Zombie Attack

This was an after-hours program, so we let participants know that the doors would be locked and the event would begin at 6 p.m., when the library closed. We stressed that attendees must arrive before 6 p.m. and instructed them to meet us in a conference room to take attendance and go over team assignments and game rules. 

Once the library closed, two staff members stayed upstairs in the teen/children's area to hide the clues, keys and puzzle pieces for teams to find. These staff members set up the two bases and placed four of the Nerf guns with darts and one first-aid kit in each, and also set up extra supplies/materials at the armory.

Two staff members gathered attendees in the meeting room and created two human teams of nine players each — with one player on each team assigned the role of “scientist” — and one zombie team of 18 players. These staff members then went over the general rules of the game in addition to passing out player-specific instructions and going over details and how to win the game.  (View a more thorough overview of the game under Attachments at right.)

The rules were as follows:

• Zombies occupy the neutral zone. They roam around slowly trying to tag humans while avoiding being shot by Nerf darts.
• Each human team has a home base — two areas on opposite ends of the room — that function as a safe point where zombies may not enter nor tag them.
• The zombie players have brain pictures taped to their badges; they have to give up a brain if they are shot. When they run out, they are out of the game.
• The human players have zombie faces taped to their badges; they have to give up a zombie face if they are tagged. When they run out, they are out of the game.
• Zombie brains can be traded for supplies at the armory (see below).
• Human teams may enter one another’s bases for safety, but they may not use their scientists. 
• Each human team starts with four Nerf guns and one first-aid kit. 
• Each human team gets one "scientist" player who must stay in the base at all times. They are the only players who can open and read the clues. 
• Each human team can work on either mission (see below). 
• To revive a "zombified" human teammate, an active human teammate must bring the first-aid kit drawing and the zombified teammate to the armory or base and turn in the first-aid kit.The revived teammate then gets a “revived” sticker. 
• Spent darts must be left on the floor! Players cannot pick them up for reuse.
• The armory (staff desk) contains:
  • Extra blaster charges (darts); cost is one brain.
  • Extra first-aid kids; cost is three brains. 

Library staff also explained two ways to end the game: 

• Players can collect keys and intel (via the clues) to find and unlock the Fail-Safe Switch, which will shut down the entire lab;
• OR, players can collect intel (via the clues) and supplies in the form of puzzle pieces to create an antidote. 

We had 36 teens sign up and attend. Participants' ages varied from younger teens up to seniors in high school, as we accept grades 6 to 12 for general teen programs. We had mostly male attendees but also a handful of females. We expected there would be some chaos (as you should with teens and Nerf guns), but it got a bit more chaotic than we thought and took some extra effort to keep things in line at times. This would have been helped with additional staff/volunteers. 

Aside from that, the attendees were enthusiastic and upbeat about the game; they seemed to have quite a lot of fun and even suggested tweaks for future runs of the program, which left us considering an event geared toward older teens where we make it a bit spookier with lights lowered and creepy music.

I would definitely run this program again.