Extend your Psycho Killer fun with the expansion packs.

Last month I shared a post with you about one of our new favorite games called Psycho Killer (in case you missed it you can check out the post Here) by Escape Tabletop games. We've played this game a lot since we first received it, & we even brought it with to a family dinner we had so we could play together. I am back to tell you about two of the expansion packs they have, that will add more game play and crazy moments to your games. 

Both expansion packs are $15 (each) and they add a new horror element to the base game, each pack is unique with different cards and themes. You can play them one at a time with the base game, or you can go nuts and add them all together for a longer game with twists and turns.  We always like playing with both packs included and keep everything in the base game box. As a reminder the goal of the game is to have the lowest score possible at the end of the game, the higher your score the more damage you have on yourself, so you are trying to pin as much damage on the other players as you can. I will go over what each pack brings to the table below:

Psycho Killer Z - This pack is obviously Zombies, the name, gas mask card and green goo give that away. You'll receive one new predicament card, In this case it is "Give one card to every player, then draw the same amount of cards from the deck". I don't mind getting, sometimes it can be nice & instead of being more of a punishment it could help you get rid of bad cards in your hand for a possibility at better cards. Watch out though! It could also bite you in the butt and you'll end up with worse cards than you started with. It also contains new weapon cards and survival cards all based around the zombie theme. 

The weapon cards in this deck are special because instead of being played when a Psycho Killer is found they are only played to your injury pile if you have an infection card along side the weapons. If you've been infected there is still a chance of surviving if you are lucky enough to find the cure and play it before being weighed down by bites, scratches, etc.

Gratuitous Violence - This deck really makes you leave your friends and loved ones in the dust! The weapon cards in this deck aren't played to your own injury deck, instead you use them to sabotage your friends by putting it into their injury pile. Weapon cards include flamethrowers, crossbows and more all of which are essentially used to shoot your friend in the foot to slow them down so you can get away.

The predicament card in this one can be a disaster if there are several people playing all at once as it can really push you into the left for dead zone. It can be a disaster because it forces you to pick up one weapon from everyone's injury pile, you could also get lucky and there is only one or two injury piles out. Some of the cards in this pack are pretty neat, for example there is a "Creepy Old Man" card that helps you get a card you want from another player, if you think you know what is in their hand. 

Is this game family friendly? Yes, we've had a blast playing it with just our children and also as a larger group during a family dinner. The youngest age we've had playing this game is eight and the oldest is in their seventies. It can be a pretty fast paced game so we normally play several rounds in a row every time we pull the box out. 

This game is quick to set up, and learning the rules doesn't take very long. Everything is simple to understand, and if you aren't sure how to use a card on the bottom of each they tell you how to use the card. The base version of the game is perfect for 2-6 players, however with both expansion packs in play as well we managed to play a successful game with ten people in total playing. It is fun going back and forth if you were to play one on one, however it is even better with friends or family alongside you trying to outrun the Psychos. It was interesting playing with the larger group of ten, you get to see who decides to target specific people, who really pays attention during the games and who the sneaky ones are that hope no one is paying attention to the fact they have no injury pile. 

Along with the two expansion packs shown above they also have one more expansion pack available, and I look forward to seeing if they add anymore.

What other type of horror/scary movie aspect would you like to see added to the game as an expansion pack? 

I think a neat Carnival pack based off of IT would be a fun addition.

Disclaimer- Escape Tabletop Games provided a box for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase. 

Zombie inspired shows & movies to watch this October!

 

October isn't the only time I enjoy watching creepy things, I love watching horror movies and such all through out the year. I love vampires, witches, and other things that go bump in the night, but I recently realize just how many Zombie inspired movies and shows that I love and I know other people enjoy Zombies as well. So I decided to put together a list of a bunch of my favorite movies and TV shows that you may or may not know about, maybe you'll see a few you already love and maybe you'll get lucky and find something new that you'll enjoy. Some of them are more realistic in a sense when it comes to how the story goes and others are just down right silly but fun to watch. They are in no particular order, be warned this post may get a little long!

Movies:

Dawn of the Dead (2004). A classic Zombie scenario of a group of survivors stuck in a mall, when I think of places I might look for supplies in a Zombie Apocalypse the mall is probably somewhere I'd check. The story follows a large group of strangers who all have to try to survive together while they fight to try to make decisions and help each other out. I think the acting in this is fantastic, the special effects makeup is beautiful and there are several things they do in the movie that are quite smart for their circumstances. This is a screen play by George A. Romero. You can rent this on amazon prime for $3.99.

Train to Busan (2016). This is one I actually just learned about last year when I was searching for new horror movies to watch and it instantly became on of our favorites. It is a movie produced, filmed and takes place in South Korea and the movie is in Korean but there are subtitles. I like that this one isn't a typical story following a group just going through a city or country side, instead it is a commuter train that becomes infested and everyone is then stuck on a moving train with zombies and have to figure out how to survive. You will find characters you quite enjoy and others you hope get eaten by a zombie, this is a movie I look forward to watching again. You can watch this with your Hulu subscription.

Night of the Living Dead (1968). This is one of the first Zombie movies I can recall ever watching and I loved it. The original was filmed in black and white which gives it an extra creepy factor in my opinion, the acting can be a little cheesy at times like a lot of older movies but over all you need to watch this movie at least once in your lifetime, it is one that really helped inspired zombie movies as we know them now. This is also a screen play by George A. Romero. This is free to watch on Amazon Prime.

