Selfish: Zombie Edition
Selfish: Zombie Edition Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Game
Each survivor gets a hand of Game Cards containing Supplies Cards and Action Cards.
On your turn, use your cards to move forward through the terrifying zombie-filled wasteland.
The game continues like this until one survivor reaches the chopper. If you reach the chopper first, you get to escape and you're the winner!
Supplies Are Life or Death
During the game, you must do everything you can to preserve your supplies.
If you run out of supplies at any time, you die! Turn over your Survivor Card and reveal your rotting corpse! You can no longer win the game, but carry on playing as a zombie, hell-bent on eating any player that's still alive!
How to Win
You must reach the chopper first and end your turn with at least 1 Supplies Card remaining. You must do this to win, even if you're the last player alive.
If everyone turns into a zombie before one survivor reaches the chopper, all players are doomed to roam the wasteland eating brains forever! If this happens, the zombies win.
Setting Up
- Select a Survivor Card each and line them up horizontally, alive side up as shown below.
- Use the Survival Guide to place the Chopper Card centered at the top of the playing area at the correct distance, as shown below. Remember, reaching the chopper is how you win! You have to travel forward 6 spaces to do this. (Setting the chopper distance: the Chopper Card is placed 6 cards' distance above the line of Survivor Cards; the Survival Guide shows the distance.)
- Remove the dice and the deck of Game Cards (these are green on the back). The Game Card deck contains a mixture of Action Cards and Supplies Cards.
- Deal 1 Double and 4 Single Supplies Cards to each player.
- Shuffle the remaining Game Cards well.
- Deal a further 4 random Game Cards from the deck to each player. This should make a total of 9 cards in each player's hand (keep these secret from the other players). The 9 cards can be a mixture of Supplies and Actions, or just Supplies.
- Place the remaining Game Cards in a draw pile next to the playing area, leaving space for a discard pile. Set the dice aside - you'll need that later.
- Shuffle the deck of Wasteland Cards (these are orange on the back) and place them next to the playing area. Keep another area clear to form the Wasteland Card discard pile.
- Decide which survivor will go first. The oldest player would be a good choice, because they have less time to live anyway!
Follow These Steps to Take Your Turn
Phase 1 - Card Pickup
Pick up a Game Card from the top of the deck and add it to your hand.
Phase 2 - Actions
At this point on your turn, you can play as many Action Cards as you want or you can play none.
If you want to play an Action Card, place it faceup on the Game Card discard pile. You must then follow the instructions on the card to complete the action.
If the Action Card that you play moves you forward, follow the instructions on moving below.
If you've finished playing actions, or choose not to play any, proceed to Phase 3.
Phase 3 - Rest or Travel
From this point on, no more actions can be played!
You must now choose whether you want to remain where you are or travel forward in the wasteland.
If you want to stay where you are, you must place 1 Supplies Card faceup onto the Game Card discard pile.
If this is your last Supplies Card, you die and turn into a zombie (see Playing as a Zombie).
To move forward 1 space, you must place 2 Supplies (either 2 Singles or 1 Double Supplies Card) faceup on the Game Card discard pile. Follow the instructions on moving forward below.
You can do this only once, and it ends your turn.
Play then continues clockwise around the table.
Moving Forward in the Wasteland
Whenever you move forward, you must push your Survivor Card forward 1 card's distance as shown, then take a Wasteland Card from the deck and place it faceup in the space behind you.
You must then follow the instructions on that Wasteland Card. These can be good or bad, and they can be avoided only if you have played an Abandoned Vehicle Action Card.
Remember, you can move multiple times on your turn with the help of Action Cards, but can move only once by discarding supplies during Phase 3, which will end your turn.
Supplies and Actions...
On your turn, you can swap a Double Supplies Card for 2 Singles from the Game Card draw/discard pile.
Running low on Supplies? You can choose to discard 2 Action Cards as if they were 1 Single Supplies Card.
Just the 2 of You?
When playing with 2 players, all rules remain the same, except that you are allowed to play only 1 Action Card in Phase 2 of your turn.
Gambling with Your Life
In Phase 3 of your turn, you are allowed to discard your final 2 Supplies to travel forward in the Wasteland in the hope that your Wasteland Card grants you additional Supplies.
