Bowling for Zombies!!! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Cards
• Basic Game
  • Set-Up
  • Game Play
    • Drawing Lane Cards
    • Choose Necromancer Zombie Cards
    • Reveal Cards and Resolve
    • When the Lane Runs Empty
    • Discard Cards
  • End of Game
  • Example of Play
• Variants
  • Two Player Game
  • High and Low
  • Poker
  • Black Jack

Contents

Necromancer Zombie Cards: 13 for each player (Zombies 0-9, Head, Leg, Arm). Each set has a different border color.

Bowling Lane Cards: 40 (two x 1 and 9, three x 2 and 8, five x 3 and 7, six x 4 and 6 and eight x 5 pins)

Cards

Lane Cards – Each Lane card shows the number of pins that have been knocked down.

Zombie Cards – Each Zombie card shows the strength of the Zombie.

Body Parts

• Head – The Head of the Zombie falls off and rolls down the lane. The Necromancer receives two Lane cards, but the combined value cannot be greater than 9. Discard Head card after use.
• Leg – The Zombies leg falls off and is replaced with a bowling pin. The Necromancer puts this card into any opposing Necromancer's score pile. Its scoring value is -1.
• Hand – The Zombies hand rips off when he goes to release the ball. The ball then jumps to another Lane. Both Lanes are then unusable for this turn as they are blocked. Note: In addition to taking one Lane card, the Necromancer may also remove one Lane card from those available this turn. Discard Hand card after use.

Note: the printed contents list names the third body part card "Arm", while the Body Parts section, the Round 2 example and the Two Player variant name it "Hand"; the rules text is transcribed as printed.

Basic Game

Goal of the Game: The basic game is played over 10 rounds with Necromancers trying to "knock down" as many pins as possible each round. Whoever has the most pins (highest score) at the end of the game wins.

Set-Up

1. Shuffle the Lane cards and put them face down on the table as a draw pile.
2. Each Necromancer chooses one set of Necromancer Zombie cards to make up their starting hand. Any unused sets of NZ cards are returned to the box.

Game Play

The game lasts for a total of 10 rounds. Each round consists of four steps:

1. Draw Lane cards and place them face up.
2. Secretly choose Necromancer Zombie cards.
3. Reveal cards and resolve.
4. Discard cards.

Drawing Lane Cards

At the beginning of each round, draw a number of Lane cards equal to the number of Necromancers minus one. Place these cards face up in the middle of the table.

Example: If there are four Necromancers, draw 3 cards and place them face up.

Choose Necromancer Zombie Cards

Each Necromancer secretly chooses one of the cards from their hand and places it face down in front of them. Necromancer Zombie Card values determine the play order during the round.

If the Necromancer so wishes, they may play an additional Body Part Card face down either below or above their Necromancer Zombie Card. The effect of this card (see above) will only trigger if it is played above the Necromancer Zombie Card. It can be played below the Necromancer Zombie Card to bluff or confuse your opponent. When playing 2 cards put one on top of the other slightly spread so opponent Necromancers can see them.

Reveal Cards and Resolve

When every Necromancer has chosen their cards, all cards on the table are revealed. All played Zombies are now wrestling with each other and trying to get to the Lanes.

Process the following conditions in order:

1. If there any Body Part Cards played beneath a Necromancer Zombie card - Those cards are immediately returned to their owners Hand.
2. If two or more zombies of equal strength are present – They rip each other apart and the body parts knock over a number of pins equal to their value. Put the Zombies into their owner's score pile. Body part cards are returned to their owner's hand.
3. The strongest of the remaining Zombies – Of the remaining Necromancer Zombie Cards (after equal strength cards have been returned to their owners) the strongest Zombie (ie the one with the highest number) grew hungry during the fight and instead of bowling it wandered off to eat the tasty brains of other bowlers. The Necromancer who played this card does not get any Lane cards this turn. If they played a Body Part Card, it is returned to their hand.
4. The remaining Zombies – Of the Necromancer Zombie cards remaining, starting with the highest number and proceeding in descending order, the Zombies Necromancer chooses one of the Lane cards from the table and adds it to their score pile.

Note: As the Necromancers choose their Lane cards if they played a Body Part Card on top of their zombie, this card will activate now, even if it has no effect (which might happen if a Head or Arm is played and there is only one Lane card left).

When the Lane Runs Empty

If the Lane runs empty before all Necromancers have had the chance to take their turn – sorry about your luck. They don't get any score cards this turn. The Zombie had just thrown the ball into the gutter. If you played a Body Part Card on top of your zombie and do not get a card, you still use that body part (in case of a Leg, the effect is still used).

Discard Cards

Every Zombie on the table after resolving the round is clubbed to death by the remaining bowlers using an assortment of bowling balls, pins, etc. (discard the Zombie cards).

