Zombies!!!, with it's low price point and ease of learning, has a wide consumer base. Add to that the tendency of the game's foibles to rise to the surface fairly quickly, and the inevitable result is a large body of variant rules intended to "fix" and improve the game. I believe those rules to be most useful which solve the game's issues, without significantly harming its accessibility. To summarise, here are the game's largest problems:
- It's too slow (particularly with regards to movement)
- There is too little strategy, with too few meaningful decisions
- Linked to point 2, there is too much luck, with the difference of a small number of unlucky rolls meaning someone is going to have very little fun for a considerable period of time.
1. Movement rules
Roll two dice for movement
This rule does indeed make movement faster, without adding complexity. The downside is that, while luck is somewhat mitigated through the magic of the binomial distribution of probability, there's still a serious risk of situations where, for instance, one player only gets to move 3, and the next gets to move 11 and leap onto the helipad. Furthermore, cards affecting movement become much less useful. Consequently, I can't recommend this variant as it improves on point 1 but arguably worsens points 2 and 3.Health-based movement
The most popular variant of which is to add the player's current heart tokens to the roll of a die. This tends to increase movement, without giving rise to the wide distribution of the previous variant. (Other variants used fixed health-based movement, e.g. heart tokens plus two.) Furthermore, this variant adds to the theme and strategy of the game, as players are slowed by the wounds they receive, and must prioritise regaining health over "luxuries" such as bullets and location-based items. The only problem with this variant is that it tends to make the rich richer, and the poor poorer - those who have a couple of unlucky rolls, and hence are already behind, will fall further behind as they move more slowly. Of course, this adds to the theme even more. Consequently this is a decent, simple variation that works well for those who prioritise the zombie theme, but runs the risk of alienating those who simply want to have fun.Use "best of two dice"
In this variant, players roll two dice, but only use the highest individual die. This effectively reduces luck and speeds the game (as higher rolls become more common than lower rolls), without adding much complexity. This is not at all a bad variant, and recommended if you don't like the downsides of health-based movement nor the (relative) complexity of my own variant, explained below.Fast movement across empty squares
E.g. if a tile has no zombies on it, it can be crossed at a cost of one movement. This certainly enables faster movement, particularly in the end game, and allows respawning players to get back into the action more quickly. On the other hand, it can make sprinting to the helipad a bit too easy, adds slightly to complication as movement points mean different things in different circumstances, and can lead to players moving zombies onto empty tiles just to slow movement (which then further complicates movement as players alternate between empty and non-empty tiles). Then again, that last point could be argued to be a strategic improvement. This is by no means a bad variant, and is definitely worth considering.2. Game-shortening rules
Lower zombie target by number of players
One problem with the base game is that the alternative goal - acquire 25 zombie trophies - does not vary with the number of players. With high player numbers, this goal rapidly becomes nigh-on impossible. Having a lower target makes this a viable goal, and at the same time shortens the game at higher player numbers. Formulas differ - some set a goal of 25 minus the number of players, others might divide an overall number (such as 60) between the number of players and use the resulting goal (for example, for two players, the goal would be 30 each; for four players, 15 each). This latter option produces a game which is pretty much the same total duration irrespective of player number. Probably the best matrix is found in the Quick(er) Play variant. A zombie-target variant is highly recommended for more than two or three players - it makes the game shorter, makes the alternative goal more viable (hence adding to the strategy), and all without making the game any more complicated.Blitz start
Simply give the players more bullets and/or health at the beginning of the game (and, usually, on respawning after death). This variant helps in combat, but doesn't make movement any faster. As players will generally die less often, and hence have to respawn and start again less often, it also will slightly reduce game length. Overall, I have no problem with these sorts of variants, but frankly feel they don't really add that much.Faster zombies
For example, double the number of spaces moved by each zombie. This can result in players reaching the zombie trophy goal more quickly, so speeding the end of game, and also can add to the amount of action occurring. Strategically, it's pretty much a wash - it's easier for players to block one another, but also less easy to plan future moves. The downsides to this variant are (1) it detracts from the "shuffling zombies" theme and (2) the "move zombies" phase (arguably the least-interesting phase) takes slightly longer, mitigating any speed gain. Consequently I cannot personally be bothered with this variant, but your preferences may differ."Explorer" variants - only place tiles for players at the map edge
These variants cut down the time taken per turn by only placing new tiles in certain circumstances. For example, players only add a tile if they are at an exposed edge, or on a tile which contains an exposed edge. These make each turn faster, and also provide players with a decision whether to "explore" or not. The downside is that more turns have to be taken to "fill out" the map and reach the helipad tile. Furthermore, as players do not "see ahead" on the map, longer-term strategies (e.g. working towards a building which would activate a powerful item) are less relevant. Furthermore, the advantage to the person pulling the helipad tile (or winning the auction for it, if the auction rule below is used) is often insurmountable. Consequently, despite the thematic appeal of this rule, I cannot recommend it, but those who want a theme-heavy game and aren't worried about the extra time might enjoy this option.Fixed zombie movement
