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Game Info
Year
2013
Collection
Ratings
Creator Score
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Description
THE BATTLE FOR FARMINGDALE
States of SiegeTM #9
Arising once again from the grave, from designer Hermann Luttmann and lavishly illustrated by Vinh Ha, arises Dawn of the Zeds Second Edition as you've never seen it before. In this States of Siege™ solitaire game of horror and survival, your strategies will be put to the test. The world has gone crazy – a deadly virus has turned ordinary people into vicious, zombie-like killers. The undead, nicknamed "Zeds," are now converging on your corner of the world. You have been left to your own devices to stop them while the National Guard organizes a relief column and fights its way to you – but that could take days, or even weeks, before they arrive.
At the town of Farmingdale and its surrounding villages, you must coordinate its defenses. Regular citizens may emerge as heroes as you work to halt the Zeds' advances by (re)killing them, discovering and implementing a cure to this vile scourge, and preserving the area and its inhabitants as much as possible. In addition to this madness, the crazy Doctor Marteuse has been working in the underground tunnels and unleashing his uber-deadly Super Zeds, a nasty bunch of beasts that give havoc a whole new name. Bring him to justice, destroy the infectious Zeds, and save your city from peril!
In a game that requires the utmost test of skill and nerve, will you survive long enough? Will you be able to fight hordes of Zeds while protecting the townspeople? Test your heroics and unearth Dawn of the Zeds, a game that will keep you on your toes!
What's New in 2nd Edition:
- Contains a Tutorial Scenario for beginners, in addition to Classic and Walking Zeds Scenarios
- Never before seen cards and counters, including the dreadful Super Zeds
- Three different game lengths to choose from: Short, Standard, and Campaign Game
- Four new Heroes: Wright, Kingman, Wilson, and Carter
- An additional 5th track (the Tunnel Track)
- All new and beautiful artwork
- Bigger cards
- A completely new, two-sided map (for each Scenario)
- Several uniquely-shaped, colorful, laser-cut counters
Game Data:
Number of Players: 1 brave soul (with cooperative multi-player play included)
Ages: 13 and up
Playing Time: Approximately 45-90 minutes
Complexity: 4 on a 9 scale (Intro), 6 on a 9 scale (Advanced)
Solitaire Suitability: 9 on a 9 scale
Scale: Each unit represents a single Hero plus their entourage, dozens of citizens, and hundreds of Zeds.
What's In The Box?:
• One 24-page Rules booklet (Extended Example of Play included)
• 123 thick, two-sided, multi-shaped, laser-cut game pieces
• 100 cards
• One 11” x 17” two-sided color game map
• One two-sided 8.5"x11" Player Aid
• One two-sided 8.5"x11" Player Mat
• One 4-page Quick Play booklet
• One Quick Play Set Up sheet
• Two six-sided 12mm dice
• One 11” x 17” mounted, two-sided, jigsaw-cut game map
• One bright red, 9" x 11 7/8" Deluxe cardboard VPG game box
• One beautiful box cover sleeve
• One "Wipes-A-Lot" napkin
• One charcoal dessicant packet
Polybag version has the paper board, not the mounted board.
Newer prints will also include the updated, Tim Allen map spanning 2 11"x17" paper boards.
Featured Videos
Playthrough
Dawn of the Zeds | Level 1 | Playthrough
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 12
This page: 12
Sentiment:
pos 9 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–12 of 12
Video 2gUMiJ2aF3I
Zilla Blitz Interview at 12:22 sentiment: positive
video_pk 108863 · mention_pk 314831
Click to watch at 12:22 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strong narrative element
- Accessible for general gaming public
- Revised mechanics
- Shorter playtime (aimed for 1.5-2 hours)
Cons
- Third edition became too bloated and long to play
Thematic elements
- Surviving a zombie apocalypse
- Siege by zombies
- Narrative-driven, creating a story as you play.
Comparison games
- Zulu's on the Ramparts
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Custom combat dice — Uses custom combat dice that trigger special abilities.
- Revised combat system — The combat system has been changed from CRT to custom dice.
- States of Siege system — Based in the States of Siege system.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I always argue that it's easier to write a 100-page rulebook than it is to write a 25-page rulebook.
- If you're playing a game and not having fun, you're doing it wrong.
- Chaos is fun. Chaos is also highly realistic in military realm.
- The reason people love it is because of the narrative. It it You are creating a story as you play.
- It's the people who come up with a good plan B and plan C that can get through it.
- It is a giant cooperative science fiction war game.
- I always wanted to do a cooperative war game.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 87ka6TZRTww
Beyond Solitaire Interview at 57:14:40
video_pk 105881 · mention_pk 305227
Click to watch at 57:14:40 · YouTube ↗
Pros
- Hooked the guest on solo games
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- My most important thing I've done in my board game career is to visit a vineyard in Tuscany.
