Last Days: Zombie Apocalypse: A Game of Survival Horror

Last Days is a squad level skirmish tabletop miniature wargame where players pit their bands of survivors against other players’ bands and the walking dead to see who will survive. Your group of survivors is simply trying to scavenge anything it can to help survive and improve their refuge against the inevitable onslaught of flesh-devouring zombies. Encounters represent conflicts between antagonistic groups of survivors, with ravenous zombies drawn to the sounds of conflict. This game is part of Osprey's series of games, and is one of the larger format hardback games. The only bad thing I can say about this book is that there are a few areas that would have benefited from a little more proofreading – a few missed apostrophes, a few sentences that were a bit awkward (but still clear enough to understand), the table of contents had one section that I think was misplaced (The Campaign section line should have been in the next column with the elements of the section), etc. Aside from those small errors, I like everything about this game. The first thing anyone notices about game books (most books, really) is whether or not they are visually appealing. Last Days features cover art that grabs your attention, lots of great illustrations by the same artist (Arthur Asa), and plenty of images of game play with lots of different well-painted miniatures in a variety of full terrain. The binding is strong and the pages are sturdy. Clear fonts of sufficient size are used throughout, and there is only a single column of text on each page, with good use of white space. The most important part of any game, of course, is the rules. The Last Days rules are straightforward and organized clearly and logically. I won't give details on the rules here - you can get a better understanding by watching the videos at the official Last Days Facebook site and on YouTube. The rules are stripped down, avoiding unnecessary complication while allowing for both tactical and strategic depth. When survivors make noise (running, shooting guns, etc.), there is a chance that more zombies will be drawn to the scene. Shooting a submachine gun creates a lot more noise than shooting a pistol, so there is a gain/risk analysis in play. While zombies can be horrifying, they're not much of a threat one-on-one, and survivors might choose to ignore a zombie in order to take care of opposing survivors (the ones with guns that want to shoot you and scavenge all of the useful stuff). This is another gain/risk analysis that has to be made (when the horror/courage rolls allow a choice, that is). New zombies will appear on the table at the edge closest to the noise that drew them, but will move towards and attack the nearest survivor, heedless of sides. This makes for some fun tactical choices. The rules for the zombies are fairly simple – they are mindless and will move towards and attack the nearest visible survivor. Zombies are tough, but they can be dispatched with a head shot (a roll of 5 or 6 will kill them, but anything else will simply knock the zombie back). Each group of survivors then moves, and then survivors conduct close quarters combat. Sometimes, survivors have to interact with the environment in some way. This is usually to scavenge materials (objectives that are placed around the tabletop), but might also include actions such as fixing/starting vehicles, etc. All of this is driven by a simple action point system. As far as supporting materials and tools, you’ll need a few six-sided dice (three per player should be sufficient) and a device for measuring in inches. You’ll also need some chits or tokens to mark things like noise, running out of ammunition, etc. You can download a file with printable tokens at the official Last Days Facebook page or you can easily make your own. Sheets for keeping track of your survivors and your refuge can be found in the back of the book, with downloadable files available at the Facebook page. The game doesn’t have its own line of miniatures, but there are plenty of miniatures that players can use. The game rules are designed for 28mm - 32mm miniatures on 25mm - 30mm bases, and players should be able to find plenty of suitable miniatures from other zombie-themed games and any number of makers. Terrain can be found pretty easily. It’s no problem to use books and boxes to represent buildings and such, but there are myriad models available, from railroad models to hobby store dioramas to generic terrain. Enterprising players can even make their own terrain and models from supplies available at local hobby stores. The game even describes where you can get appropriately sized cars (there will be plenty of wrecked and abandoned cars in the zombie apocalypse). There is a handy list of sources for models in the back of the book, with many more sources available after a simple search of the internet. You have a deal of flexibility in how you create your band of survivors. Instead of the factions that are common to tabletop miniatures wargames, the basis of Last Days survivor creation is the personality of your leader, based on a keyword. There are three different leader choices, but each type can be represented in a variety of ways upon the tabletop depending upon the model’s equipment. After that, there is a single list for fleshing out the rest of the survivor band. The only limiting factor there, other than the points to recruit/equip, is that survivors whose personality (keyword) differs from the leader’s will be limited. Your group of survivors might include anything from a school nurse to a police officer to a dog. Actually, there is one very important step in between choosing your leader and assembling the rest of your survivor band, and that is choosing your refuge. The refuge rules are a brilliant aspect of this game. There are three refuge options, each providing both perks and limitations that affect both the tactical level (i.e., how many total members you can include in your group of survivors) and the strategic level (i.e., campaign play). In between games, members of your survivor group can be assigned jobs to improve and protect your refuge; and there will never seem to be enough survivors to do everything that needs to be done, so you’re going to have to prioritize. Your refuge can be attacked both by other groups of survivors (a scenario) and by zombies (in between games). A group of survivors can even deliberately move into a new refuge if the old one no longer suits their needs. Suffice to say, you don’t want your group of survivors to be forced out its refuge. Playing a single game is fun and easy, but the game really shines when played as a campaign. Your individual survivors will change, developing skills and suffering injuries. Skills might be useful during scenarios, or they might be useful in between games (always a tough decision). Some survivors may die or leave the group, other survivors will join the group. Your refuge will (hopefully) improve. Your group will scavenge additional equipment. The book even suggests a way to end a campaign – with the survivor group that develops most fully (I won’t spoil the metrics of the development here) successfully preparing itself to survive through the impending zombie assault and season of hardship, with the other groups either being forced to leave the area or die to the zombies (their exact fates aren’t spelled out in the rules, allowing you to develop the narrative in whatever way suits you). A really great aspect of this game is that it encourages players to make it their own. The story behind the zombie apocalypse isn’t told, allowing players to imagine whatever background they desire. There’s no larger setting in play, no organizations, and no plotlines. The game is about survival in the zombie apocalypse, pure and simple. Other than being set in the aftermath of a modern day zombie apocalypse, players are completely free to set their games anywhere in the world. I’m sure that most players will follow the author’s suggestion to use their own home town as the setting. Enterprising players might even adjust the setting a bit if they want to use different models. For example, it wouldn’t take much effort to change the setting to the American West, or to a zombie apocalypse set in Feudal Japan. You might even use these rules to play out a zombie apocalypse in other game settings. The only other improvement I can think of for this game is that example counters/tokens could have been included in the back of the book for players to photocopy and use (or print from the pdf version). This is mitigated somewhat by the files available at the official Facebook site. You can find full support for the game at the official Facebook site. There are also videos on YouTube, with the author and his friends discussing the game, giving advice, and playing games for your enjoyment. Their enthusiasm for the game is evident throughout the videos, and it’s a pleasure to watch hobbyists playing the game and having fun. The author provides a foreward that describes his process and intent with the game, and there are also promises of more to come for the game. This game is clearly a labor of love, and his enthusiasm for the genre and understanding of wargaming have given us an evocative and thematic game. Experienced tabletop miniatures wargamers will find this a great addition to the hobby, and new players will find this to be a great gateway into the hobby. If you like squad level skirmish tabletop miniatures wargames, or if you are a fan of the zombie apocalypse, this will be a great addition to your library. If you are fan of both tabletop miniature wargames and the zombie apocalypse, you need this book in your library. Even with the proofreading errors, this gets 5 out of 5 stars from me.