Instead of moving a number of zombies determined by rolling a die, just move a fixed number of zombies (e.g. 3). People rarely care that much about the zombie movement phase, and this skips a few precious seconds every round. The only downside is that it replaces the simple symmetry of every other phase of the game (i.e. roll a die then apply the result). The variant doesn't make much difference, but doesn't cost much either. For me, this just about edges into "recommended".3. Adding strategy/reducing luck
The Helipad Auction
According to this variant, when the helipad is drawn, rather than it being placed as normal, the players hold an auction for the right to place. Players bid with their zombie trophies, with only the highest bidder paying, and then placing the helipad where they, rather then the current player, wish. This variant reduces the luck associated with drawing the helipad (which otherwise is a strong predictor of who will win the game, though it's not a certainty). It also adds strategy, as players may focus on which goal they wish to pursue. The main criticism of this variant is that it is a wholly new mechanic, adding to the complexity of the game. Since it only comes out once per game, however, I'm willing to allow it.Ranged Weapons
Numerous variants involve the capability to attack zombies at range, usually by using a bullet token, with the range typically being anything on the same tile, or maybe the next. This adds to the decisions a player may make, in particular allowing a variant on "push-your-luck" by allowing a player to make attacks without risking health, but paying bullets for the privilege. A nice and thematic option for those who want it, but adds complication, and isn't that useful in practice (as you will usually want to move onto the zombie's space sooner or later). I would place this variant with those that add theme, but otherwise don't improve enough to be worthwhile.Cutting the cards
One central tenet of modern game design is that losing a turn is an anachronism. Any turn when a player does not play is no fun for them, and doesn't add much to the fun of the others. Consequently, any cards which cause another player to miss a turn should be considered for exclusion. Again, the fine Quick(er) Play variant has more to say on this topic, with a full breakdown of cards that author recommends be removed. I wouldn't necessarily mess with the game that much, but I most certainly endorse the removal of turn-missing cards.4. My humble offering: Lord Dicely's Gambit
My attempt to make as many improvements as possible with as few additional rules is as follows:Instead of rolling for movement, choose the number of spaces you would like to move (from zero to six). Then take a combat die according to the movement chosen:
5-6 movement: 4-sided die
3-4 movement: 6-sided (i.e. standard) die
1-2 movement: 8-sided die
0 movement: 10-sided die
Treat your movement points exactly the same as if you had just rolled them on a die - any cards or other effects that might adjust your movement adjust this number. The player may choose not to use their full entitlement in exactly the same way they would have if they had rolled that number for movement. The combat die remains the same once selected for the player's turn, irrespective of any changes to movement allowance. If the player must reroll their movement, they use a standard six-sided die and use that new movement (this does not affect their combat die). When in combat, a roll of 4 or more wins, irrespective of which die is used.
(If playing with Guts rules, lose one Guts token if you roll a 1 in combat, and gain one if you roll the maximum possible on the combat die).
I recommend that the game phase order be changed so that the phase before movement where a player must fight a zombie on their square be removed, and the player simply fight that zombie at the beginning of their movement, after selecting movement and combat die. Alternatively, the player must use the combat die they used on the previous turn to fight a zombie on their square at the beginning of their current turn - this option adds to the bookkeeping, however.
This variant is clearly more complex than most individual variants above, and requires a range of dice rather than just a standard d6. However, in my opinion, it is worth the complexity as it achieves several improvements in one fell swoop. For one thing, players have the option to reliably move quickly (particularly in "safe" areas), solving slow movement issues while removing luck as regards movement. Luck still plays a factor in combat (the game wouldn't be much fun if it didn't), but the player may now make actual strategic, risk-management decisions at the beginning of their turn. Poor combat rolls can be mitigated by taking a few turns of low movement and relatively safe combat. The use of fixed bonuses (from bullets, items, and other cards) creates an interesting probabilistic interaction with varying dice, as a +1 has more relative effect on a d4 than a d8. Thus, overall, this variant adds strategy, hastens movement, and reduces luck, all without too badly compromising the simple fun of the game.
This variant is intended to solve as many problems as possible at once (justifying its relative complexity), and hence is not intended to be played with the movement and combat variants above. That said, I would strongly recommend "cutting the cards" and varying the trophy goal. If you do wish to add any of the other variants, you might want to try auctioning the helipad and/or fixed zombie movement.
Standard-die only variant: If you only have a six-sided die, then choose movement and then use the six-sided die for combat (as in standard Zombies!!!), deducting 1 to all combat rolls if you selected 5 or 6 movement, adding 1 if you selected 1 or 2 movement, and adding 2 if you selected zero movement. This option isn't as much fun, and the probability interactions aren't as interesting, but it removes the need for multiple dice.
Printable play-mat of this variant, including game turn summary, below:
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