- Please sign me up.
- I became the solo mode guy of Stonem games.
- So I I started saying okay now so I'll go for the gaming goal now as my the second of the goals I'll try to achieve.
- We want to retain the tension of winning or losing.
- I I prefer that to uh losing to a bad card draw.
- It all comes out in the play test.
- I I I design this game for this for very specific use case. I like to use uh solo games to unwind when I'm stressed or depressed or just when I sit in the morning and waking up with my morning coffee and want to play a game that's simple to to play but still tickles my brain.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video bT2G77YlPHE
Zilla Blitz Discussion at 21:18 sentiment: positive
video_pk 100378 · mention_pk 279091
Click to watch at 21:18 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- excited about
- looks really good
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Zeds (zombies)
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The community in this hobby and the support and just the the people that reach out and just enjoy the love of playing games together has been the biggest surprise for me in this journey.
- All things considered, what level of complexity do you prefer in your games?
- medium complexity games are by far the most preferred games among viewer amongst viewers on the channel.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video _U5JnRJ04_4
3 Minute Board Games Top List at 18:47 sentiment: positive
video_pk 87072 · mention_pk 227008
Click to watch at 18:47 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Incredibly tough and brutal.
- Event deck actively works against the player.
- Creates memorable moments and emergent stories.
- Excellent solo experience.
Cons
- Very complex rules.
- Can be unforgiving due to luck.
Thematic elements
- Zombie apocalypse survival
- Town under siege
- Story-driven
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Cooperative — can be played cooperatively
- Event deck — with an vent deck that absolutely hates you
- Resource Management — you have to manage your resources very carefully
- solo — is a solo game where you are defending a town from a zombie attack
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
No quotes stored for this video.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video PHBSZ-RBKh4
Rob's Tabletop World Discussion at 18:56 sentiment: positive
video_pk 82584 · mention_pk 207466
Click to watch at 18:56 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Dug it out and started cleaning it off
- Will get a copy of the designer edition
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Oh my god, this has Bladeunner feel with an Arkham Horror twist. if that makes any sense. It feels like the old second edition uh Arkham Hore.
- I just want to get rid of some more stuff that isn't going to sit there, you know, that I'm not going to play.
- You know, once I review it, if I don't think it's going to stay, you know, and not that it's a bad game or anything like that, it just becomes a point where where, you know, at my age, okay, at this ancient ancient age, okay, how many games can you keep?
- I just got a feeling that, you know, everything's, you know, they want to go digital with everything. I mean, what's the point of that?
- I I I I I'm trying to find stuff that I can make consistent fun videos for.
- I try not to be a gosh darn infomercial, okay? I try not I try to separate myself from the rest of the board game industry.
- All I care about is doing my best to try to get, you know, have some fun.
- My whole thing is, okay, it's a Godzilla with big minis. Yeah. If I can get my hands on it, I'll get my hands on it.
- And my plan is to keep going as long as I can physically and mentally and just enjoy myself.
- get back to the way it used to be in 2013, 14, and 15, you know, where we just we had fun.
- And then we just, clean, smart, concise, and just keep it simple.
- The board game geek hall of fame. Holy cow, what a train wreck that thing is.
- You're one of my favorite designers of all time.
- And we're we're making that push to to just have fun and have a good time. And we're getting as far away from stupid stuff as you can imagine.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video k5rABLKEiUM
The Dice Tower Other at 4:38 sentiment: positive
video_pk 81546 · mention_pk 203167
Click to watch at 4:38 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Reprint is liked better
- Rank keeps getting better with editions
Cons
- First edition did not do well
Thematic elements
- Zeds
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Hens is a game I didn't like at all.
- Gobblet is a simple game in which you are to stacking pieces and trying to get four in a row, but bigger pieces cover up other pieces.
- Dice as resources to buy cards, kind of like a Dominion-style game. And it was fine. It just didn't have any kind of air of excitement to it.
- And it's a big, grandiose Euro-style game that I thought worked pretty well.
- The biggest problem with Echoes of Time is I think it's almost too short.
- It's a cool mechanism. This is the game that should have it.
- It's a very different feeling of Lost Cities. It's not as good as Lost Cities, but it's still pretty cool game.
- It's very Ameritrashy.
- It's a lot going on in this game.
- I think my favorite of those is Pixel Tactics 2.
- Thanks as always for joining me in my pile of mid games.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video YglMHKizFQE
Zilla Blitz Other at 15:23 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80598 · mention_pk 196637
Click to watch at 15:23 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Positive
Pros
- Upgraded and enhanced version
- Gameplay changes including combat, new heroes, town guard, and victory points
- Appeals to solo players
- Appeals to fans of tactical combat
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Survival horror
- Town defense against zombie-like killers
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Play — Gameplay involves cards, with 'some of the cards here for gameplay'.
