Boo! You and your friends are suddenly surrounded by hordes of very aggressive zombies. But do not fret as we have some good news – one of you will definitely get out alive. How can you become that lucky person? It's simple! As the old saw goes, you don't have to outrun the zombies; you just need to outrun your friends.
At the start of Zombie! Run for Your Lives! each player receives four cards from the deck; cards are one of two types: a zombie (which come in different varieties) or a potentially helpful item that can protect you from those aforementioned zombies. The different types of zombies and the items that affect them are color-coded and bear identical symbols for easy recognition.
On a turn, you draw a card from the deck, then play a card from your hand, sending a zombie after one of the other players or using an item to help yourself; if the item matches a zombie card in front of you, both cards are discarded. A player cannot have identical items or zombies in front of him. If you ever have five zombies in front of you, you've succumbed to the horde and become a zombie yourself. As a result, your mental abilities are extremely limited, which means that on your turn, you simply draw the top card and play it on a living player, getting revenge against whoever killed you or perhaps aiding the player you care for the most.
If, on the other hand, you collect five items in front of yourself, you've proved yourself invulnerable to zombies and instantly win!