Unscored Lanes (Lane Cards still on the table) are being restocked while the Necromancers prepare for the next round (discard all remaining Lane cards).

End of Game

The game lasts for a total of 10 rounds. After the last round, each Necromancer tallies their score pile. Lane cards and Zombies are each worth their face value.

The Necromancer with the highest total of points wins the game. In case of a tie, the Necromancer with the highest number of Body Part Cards left in their hand wins. If there is still a tie, the Necromancer with the highest value card (Zombie or Lane card) in his score pile wins.

Example of Play

Svipdag, Skuld, H.P. and Sauron are playing "Bowling for Zombies!!!."

Round 1

Three Lane Cards are revealed: 2, 2 and 4. Each player now decides which Zombies and Body Parts to play:

Svipdag sees that this is a rather low draw, so he decides to use his 0. Skuld, who wants to get as many points as fast as possible just goes with the big number 9, hoping that someone else does the same. H.P. and Sauron both play the 5, Sauron with the Head, H.P. With no Body Part card. HP's and Sauron's Zombies now kill each other in a spray of body parts and blood, each knocking over 5 pins doing that. Both players put their Zombie in their score pile. Sauron takes the head back into his hand since it wasn't used.

Skuld realizes that the zombie 9 wasn't the best choice since it is the strongest Zombie now and so it wanders off to eat some brains. She doesn't score any points.

Svipdag, with his 0-Zombie, has the sole remaining zombie, so the surprised weakling runs towards the Lanes and takes down 4 pins. Svipdag takes the Lane Card 4 and puts it into his score pile.

Now the unclaimed Lane Cards 1 and 2 are discarded, as well as Svipdags Zombie.

Round 2

Three new Lane Cards are drawn: 8, 8 and 1.

Svipdag realizes that a lot of 5s are gone and that being someone in the middle right now seems to be a good choice, so he plays his 5 and Head Body Part Card. Skuld still wants to be aggressive, but this time not too aggressive, so she plays 7 and the Hand Body Part Card. Sauron hopes that someone else had seen how to get zombies home the last round and plays 9. H.P. just thinks that it is time to play some low card since the other people will kill each other like last turn anyways, so he plays 3.

Sauron is out of luck and his Zombie is the strongest Zombie. So it wanders off to feast (is discarded). The highest remaining Zombie is Skuld's 7. While bowling, it loses its hand and hits a different lane. There it knocks over 8 pins. Now one lane is empty and another one (the second 8) is blocked (discarded) by the body of Skuld's Zombie.

Svipdag, who hoped to get an 8 and the 1 with his head now just gets the 1 and has wasted his head without effect. H.P. is completely out of luck since there are no more available cards, so he doesn't get any points.

Scoring example

If the game would end right now, the scores would be: Svipdag: 5 (4+1), Skuld: 8, H.P. and Sauron: 5 each, so Skuld would win, HP and Sauron would both be second and Svipdag would be last since he has one fewer body part remaining in his Hand then HP and Sauron.

Variants

Two Player Game

When each player takes a set of Necromancer cards, shuffle and place a phantom hand (Zombies 0-9 without the arm, leg and head cards) face down on the table. When each player reveals their zombie cards, flip the top card of the phantom hand on the table and process the results as if there was a third player.

High and Low

Pencil and paper are needed. Choose one person to keep score. Played for only 6 Rounds and does not use a score pile.

You are using three Rounds to form a three digit number. After scoring the round (# on the lane or Zombie - whichever is scored), immediately assign your score to one of the three digit positions. That is, in round 1 you have three positions to choose from, in round two, you have two positions to choose from, and the position for the third round is determined in round two.

The first 3 rounds are "High Number": Try to get the highest possible three digit number. After three Rounds, note down your number and discard all score cards. If you get no cards in one or more of these 3 rounds, that is considered a 0 for those rounds.

The second 3 rounds are "Low Number". This time you try to get the lowest possible number out of the digits provided by your scores. If you get no card in one or more of these 3 rounds, that is considered a 9 for those rounds.

If you use the head, you can subtract one of the cards from the other one and thus even get a zero. The Leg card is attached to one lane card and changes the value accordingly. It IS possible to use that power for your own lane card. This is another way to get a zero.

After six rounds, subtract the "Low Number" from the "High Number". The player with the highest result wins the game.

Poker

The game is played for five rounds. You try to get either a straight or multiples. 5 of a kind is highest, than 4 of a kind, full house, straight, 3 of a kind, two pairs, 2 of a kind and highest card, as in actual poker. The Leg works like in High and Low. Highest hand wins.

Black Jack

There are 5 turns. Every Necromancer may stop participating any time he wants. The goal is to get as close to 21 as possible, without getting a score of more than 21. In case of a tie, the Necromancer with the fewer cards in his score pile wins (including legs!).