- Combat — Mentioned that 'some of the combat's been changed'.
- state of siege — Identified as a 'State of Siege game'.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a State of Siege game where you play as a solo player essentially.
- This looks extremely juicy. If you like soliter games, if you like tactical combat, I think this one's going to be a lot of fun to play.
- This looks like for fans of Japanese history and if you like multiplayer games that are going to give you a grand strategic experience, this like this one looks like it could be a lot of fun.
- This is an outstanding series.
- Halls of Haggar was fishly hard to win, but a fantastic gameplay experience and was very well regarded. This looks like the same type of experience, but another theme, another gameplay element, and more good work from Tom Games.
- Why am I interested in this game? Well, I was reading a book about Greek history, per Greek and Persian history a while ago, and there wasn't I realized there wasn't really a lot of games that focused specifically on naval combat in the ancient era, the era of triams and all the different reams here.
- Combat Commander Adversary solves one of the weaknesses in the game and that given the card-based nature of the play of Combat Commander, it's not a game that is very amenable at all to solitire play.
- This is a dream come true. This looks really fun to be able to play Combat Commander Solitaire and have a a smart and and savvy opponent to go against.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video yQl1_2z4894
Discussion at 0:39
video_pk 69195 · mention_pk 165572
Click to watch at 0:39 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It's been such a joy to read your guesses and your kind messages. It really warmed my board gamer heart.
- my most favorite game ever.
- Did you get them all? Or maybe just a few.
- This channel means so much to me and I truly couldn't have done any of this without all of you, the viewers, the commenters, the silent supporters, the sharers, the likers, just everyone.
- Here's to more great games, more passionately made videos, and more comments from all of you.
- See you in the next video, and don't forget to check your comment.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video zAcjBFjr048
Playthrough at 1:33 sentiment: positive
video_pk 69147 · mention_pk 165514
Click to watch at 1:33 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Actually really great game.
- Has six levels of difficulty/complexity.
- Level one is a good starting point.
- A lot of similarities to Plum Island Horror.
- Lots of unique abilities for heroes.
- Fun to utilize hero abilities.
- Well-armed civilians are cool.
- Betty is a favorite character due to her combat abilities.
- Deputy Schmidt has useful abilities like free actions and combat advantages.
Cons
- Rulebooks were overwhelming initially.
- Ran out of ammo frequently.
- Difficulty with dice rolls leading to frustration.
- Losing heroes and civilian units.
Thematic elements
- Zombie apocalypse
- Farmingdale
Comparison games
- Plum Island Horror
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Players manage units across different tracks and locations on the board to defend against advancing zombies.
- Bag Building/Drawing — Regular and super infected zombies are drawn from bags or cups.
- Combat modifiers — Terrain benefits and hero abilities can shift combat advantages and outcomes.
- Deck construction/management — The game uses event decks and fate decks that are shuffled and drawn from, influencing the game's progression and challenges.
- Dice Rolling — Dice (specifically d6s) are used frequently for determining starting resources, combat outcomes, scavenging results, and other game events.
- Gunfire attack — A ranged attack that requires spending ammo to deal damage to zombies in adjacent spaces.
- Hand-to-hand combat — A core combat mechanic where player units engage zombies in close quarters, with outcomes determined by strength comparison and dice rolls.
- hero abilities — Each hero character has unique abilities that impact gameplay, such as healing, combat bonuses, or resource generation.
- scavenging — An action taken to find additional supplies or ammo, typically by rolling dice.
- Set Collection — Collecting resources like supplies and ammo is crucial for survival.
- variable difficulty — The game features multiple levels of difficulty, adding complexity rather than just making it harder.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I've had a copy of this game for a couple of years now, but the amount of rule books overwhelmed me and so I wasn't willing to give it a shot and I'm really bummed that I have lost many years of my enjoyment for this game because it's actually really great.
- The amount of rule books overwhelmed me.
- This is the third edition uh designed by Herman Lutman's.
- We win by going through the entire vent deck and don't lose.
- How we lose is any zed enters the town uh the town center.
- This is going to be a strength of 10 mob.
- This is a really good civilian. He can attack with plus one.
- This zombie is toast.
- You can discharge units for free.
- This infection track can just kill you.
- This is amazing. He is not going to give up.
- This game really makes you feel the pressure with your ammo.
- The melancholy mood left in the wake of your brute survival leaves quiet questions still unanswered, interrupting your reflections comes a ray of sun bursting through the clouds and shining on a small, untrampled patch of flowers.