However, if it doesn't, you die and become a zombie.
Playing as a Zombie
If you run out of supplies, or reveal the "You've Been Bitten!" Wasteland Card, your turn is over and you die, turning you into a zombie! You must discard any remaining cards and flip your Survivor Card to show the zombie side. Flip over all Wasteland Cards behind you as well.
From your next turn, your only goal is to eat the other players and turn them into zombies too!
If everyone gets turned into a zombie, the zombies win!
Taking Your Turn as a Zombie
First, roll the dice. This tells you the number of things you can do on your turn; these are called "action points".
If you roll a 0, your turn is over and play moves clockwise - zombies can be slow!
Once you have rolled the dice, you can use action points to do any combination of the following:
Attack (1 action point per attack). You can attack a living player on the same level as you. (A red zombie can attack anyone on its own level.) To attack, pick an applicable target, then take 1 card from their hand at random and place it in the discard pile. You can attack the same player multiple times or attack multiple targets; however, each attack costs 1 action point.
Move (1 action point per move). As a zombie, you can move forward or backward to reach the living players (you don't move sideways). Each level you move costs 1 action point.
To move backward, simply place your Survivor Card on top of the Wasteland Card already behind you. Move forward as normal but place the Wasteland Card facedown behind you. Wasteland Cards have no effect on zombies!
When your action points run out, your turn is over and play moves clockwise.
Wasteland Cards
Blank (12 cards)
No advantage or penalty; just place this card in the space that you have vacated.
Settlement (5 cards)
You find a shelter full of generous and living humans! Pick up a Game Card and add it to your hand.
Shopping Mall (3 cards)
Lucky you - it's a zombie-free shopping mall. Hopefully it's full of supplies! Roll the dice, then pick up that number of Game Cards and add them to your hand.
Secret Passageway (1 card)
Aren't you lucky! Immediately move forward 1 space!
Twisted Ankle (3 cards)
There's never a good time to twist your ankle when zombies are around! Miss a go to recover, and hope you don't get eaten.
Cut Through a Sewer (6 cards)
It's got to be clear in that scary looking sewer, right? Discard 1 Supplies Card to make it through.
Bandits (4 cards)
There are always some unscrupulous types looking to steal your stuff during the apocalypse! Roll the dice, then discard that number of cards from your hand, and probably die...!
Zombies! (4 cards)
This way is full of zombies! If you are holding 6 or more cards in your hand, you must now discard 2 of them to make it through.
You've Been Bitten! (3 cards)
You have been bitten! Immediately discard your cards and flip over your survivor - you're now a zombie!
Your turn is over when you die, therefore you cannot start playing as a zombie until your next turn.
Game Cards - Supplies
Singles (38 cards)
Doubles (10 cards)
Hang on to these, your life depends on them.
Game Cards - Actions
Abandoned Vehicle (4 cards)
Move forward 1 space without discarding any supplies, and ignore the effects on the Wasteland Card (good or bad).
Alliance (4 cards)
Place this card in front of any other living player. If they move forward on their next turn, move your survivor equal to their movement, revealing Wasteland Cards in-turn and following wasteland effects as normal. Discard after their turn.
Body Armor (5 cards) (Hold onto this!)
Play this when you are attacked to block the attack! Discard this card and the attack card. Works on zombies, too!
Horde (3 cards)
Pick another player, discard the Wasteland Card behind them and push them back 1 space. Cannot be played on someone on the starting space.
Rampage (3 cards)
Steal a random card from 2 separate players. If only 1 survivor is available, you can take only 1 card from them.
Scout (4 cards)
Look at the top Wasteland Card of the draw pile and either put it back on top or move it to the bottom of the pile.
Steal Supplies (3 cards)
Steal 2 supplies from your chosen victim.
Underestimate (3 cards) (Hold onto this!)
Use this card to block an attack from another player and immediately use that attack against them (they can block back with a Body Armor card, in which case all cards are discarded with no effect). This does not work on zombies!
Zombie Trap (4 cards)
Pick up the top 3 Wasteland Cards from the draw pile, then replace them in any order.