Stefano Buonocore
Today we are pleased to offer you the review of The End of the World – Zombie Apocalypse. First of all we want to thank Isola Illyon Edizioni for providing us with a physical copy of this TTRPG. Isola Illyon handled the Italian localization, while the original publication saw the light at Edge Studio. The game is based on the idea of Alvaro Loman and game designer Andrew Fischer. We owe the concept of the series to José M. Rey The End of the World, various games that share mechanics and apocalyptic themes, applied from time to time to a different type of catastrophic event.
As you can be guess from the title, this first volume localized by Isola Illyon deals with of the zombie apocalypse genre. They will also be published Wrath of the Gods, Alien Invasion and Revolt of the Machines. Meanwhile anyone wishing to purchase the physical hardcover version of the manual, with PDF included, can do so at the price of 40 euros from Isola Illyon official store for the Italian localization. The digital version only is available at a cost of 20 euros. The official Facebook group and the project page are available for any other information and extra game material.
Volume Review of The End of the World – Zombie Apocalypse
The manual is very satisfactory. The volume is nothing short of impeccable, with the quality and attention to detail that Edge Studio has accustomed us to for its products. Its cover is thick, the pages durable and the binding sturdy. It is a very pleasant volume already to the touch.
The handbook has a very clear layout, which facilitates readability and consultation. The format is large, reminiscent of other products localized by Isola Illyon. However, the 152-page layout helps to make it easy to handle and not too bulky. In light of this, the two-column layout is necessary and effective The End of the World – Zombie Apocalypse practical to consult both in physical and digital format.
Review of Artistic Choices of The End of the World: Zombie Apocalypse
From an aesthetic point of view, the quality is very high. John Taillion’s artistic direction managed to give an impressive stylistic uniformity, especially considering the very precise cut.
The internal artwork is not realistic, yet the deliberately imprecise and sketchy style of many illustrations immediately communicates the theme of the game. It could be defined as almost impressionistic from this perspective.
What Game Do We Play?
The strong point of The End of the World it’s definitely his gameplay perspective, which applies to all volumes in the series. There are many post apocalyptic types, even when it comes to the more specific field of the zombie apocalypse. But in this case the player’s point of view is unique, because he will play himself.
Through a mechanism of shared character creation, at the table everyone will interpret a version of themselves suited to the circumstances. You will therefore immerse yourself in the context of a zombie invasion, facing it according to your own mental patterns and resources. The identification is enormous, and a particularly streamlined game system perfectly tailored to the gaming experience helps further.
Security Systems
This unfortunately leads to the only one obvious flaw The End of the World: the lack of security tools. The only vague hint in this regard is that you cannot force the table to play against your will, and that it is also possible to play characters other than yourself. But it ends here, there are no real security tools, neither original nor already tested.
It would be a controversial lack for any other game with an apocalyptic/horror theme. When players are asked to step into the shoes of themselves in such a context, however, it becomes a rather serious shortcoming. It takes very little to imagine scenarios in which the consequences of a zombie invasion applied to daily life could hurt the sensitivity of even the most sensitive players.. Thinking of leaving management to free initiative is a solution that is not in step with the times.
Probably the most straightforward solution is to let each player bring an alternate version of themselves to the table, freeing yourself from all the emotional baggage that a game like this could make problematic. It’s not a problem that everyone will hear, but it’s worth mentioning.
The End of the World: Zombie Apocalypse – Shared Creation Review
Character creation, as anticipated, uses a mechanic shared by the entire table. Players must first distribute ten points between six characteristics: three of these are “offensive” and three “defensive”, and are grouped into Physical, Mental and Social. The first point is free. Subsequently, two Traits are chosen per characteristic category. They are descriptors that identify the player’s peculiarities in that field, one positive and one negative.
At this step the playing partners will evaluate whether the player has been objective about himself. And therefore if there are scores to increase or, on the contrary, to decrease. To maintain game balance, when a Characteristic is too high a positive Trait is also added, while when it is too low a negative one is added.
Game Mechanics
Managing the roll to pass a test is therefore rather simple. Starting from the positive traits, a pool of dice is made up with 1d6 for each element in favor of the character. Starting from the negative Traits, one is composed with 1d6 for each unfavorable element. Obviously using different colored dice, each negative die will eliminate a positive die with the same result; if at least one positive die is lower than the value of the Characteristic in question, the test is passed.
The characters’ ability to resist is instead linked to Stress. This value is consumed over time by the events of the game, although the character becomes more resistant to it as he accumulates it. Stress can be eliminated by converting it into Trauma, equivalent to a negative trait; Trauma can be treated in the long term, but it is more disabling.
