BGG Rating**: 7.9
- **BGG Rank**: #501
- **Players**: 1-6 (Best with: 3)
- **Duration**: 60 min
- **Weight**: 2.38 / 5
- **Designers**: Jean-Baptiste Lullien, Nicolas Raoult, Raphaël Guiton
- **Artists**: Édouard Guiton, Eric Nouhaut, Thierry Masson
- **Publishers**: CMON Global Limited, Guillotine Games, ADC Blackfire Entertainment, BoardM Factory, Delta Vision Publishing, Edge Entertainment, Galápagos Jogos, Geekach LLC, Hobby World, Portal Games, YOKA Games
- **Categories**: Fighting, Horror, Miniatures, Science Fiction, Zombies
- **Mechanics**: Action Points, Cooperative Game, Dice Rolling, Modular Board, Multiple Maps, Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game, Variable Player Powers

## Verdict
If your group likes loud cooperation, chunky miniatures, and zombies arriving in deeply unreasonable numbers, Zombicide: 2nd Edition lands beautifully. It is fast, cinematic, and much more polished than the original release.Very accessible cooperative actionGreat miniatures and table presenceVaried modular scenario setupsCleaner rules and pacingDice luck matters a lotQuarterbacking can happenNeeds plenty of table spaceHIGHLY RECOMMENDED

## Description
Zombicide: 2nd Edition is that classic zombie-apocalypse fantasy in full “we can fix this together — probably with dice” mode. One to six players take on the roles of survivors in a city overrun by the undead, while the game itself handles the hordes as they spawn, move, and turn even the cleanest plan into a tiny tactical dumpster fire. Your job is to cooperate, grab weapons and gear, complete the scenario objectives, and ideally avoid becoming a walking snack.

The game is built around 25 scenarios connected by a branching story, with modular maps used to create streets, buildings, and infested zones. Each survivor has their own abilities, so the group has to coordinate roles: someone clears a path, someone rushes the objective, someone holds the door — though, let’s be honest, holding doors in zombie games is not exactly a long-term career. Turns are driven by action points, keeping the flow straightforward: spend actions to move, search, open doors, attack, interact, and do whatever heroic or deeply desperate thing the situation demands.

This second edition updates modern Zombicide with cleaner rules and meaningful refinements to areas returning players will recognize, including ranged attack target priority, door interactions, and vehicle rules. It also introduces dark zones, spaces that make zombies harder for survivors to attack and create extra tension in exactly the places you least want surprises. It is a small rules idea with a very practical “oh no” effect at the table.

In play, it delivers accessible cooperative action, plenty of good-looking plastic, and that addictive “just one more mission” loop. The box includes new components and miniatures, including plastic dashboards to manage characters and new child survivors. Players with older Zombicide material can also use parts of their existing collections, which is great news if your shelf already has a small undead population. With a moderate complexity level, this is more about cinematic adventure, group coordination, and dramatic bursts of luck than dry optimization.

## How to Play
Game Objective
Zombicide: Second Edition is a cooperative game where 1 to 6 players take on the role of Survivors fighting against Zombies controlled by the game itself. The theme revolves around intense action, teamwork, and achieving victory against all odds. The objective is to choose a Mission and complete its goal, eliminating as many Zombies as possible along the way. All players win or lose together, and cooperation is key to survival and victory.

Setup
To set up the game, follow the steps below:

  Choose a Mission.
  Position the tiles as indicated in the Mission.
  Place the Spawn Zones, tokens, and miniatures as indicated by the Mission and tiles.
  Select the Survivors and distribute them among the players.
  Each player takes a Survivor Dashboard, places the Survivor's ID Card on it, and attaches the miniature to a colored base.
  Separate the card decks (Starting Equipment, Equipment, Special Weapons, Zombies, and Abominations) and shuffle them.
  Distribute the Starting Equipment cards randomly among the Survivors.
  Position the Survivor miniatures in the Starting Zone indicated by the Mission.
  Set up the Survivor Dashboards with the pegs in the starting position.
  The player with the Fire Axe as Starting Equipment will be the first player in the first round.

Refer to the manual for details on this section.

Game Flow
The game is played in a series of Rounds, which follow this structure:

  Player Phase: Players activate their Survivors, performing up to 3 Actions per Survivor.
  Zombie Phase: All Zombies on the board activate, attacking or moving towards Survivors. New Zombies appear in the Spawn Zones.
  End Phase: Remove all Noise Tokens and pass the First Player Token to the player on the left.

Refer to the manual for details on this section.

Actions and How to Play
During the Player Phase, each Survivor can perform up to 3 Actions. Available actions include:

  Move: The Survivor moves to an adjacent Zone, spending 1 additional Action per Zombie in the starting Zone.
  Search: The Survivor can search in building Zones without Zombies, drawing an Equipment card.
  Door Action: Use equipment to open doors.
  Combat: Use melee or ranged weapons to eliminate Zombies.
  Reorganize/Trade: Reorganize inventory or trade items with another Survivor in the same Zone.
  Make Noise: Attract Zombies to the Survivor's Zone.
  Do Nothing: End the turn prematurely.

Refer to the manual for details on this section.

End of Game and Scoring
The game ends immediately when all Mission objectives are met, resulting in victory. The game is lost if a Survivor is eliminated, if Mission objectives can no longer be met, or if a specific defeat condition is met. All players win or lose together.
Refer to the manual for details on this section.

Tips for Winning

  Cooperation is essential: Work as a team to maximize action efficiency and protect each other.
  Control Noise: Use silent actions when possible to avoid attracting too many Zombies.
  Prioritize the most dangerous Zombies: Eliminate Abominations and Fatties first, as they pose the greatest threat.

Refer to the manual for details on this section.

## FAQ
### How many people can play Zombicide: 2nd Edition?
It plays 1 to 6 players. It works solo if you control multiple survivors, and it really shines with a group loudly debating how not to get surrounded.

### How long does a game take?
The listed play time is about 60 minutes, though it can vary depending on the scenario, player count, and how long the table stares at a hallway full of zombies.

### Is it hard to learn?
It has a moderate complexity level, with a BGG weight around 2.4 out of 5. The core flow is easy to grasp, but combat details, line of sight, zombie behavior, and mission rules add some structure.

### Is it fully cooperative?
Yes. Players control survivors together against the game system, which manages zombie spawns, movement, and scenario pressure. The group wins or loses as a team.

### What changed from the original Zombicide?
The second edition streamlines and refines several rules, including ranged attack priority, doors, and vehicles. It also adds dark zones, new components, plastic dashboards, and new miniatures.

### Does it have a campaign?
It includes 25 scenarios connected by a branching story. It is not a heavy legacy-style campaign, but the missions do create a linked narrative structure.

### Who is this game best for?
It is great for players who want cooperative action, dice rolling, miniatures, and zombie-movie chaos. If you dislike luck or prefer tightly controlled strategy, it may feel a bit too wild.

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