Board Game Review: Axis & Allies & Zombies

There are two enemies in media that people don’t feel bad about killing: Nazis and Zombies. With the release of Avalon Hill’s new Axis & Allies & Zombies, you can do both!

I previously reviewed Axis & Allies Anniversary Edition, an absolutely massive game, and Avalon Hill was kind enough to send me a copy of this new offering for review, so let’s get cracking and see what makes it different.

First off, the box is much smaller. It’s not that massive brick that the Anniversary Edition is, it’s much more the standard board game box size, fitting easily onto your shelf alongside any other rectangular box game. The board itself is smaller as well, featuring fewer spaces, which also means it won’t take up the entirety of your table, requiring you to pull out side card tables to hold all your other components.

Within, you’ll find all the standard components of Axis & Allies, from mini-poker chips to ground troops, aircraft and ships and from tokens to IPCs. However, the IPCs are caked in blood, there are new minis, and there are cards as well.

The new miniatures are a few varieties of zombies. These zombies are all the same mechanically, but I like that they actually made a few different sculpts for them.

The cards are where the game really shines, because this is where the mechanics diverge. The game’s basic mechanics are identical to standard A&A, with players trying to battle one another while trying to take over enemy capitals. However, on each player’s turn, players also draw and play a zombie card. The card has two components: Desperate Times (which must be performed) and Desperate Measures (which are optional). The Desperate Times usually introduces a new zombie to a territory, forcing you to draw resources away from attacking your enemy to keep from getting overrun with the undead horde, while Desperate Measures allows for some sort of upgrade or bonus to help defend against zombies.

After playing the card, the player whose turn it is then gets attacked in any territory that zombies exist in which they also control. If zombies kill off any infantry, those infantry become zombies! You’ll note that Russia, with its endless supply of infantry in your standard A&A game becomes THE WORST breeding ground for zombies here.

The game is won by controlling all your allies capitols and also controlling one enemy capitol. “Wait,” you ask, “how could you not control your own capitols and still be in the game?” Well, if the zombies have moved in and overrun any capitols, you’re going to have to reclaim them first. In addition, if the zombies ever control 25 IPCs worth of territory, everyone gets to take one last turn, then whoever has the most IPCs in non-zombie-occupied territory wins. However, at that point, it’s assumed the zombie apocalypse happened, and you’ll just be the last ones to be eaten.

I love this variant on Axis & Allies. The board is simpler and not as impressive as the Anniversary Edition, but it is a lot more beautiful and dark. The zombies adda great element of danger, forcing you to split your focus. Not only that, but one of the upgrades you can get is CHAINSAW TANKS! Yes, please.

I really enjoy this one. It’s definitely going up on my shelf and will be added to my list of Halloween board games to play each October.

You can watch a great how-to-play video from Geek & Sundry, which was hugely helpful when we played.