Great book, great game. If you have played any other miniature war game it should be pretty simple to pick up. If you like or liked Necromunda or Mordheim its somewhat similar (though not exactly the same). That is to say, that your band of survivors level up and get new skills and can take permanent injuries if you aren't careful. Zombies are a big part of the game but they are more of a natural disaster or constant threat. It's more of a you against the world with zombies trying to kill you as well as other players. In any case its great!

Great game! The theme and mechanics are merged very well and the game moves at a great pace. The campaign system is very engaging and adds fantastic depth to the strong foundation. I particularly love how the author ties the themes and character archetypes from the classic zombie films. Recruit your team, build your base, and hunt zombies your way!

Haven't had a chance to play yet, but I am looking forward to it. The rules are simple but I really like the mechanic of refuges and improving your warband with xp.

There are many tabletop skirmish games available these days and more than a few zpocalypse versions among them. But Ash does a great job here realizing his own vision. He clearly wants the players to make this THEIR game. The rules are solid and make sense. The theme is captured perfectly. Especially noteworthy are the rules for scavenging and refuge, as these elements really add to the theme and set the tone for how your group improves or even survives! Highly recommended for any tabletop player that enjoys the genre. (I suspect I will add the 5th star after a few plays!)

A great game with a fun concept based around zombie survival horror/post apocalyptic settings. The concepts are easy to grasp and the lack of required game specific minis really allows your imagination to run wild. It can be played as game to game, but really comes to life as a campaign where your characters grow and die over the course of a home grown story. I highly recommend this game for new gamers or veteran gamers.

Well written rule for a skirmish game base in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse in the modern era. The rule book is nicely organized and presents players with some nice leeway to customize their 'gang/warband/group of survivors. If you are looking for a skirmish wargame and have enjoyed: This is Not a Test, Necromunda, Rogue Stars, or Scrappers this set of rules is certainly worth a look to see if the setting is of interest to your gaming group.

Last Days is a skirmish game set during the zombie apocalypse that has you and your band of survivors fighting for supplies and your life. You group can gain new weapons and skills with experience. I have not been able to play yet, but the rules look great on my first read through and the book itself is made well. It is made and laid out pretty typically of all of osprey's publications, which in my opinion is a good thing. The book starts with a foreword by Ash, followed by the basic mechanics of the game. Then we get to warband creation, game rules, equipment lists, campaign tables and finally the six scenarios that come with the core book. Overall I am very pleased with my purchase and look forward to some games very soon.