- We may have lost two heroes and three civilian units, but we actually did quite well.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video jHMG-_SEzLY
3 Minute Board Games Review at 2:38 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 12112 · mention_pk 35453
Click to watch at 2:38 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Strong, narrative-driven moments created by the combination of events, fate cards, and dice rolls
- High replayability through many event/fate cards and a large cast of heroes and heroic civilians
- Flexible difficulty scaling that allows players to tailor challenge and complexity
- Cooperative/solo modes with varied strategies and tactical options
- Engaging thematic flavor that conveys a sense of merciless survival
Cons
- Setup can be lengthy due to sorting tokens and assembling the event deck and components
- Complexity is high, including multiple rule books (five in total), which can be intimidating
- The game is merciless and can quickly spiral from manageable to chaotic
- Token placement and unique uses can be fiddly and require careful organization
Thematic elements
- defense and survival under relentless zombie pressure, with a focus on chaos management and tactical choices
- A small town (Farmingdale) under siege by zombies; the town's defenses are tested as the outbreak unfolds.
- event-driven narrative built from a deck of event and fate cards, with heroes and civilians contributing to a merciless but memorable story
Comparison games
- Dead of Winter
- Castle Panic
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Barricades — Construct barricades to improve defensive bonuses and create chokepoints; requires spending supplies.
- Chaos management / recapture — Removing chaos from areas that have been retaken, flipping new event cards to continue the narrative arc.
- Combat resolution table — A core resolution mechanic comparing attacker and defender strengths with terrain bonuses; outcomes can result in wounds or elimination.
- Difficulty scaling — Five difficulty levels with escalating complexity, including an additional track in higher levels.
- event cards — Core mechanic driving the flow of each turn; players resolve steps on the card to determine enemy movement, resource usage, and narrative outcomes.
- Events — Core mechanic driving the flow of each turn; players resolve steps on the card to determine enemy movement, resource usage, and narrative outcomes.
- fate cards — A secondary deck that triggers additional effects contingent on infection checks and other conditions, adding randomness and drama.
- Foraging — Actions to recover more supplies and ammo, enabling longer play and more strategic options.
- Healing and recuperation — Mechanics to slowly heal wounded units, extending the survivability of the town’s defenders.
- Infection track — A score track representing infection level; rolling below the infection score results in a fate card and spawns further threats if the track advances.
- Resource Management — Players manage limited supplies and ammo; spending them yields defense, offensive actions, or the ability to perform special actions.
- Resources and ammo management — Players manage limited supplies and ammo; spending them yields defense, offensive actions, or the ability to perform special actions.
- Track Advancement — A score track representing infection level; rolling below the infection score results in a fate card and spawns further threats if the track advances.
- Zed movement tracks — Zeds move along designated tracks (highway, forest, etc.) with movement influenced by terrain and card effects.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Dawn of the Zeds has five difficulty levels ranging from reasonably hard to massively hard
- the best thing about the game is the narrative it creates
- it's hard to describe how quickly things can go from being manageable to utter chaos in a very short space of time
- oh and it has five freaking rule books
- Dawn of the Zeds: the good kind of mean
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video vOicc5EVL20
Meet Me At The Table Top List at 47:53 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10249 · mention_pk 146992
Click to watch at 47:53 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Solid zombie-themed coop
- Good family-friendly play
Cons
- Rule clarity can vary
- May not scale well for large groups
Thematic elements
- Cooperative survival with episodic play
- Zombie outbreak on a modular board
- Session-based progression
Comparison games
- The Walking Dead: The Board Game
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Cooperative combat — Work with others to defeat zombie threats.
- Tile Placement — Place tiles to form the map as you play.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- What does Colin know or Time to educate Colin? Whichever way you want to think about it.
- I'm going to learn so much today.
- I'm 0 for three right now.
- The over under is five.
- I ain't got time to bleed.
- I'm at 10.5 points, going into December.
- This is Fight Club.
- Galaxy Quest the best Star Trek movie.
- What does Colin know or Time to educate Colin?
- I'm not on zero.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video orb_37G8GGg
BoardGameBollocks Top List at 4:10 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9012 · mention_pk 26578
Click to watch at 4:10 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Immersive 1950s B-movie vibe
- Varied character rosters and scenarios
Cons
- Can be quite complex with multiple rulebooks
- May be expensive the deeper you go with editions
Thematic elements
- Survival, wave defense with character-driven heroes
- Fictional town of Farmendale under siege by zombies
- Campaign-style stage progression with escalating threats
Comparison games
- Descent: Legends of the Dark
- Zombicide series
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Character-driven play — Choose heroes and leverage special abilities
- Cube Tower — Protect a town from waves of zombies with variable setup
- Tower-defense style — Protect a town from waves of zombies with variable setup
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is a space where Mage Knight is described as the best solo game you can get your hands on today
- it's a living breathing world inside a box
- it's like being addicted to heroin... every month a new mythos pack is released
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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Showing 1–12 of 12