Exceeding the Stress threshold or the three Traumas in the same category inevitably leads to the character’s death; there are limits beyond which one cannot stand. The two mechanics may seem cumbersome at first reading, but they are actually very intuitive and the application in game is immediate. This further facilitates immersion in the session, facilitating a very cinematic style of play and stimulating the search for original solutions to problems.
Review of Scenarios by The End of the World: Zombie Apocalypse
Given its simplicity, the rules part of the manual runs out very quickly. The rest of the volume is dedicated to presenting a series of scenarios ready to play. Five different ideas, each depicting a different “type” of zombie invasion. They then become ten thanks to an excellent intuition: presenting both an apocalyptic and a post-apocalyptic scenario, therefore being able to play different phases which thus offer further variety.
Each scenario has an highly accurate structure. A narrative introduction is followed by a general description and notes for the game master and how to present the game at the table. The various points of view are then followed by an objective description of the development of the facts, with all the necessary insights. We then find a very detailed chronology of the locations in which to set the sessions, with possible scenes to play and a mini bestiary with the NPCs and monsters that you might have to face.
Ready to Play
As anticipated, each scenario allows you to explore a different type of zombie invasion and its specific consequences in the medium/long term. Not only that: the type of zombie presented also changes depending on the scenario. The highly narrative and cinematic nature of the regulation allows these differences to be managed without any type of complication. Indeed, in fact there is no need to manage them, the game carries them out autonomously.
Our reviews are spoiler-free. However, a good part of these scenarios are based on the surprise effect, necessary to maximize identification. So it is advisable that those who want to approach them from the player’s point of view jump directly to the conclusions of this review.
Night of the Meteor presents the structure of Zombifying radiation from space following the fall of a meteorite. The characters find themselves right next to the epicenter, and will have to deal with a force that reanimates corpses. It is an energy that they have no way of stopping that spreads like wildfire, strengthening over time. The post-apocalyptic counterpart of this scenario takes us instead to a dystopian future, in which healing technology has allowed a very small faction to take power. The choice is between the comfort of a life that supports other people’s decisions or the precariousness of resistance.
Multitude of Styles Review of End of the World: Zombie Apocalypse
No Room in Hell is perhaps the most peculiar scenario. As the title suggests, the dead simply awaken and begin attacking the living. There is no scientific explanation. Which only leaves room for mystical causes, but there will be no answer: the characters will only be allowed to (try to) survive. In the continuation of the adventure we will move in a land populated by the living dead, now in supernumerary numbers. Given the theme of the scenario, religious groups will emerge forcefully, especially in a fanatical way.
Pandemic, one of the most disturbing scenarios, is about a viral infection that turns people into zombies. A great classic of the genre, which compared to the others allows for greater tension preparation, with NPCs already infected before the start of the session. The incubation times, in this case, allow excellent management of the progressive tension. The associated scenario is the most post-apocalyptic of all, with human society now forever fallen victim to the law of the fittest.
Voodoo and Parasites
Between all of the scenarios, It Ends with a Whisper is perhaps the most delicate. This is because it exploits the narrative trope of zombies created by voodoo, and the authors are keen to specify that they use it only in its cinematic and fictional version, distant from real religious worship. Yet it cannot be denied that in the end it ends up being a parody, with Vodun shamans directly or indirectly possessing people for a return to the state of nature. The result will be a scenario in which neither side has fully taken control, and the world is still contested in a ferocious war between anti-modernist extremists and the remnants of urban life.
In the end Under the Skin see how cause of zombies a parasite, which as in Pandemic takes progressive control of individuals. The nature of the parasite is not made explicit, as in No Room in Hell, but in this case some hypotheses are provided. Including the parasite that precedes the history of humanity and that of an alien nature. The continuation of the scenario sees humans barely surviving in underground megastructures, and compared to the others it gives a strong boost to the exploration side.
Conclusions of the Review of End of the World: Zombie Apocalypse
End of the World: Zombie Apocalypse it’s definitely an unconventional game. It proposes a now classic theme, but addressing all its possible facets and above all offering a unique perspective. It’s true, it certainly has some flaws regarding the management of security at the table, but it’s nothing unsolvable. And then it takes identification with the genre story to a further level, favoring a game that develops in a few sessions rather than a long campaign, but concentrating the experience more.
The volume is really well made, and the game is very well thought out. Fluid and capable of offering an immersive experience like very few other games in the world, it performs best in an already experienced group, being able to exploit the knowledge that each player will have of their companions before being projected into the narrative. It is certainly a game recommended for zombie movie lovers but, once the sensitivities of others have been investigated, it will be able to give everyone extremely fun and engaging sessions.
