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Tabletop gaming and comic books have always been popular.
But they both have something in common, they’ve both seen a massive resurgence in popularity over the last few years.
The success of the MCU films has made comic book heroes cool again.
And thanks to celebrities like Superman actor Henry Cavill and Deathstroke actor Joe Manganiello table-top gaming is no longer seen as a hobby just for super-geeks like me.
It’s unsurprising then that we’re starting to see the two being brought together.
Marvel Zombies- a Zombicide game is the latest Kickstarter by CMON, a successful studio, and publisher of tabletop games.
As is so common these days the game is being funded via Kickstarter.
Unsurprisingly it’s been a huge success. At the time of writing the campaign has only 4 hours left to go and is sitting at just over $7.5million in pledges and 24,000 backers.
Not bad since the original goal was a much more modest $500,000.
By over-pledging by such a massive amount backers have unlocked a whole host of extra heroes (and their models) to play with
So far the game only has one stretch goal left and it looks likely that it will pass this just before closing.
Most of the characters are currently exclusive to Kickstarter backers while any extra stock will be sold through conventions and hobby stores.
After the Kickstarter closes backers will still have quite the wait.
The core game will be released to backers around October 2022, whilst the expansions (which we’ll detail later in the article) will release in mid-June 2023.
Who is CMON?
So who is CMON?
CMON has some pretty major tabletop gaming chops.
The company began in 2001 as CoolMiniorNot.com and started life as a website where people could submit pictures of their miniatures and have them rated by the community.
In 2011 the company shifted gears and entered the board and tabletop market.
They have released a ton of games since then, many of them well-received.
Standout releases include Zombicide, Blood Rage, A song of Ice and Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game, Rising Sun, and many more.
Over on Kickstarter, they have 50 projects created and 61 backed, not bad!
What is Marvel Zombies- Zombicide
The game is based on the comic book series that originally launched in 2005 and is still in publication today.
If you haven’t read the books, don’t worry the premise is simple.
In an alternate universe, a zombie virus begins to spread until it has infected nearly all of Earth’s mightiest heroes.
The superpowered zombies cause pretty much all life on earth to become extinct. They then eat Galactus and begin to spread to other universes.
The game itself is based upon CMON’s hit game Zombicide, but with a superhero twist.
This is a co-op game for 1-6 players where players must work together to take down a relentless enemy controlled by a simple AI.
Base Game-Zombie Mode
The base game comes with Zombie Mode.
Players play as Zombie heroes who each have their own unique skills.
Heroes can be further powered up by using the 45 traits cards. These are single-use cards that give various boosts to zombie skills.
The objective is usually to eat bystanders. Devouring them gives your character a permanent unique ability. These bystanders are supporting characters from the books like Mary Jane Watson and Aunt May.
As you play your Hunger increases each round which makes your characters stronger. However, if they become too Ravenous they begin to lose control and will take damage.
Players must keep devouring bystanders to keep their hunger in check.
Opposition comes in the form of shield agents who spawn in each round in increasing numbers. Different types of agents take different strategies to take down.
Finally, the ultimate challenge is the 6 living superheroes who can spawn in to make your unlife hell.
The more powerful the players become the more enemies that spawn in.
X-Men Resistance- Hero Mode
The expansion, X-Men resistance is the reverse.
This time players play as the X-Men and the goal is to save bystanders and take down the zombie hordes and Zombie superheroes.
Whilst the base game is played on a module New York map, Resistance is set at the X-Mansion.
Galactus the Devourer
The third expansion is Galactus the Devourer.
Here players are either zombies or living heroes and work to either devour or defeat Galactus as he slowly destroys the game tiles.
This expansion comes with a gorgeous and huge Galactus game piece that sits in the center of the board.
Verdict
What you think of Marvel Zombies-A Zombicide Game is probably dependent on how you feel about both Zombies and superheroes.
If you feel that superheroes are over-exposed right now and you’re experiencing Marvel fatigue then this probably isn’t the game for you.
One of the coolest parts of this game is how they’ve brought the awesome original art by Marco Checchetto to life. If you don’t like comic books this is likely to be lost on you.
Likewise, the game is full of cool easter eggs and nods to the comic books.
If you’re not a comic book geek like me these will likely go straight over your head.
For my fellow comic book and zombie geeks, I highly recommend this game.
I was already a fan of the original Zombicde and this version and its expansions build on that original game in fun ways.
With its varied missions and modular map tile system, you and your friends can keep replying as long as you like.
The game and its expansions might look a little pricey but the gorgeous and well-made figurines are well worth the cost of entry alone.
