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Description
City of Horror is a backstabbing survival-horror game. As in classic zombie movies, a shambling horde is invading the city. The goal is to survive the assault. (Un)fortunately, surviving often means sacrificing some of your fellow players to the undead...
Each player controls several characters with different abilities; these characters can move to various limited-capacity locations, which they can then barricade and scavenge for items and weapons. Critical situations, such as zombies breaking in and eating a character, are resolved using a vote.
The basic game mechanisms are the same as in Mall of Horror (also designed by Nicolas Normandon), but City of Horror differs in both materials and game play in a number of ways: the city map changes each game, twenty characters are included, they can use antidotes (or die), action cards become scarce as the game goes on, you can gain points with stuff other than surviving characters...
Year Published
2012
Featured Videos
Review
5 Zombie Board Games
Playthrough
City of Horror - Gameplay & Discussion
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 5
This page: 5
Sentiment:
pos 4 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–5 of 5
Video zu5v23afSgE
Board Game Replay playthrough at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13801 · mention_pk 40311
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- A fresh take on zombie-themed games by prioritizing survival, negotiation, and social dynamics over pure headcount killing.
- High degree of player interaction and tension, which creates memorable moments and emergent storytelling.
- Significant variety from card interactions, location-specific actions, and the probabilistic element of zombie spawn patterns.
- Strategic depth emerges from resource management, timing of exhausting powerful actions, and careful alliance-building.
- Narrative flavor and thematic coherence (survivor-centered threats) are strong selling points for fans of thematic Euro-style experiences with heavier social mechanics.
Cons
- Learning curve can be steep; the rules and interactions are dense, which can slow early sessions and intimidate new players.
- The game can feel brutal or abrupt, since a single bad vote or miscalculated move may dramatically tilt the outcome against a player.
- Reliance on social manipulation means personality-driven play can significantly skew balance and enjoyment for some players.
- Endgame ramps up quickly, which may shorten play sessions for players who struggle to negotiate effectively under time pressure.
Thematic elements
- Survival, negotiation, betrayal, and social strategy under constant threat from the undead.
- A zombie-infested urban landscape spanning multiple districts; the game unfolds over four hours (four rounds) with the central tension being the protection of survivors and the management of limited resources, all within a collapsing city atmosphere.
- Player-driven, negotiation-rich experience where alliances form and fracture around resource control, with a strong emphasis on managing scarcity and moral hazard.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card-driven economy and currency — Cards serve as currency, enabling exchanges, movement, and actions. The stock of cards in hand influences negotiation leverage and can determine who has the resources to survive a given round.
- Endgame survival objective — The objective is to maximize surviving characters across four rounds while ensuring they remain uninfected by acquiring antidote/syringe tokens and using strategic positioning and alliances to weather zombie threats.
- Invasion and zombie spawning — Invasion cards reveal the map-facing threats and spawn zombies and supplies, altering risk assessments and zone statuses for the upcoming phase.
- Location-based actions and centralized board flow — Actions are location-specific, with certain spaces offering unique effects (e.g., observation from the water tower, church actions, armory options, etc.). The board's central zone sequencing drives the rhythm of play.
- Secret card play and negotiation — Item/action cards can be played in various ways to influence outcomes, including deals with other players (e.g., trading or coercing others to target opponents) and potential trades across multiple turns.
- Secret movement choice — Each player secretly selects a movement card with a location on the board and reveals it simultaneously, driving the round's spatial dynamics and conflict points.
- Special actions exhaustable — Each survivor has a powerful once-per-game action that can be exhausted to shift the game state, typically reducing victory point value if used later. Players weigh whether to exhaust these actions early or save them for late-game leverage.
- Voting — Social mechanics like voting and deal-making create ongoing tension, since alliances are fragile and betrayals are common as players try to preserve their own survivors.
- Voting breakpoints and social risk — Social mechanics like voting and deal-making create ongoing tension, since alliances are fragile and betrayals are common as players try to preserve their own survivors.
- Zombie attack and voting to die — When a space contains a threshold of zombies, a death vote is triggered to determine who dies. The presence of multiple survivors on the same space increases an individual's voting weight, and a tie-breaker (first player) resolves deadlocks.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Survival and negotiation take precedence over zombie-killing in City of Horror.
- Everything is a bargain in this game; it's all about figuring out what's worth what during the negotiations.
- This game is pure player interaction; it's the backbone of the experience.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Rahvf5ESMMo
game_review at 0:15 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 7927 · mention_pk 107085
Click to watch at 0:15 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Richly detailed components and art (e.g., 3D water tower, themed props) that boost immersion
- Tense negotiation and betrayal dynamics create memorable social gameplay
- Experienced mode lets you draft action cards to temper luck
- Tight four-hour structure supports rapid playthroughs and replayability
Cons
- Luck can dominate due to action/invasion card draws, reducing strategic control
- Character elimination and loss of scoring opportunities can feel harsh
- Artwork and character styling can be perceived as sexist by some players
- Rule complexity can be intimidating; beginners may rely on the rulebook for clarity
Thematic elements
- survival, betrayal, social deduction, and time pressure
- Zombie invasion in a city during nighttime, with multiple distinct locations to explore and secure.
