In 2001, Zombies!!! first challenged players to beat their fellow survivors to the helipad and escape to live another day. Along the way, they’d have to avoid (or kill) zombies, find a few more bullets for their ever-present gun, loot some stores, and suffer the “help” of their fellow players. In 2017, players can engage in the ultimate zombies experience with the Zombies!!! Ultimate Collector’s Box. A wise man once asked, “What’s in the box?” — and we’re here this month to answer that question and perhaps a few more. So, grab that chainsaw and your last three bullets, because it’s time to run for the helipad one more time.

The original Zombies!!! is an innovative, tile-based miniatures game where players search for and attempt to reach a point of escape in the midst of ever-increasing waves of zombies. This can vary depending on the map, but the classic goal is a helipad that will take your character to safety, maybe even to the mall!

Players begin the game with three bullets for their trusty sidearm and three hearts to represent their hit points. Each turn, players draw and play a map tile, revealing more of whatever area their poor survivors are currently trying to escape. There are numerous locations featured in the game, from everyday small towns, to military bases and, of course, the mall. You might outrun the zombie horde, but you’ll never escape the mall!

Tiles add more zombies and, possibly, useful items to the map. You then roll a die twice, once to move your survivor and another to guide the zombies. When you enter a square with zombies in it, you must fight! You have a 50% chance to win a combat with a zombie. If you fail, you can either use some of your precious bullets, or lose one of your hearts and start the whole process again next round.

In addition to the original, competitive game, the Ultimate Collector’s Box also features cooperative play, where players must get everyone to the helipad, team play where players split into groups and one must get everyone on their team to the helipad, and even scenario play, where the players fulfill additional conditions before reaching the helipad. For example, a player might have to locate and rescue survivors. One of the scenarios even puts a player in control of the zombies, with the task of making sure no one makes it to the helipad — alive. The rest of the players, of course, are attempting to escape as normal.

Since its original release, Zombies!!! has seen a tremendous level of support. The Ultimate Collector’s Box is packed with 16 expansions, plus the Deadtime Stories supplement. It’s a truly massive amount of material you couldn’t say in one breath without passing out. Seriously, don’t try, you’ll fall, hit your head, and wake up in the hospital with your wife, son, and best friend gone, and the zombie apocalypse in full swing. No wait, that’s that other zombie apocalypse.

Anyway, here’s a (not so) brief list of what’s included: Zombies!!! Third Edition, Deadtime Stores, Zombies!!! 2: Zombie Corps(e), Zombies!!! 3: Mall Walkers, Zombies!!! 3.5: Not Dead Yet, Zombies!!! 4: The End, Zombies!!! 5: School’s Out Forever, Zombies!!! 6: Six Feet Under, Zombies!!! 6.66: Fill in the _____!!!, Zombies!!! 7: Send in the Clowns, Zombies!!! 8: Jailbreak, Zombies!!! 9: Ashes to Ashes, Zombies!!! X: Feeding the Addiction, Zombies!!! 11: Death Inc., Zombies!!! 12: Zombie Zoo, Zombies!!! 13: DEFCON Z, Zombies!!! 14: Space Bites, Zombies!!! 15: Another One Bites the Dust, Bag O’ Bullets, Bag O’ Hearts, and finally The Official Zombies!!! Board Game Soundtrack from Midnight Syndicate. As if that weren’t enough, the Ultimate Collector’s Box contains hundreds of miniatures, including hordes of zombies, with a handful of humans, dogs, clowns, kids, and office workers tossed into the mix.

About the Zombies!!! Ultimate Collector’s Box: The Zombies!!! Ultimate Collector’s Box was designed by Kerry and Todd Breitenstein for 2-6 players ages 12 and up. Game times vary extensively based on which expansions you add to your base game.