- semi-cooperative with shifting loyalties and player-driven bargaining
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action and invasion cards — Action cards provide tools and abilities; invasion cards inject zombie pressure and plot twists.
- Area movement — Double-sided location boards and movement cards drive character placement across the map.
- character traits and unique abilities — Character cards grant individual powers that can alter zombie behavior or movement, contributing to asymmetry.
- location and movement system — Double-sided location boards and movement cards drive character placement across the map.
- location resolution phases — Each hour is broken into subphases (observation, movement, invasion, attack, loot) that drive tempo and drama.
- Resource management — Scarce resources like food and antidotes force tough risk–reward decisions.
- Semi-cooperative — Players must work together to survive, but betrayals are part of the strategy for personal victory.
- semi-cooperative play — Players must work together to survive, but betrayals are part of the strategy for personal victory.
- Voting — During critical moments, players vote to decide who dies or who gains loot.
- voting for casualties and loot — During critical moments, players vote to decide who dies or who gains loot.
- zombie management and combat — Zombies attack locations; players defend and resolve combat through card play and voting.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- City of Horrors is a semi Co-op game where alliances are made betrayed and survival instincts take precedence.
- it's chaotic the pressure mounts and you have to use your diplomatic charms strategy and luck to come out on top in city of Horrors
- the screaming blonde attracts more zombies
- the board and characters are filled with great details right down to the food truck on its side to the 3D water tower
- Strategies include wiping out zombies while blowing the water tower up to kill two of the characters from other players
- there is great detail in the components and the tension of decisions
- the signs may look confusing at first but they're all explained in the rule book
- we give city of Horrors 7.5 out of 10
- hordes of zombies are relentless and the resource scarcity tests your planning
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video L34bVnPDAEM
Actualol game_review at 6:59 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7710 · mention_pk 22771
Click to watch at 6:59 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- strong thematic fit for a negotiation-driven zombie scenario
- rich potential for betrayal and alliance-building
Cons
- some players feel negotiation depth isn't as deep as promised
- social dynamics can overshadow mechanics for some groups
Thematic elements
- Survival through alliances, voting, and strategic positioning within a collapsing city
- Zombie apocalypse in a city with a focus on social negotiation and factional actions
- tense, negotiation-driven with political overtones and betrayal dynamics
Comparison games
- Last Night on Earth
- Zombie Side: Black Plague
- Dead of Winter
- Zombie 15!
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- character abilities and point values — Each survivor has a unique ability and a point value affecting endgame scoring
- crises and resource management — Global crises require timely card contributions and resource decisions
- negotiation and voting — Players form alliances, pool votes, and vote to exile or influence others' fates
- Resource management — Global crises require timely card contributions and resource decisions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Last Night on Earth is the B Movie of zombie board games
- it's a game to be enjoyed for its spectacle not its airtight game design
- the negotiation in city of horror isn't as rich as I'd like
- Dead of Winter is a fmatic masterpiece but not just in its glimpses of storytelling
- if you like the sound of a zombie game with a timed element then you absolutely should check out this game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video _n-_KwavI60
Tabletop Turtle general_discussion at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6606 · mention_pk 19606
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive_but_group_dependent
Pros
- really good game
- unique negotiation mechanics
- interesting theme execution
Cons
- requires specific friend group that can be mean
- very confrontational
- players tend to eliminate host immediately
- requires different social dynamics
Thematic elements
- zombie apocalypse
- survival
- negotiation
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I'm very Cutthroat here - I much rather save budget for a new game, save space for new games
- not all games are forever games - sometimes it's totally okay to buy a game with the expectation of playing it for about five years and then not wanting to play it again
- I can still respect I played a lot of Steam, but I just don't want to play it anymore
- there's so much hate on like oh you can't be like dipping your chosen to miniature games - but as adults there's so much hate on that
- when you own a lot of games there's a lot of rules up here and the tough thing is that when there's so many rules up here you need some games that you teach or play later to be a little intuitive
- the difficulty I have with it is that when I explain it to new players it's tough to explain - each player has a different ruleset
- I think that's one of the first games that if it didn't invent that concept at least popularize it
- if the game is going to warrant me having to do separate explanations for everybody, extra effort - it's got to be really damn good and Vast isn't really damn good
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video vF8ntFKqo4k
Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast top_10_list at 0:23 sentiment: positive
video_pk 328 · mention_pk 961
Click to watch at 0:23 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Unique character dynamics
- Dark humor
Cons
- Potentially uncomfortable theme
Thematic elements
- Survival
- Zombie apocalypse town
- Character-driven survival
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Character elimination — Players decide who to sacrifice to zombies
- player elimination — Players decide who to sacrifice to zombies
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- these are my top five morbidly dark themes in games that make me laugh
- do not play it boring just like you're trying to score points tell the story
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–5 of 5