28 Days Later (2002). Not going to lie the zombies in this one would scare the crap out of me if they were the zombies we are up against in a real outbreak. They are fast and feel more violent than your ordinary zombie, this is because it is a different type of infection it is a virus that causes it and it can be transferred from animals to humans as well as seen in the movie. I enjoyed the group of survivors in this and it was thrilling all the way through. There is also a squeal that is good as well. When I checked on amazon prime it shows this as a free rental.

Shaun of the Dead (2004). This is one for people looking for something that isn't as gore filled as other zombie flicks and want a few laughs alongside special effects. Instead of a mall movie this is one where the group goes on an adventure to the local pub to survive while doing a few side quests on the way. 

Zombieland (2009). This movie is filmed a bit different than other zombie films, instead of it just following the characters in the story the main character talks directly to you as if you are inside his head. He lists his rules of surviving the zombie apocalypse and it follows his journey meeting new friends and what happens to them. This has a follow up movie as well that introduces new characters, but I like the first one more.  

World War Z (2013). The zombies in this movie act differently than zombies in other flicks, instead of it being a "only the strong survive" mentality it is the opposite, and you'll understand how once you watch the film. I thought Brad Pitt did a great job with this film, I have only watched this once though I am sure I will watch it again in the future.

The Girl with All the Gifts (2016). This movie has some actual zombies, but I wouldn't say this is really a survival movie, instead they focus on what would happen if children were born already infected. I really enjoyed the story line, flow of the movie and the change of pace this movie brings. The main star did a fantastic job with this movie and even though I sometimes have a hard time remembering the name of the movie I can always talk about what the movie was about. 

The Resident Evil Series (Various years). So instead of putting a specific movie for this one I will just put the series as a whole. I personally enjoy the first and second movies the most, followed by the third and after that they just go down hill a little (again that is just my personal opinion). The movie starts off right into the action and keeps you curious and entertained until the end. It is worth mentioning that if you like zombies and video games you are missing out if you haven't played some of the Resident Evil games.

TV Shows: 

iZombie (5 seasons). This show was a lot of fun to watch, a girl named Liz becomes infected however she figures out that she can hide the fact she is a zombie and still stay alive because she works in a morgue and eats the brains of the bodies that come in. You quickly find that after she eats the brains she starts to develop the personality of whom ever she ate and can see their memories. After a colleague figures out her secret he convinces her to help a police detective they work with solve crimes. So this is a crime investigation show mixed with zombies, humor and some sappy love stories along with plenty of action. I've fully watched this series twice now and will probably eventually watch it in it's entirety again. I quite enjoy several of the cast members in this and enjoy seeing the other work they do as well. You can watch all of the seasons over on Netflix.

The Walking Dead (11 seasons). This is one that swept the world, there are so many people who still watch or have watched The Walking Dead. I have to admit the first time watching through this I got bored and skipped a season or two before picking it back up again, however my husband and I are currently watching through all of the seasons and it is a lot of fun watching it all again and see what I missed during those two seasons. It annoys me that they didn't loot a lot at the start of their adventures, but as the story progresses they pick things up more often and work smarter. You can watch this series on Netflix. 

Z Nation (5 seasons). This show is just ridiculous, that is the best way to describe it. Even though it can get pretty silly, I love this show. How is it ridiculous? One of the main characters goes through three different skin color changes during the course of the show, there is a giant ball of cheese that smashes zombies, zombie strippers and more. You'll really connect with specific characters and want to see them survive the entire time. This is another show I've watched more than once and I wish there were at least one more season of it. There are a lot of similarities in things that happen in this and in The Walking Dead, I feel like who ever wrote this was a fan of TWD. You can also watch this one on Netflix. It also has a pre-sequel called "Black Summer", I have watched both seasons of it, but don't really think it meets the same standards as the shows listed above.

Santa Clarita Diet (3 seasons). This is a show that ended too soon, but I enjoyed the seasons I was able to watch before it was cancelled. It focuses on a married couple and their life after the wife gets turned into a zombie, aside from the wife there aren't too many other zombies you will encounter in the show it is more of a comedy than anything, I am still adding it to this list though because it was enjoyable to watch. I think the casting for this was fantastic and I enjoyed the spider ball, it was freaky but cute (you'll have to watch to find out what it is).

To The Lake (2 seasons). First I will start off by saying, if you don't like watching dubbed shows or movies where the mouths don't quite line up with what they are saying I wouldn't watch this. It was originally in Russian so it is dubbed over and might take a little getting used to. A deadly virus breaks out in Moscow and an unlikely group of survivors tries to fight their way out of the city to a safer destination they know about. Along the way they find trouble and set backs (what zombie show doesn't have set backs?). This one has a fair amount of nudity in it. I am unsure if this show will continue on for a third season or not, as of today they haven't confirmed anything.

There are plenty of other Zombie related movies and TV shows that aren't listed here, these are just some of my personal favorites I wanted to share with all of you! 

Leave a comment below letting me know which of these you already love, which you might watch or tell me about one of your favorites that isn't on the list. Wishing you all a safe and Happy Halloween Season.

Zedtown Event Review!

**This was not a paid post. My honest opinions are used (both good and bad), they are solely my own & they may vary from others. I received four passes to the event for promotional purposes. It was provided by Zedtown for the review free of charge.**

It's no secret that zombies have become increasingly popular over the last several years, from video games to TV shows it seems like almost everyone loves something that has to do with zombies. Now you can add a live action zombie hunting game to the list of zombie themed fun. Zedtown is a mixture of tag using Nerf guns, the color run/ a live action Call of Duty game and LARPing, the whole thing was a blast and a half and was an experience unlike anything I've ever done before.

 

Zedtown originated in Australia but has been hitting various cities across the US for one to two days per stop, when they came through Arizona they set up shop at Rawhide which is a old western themed attraction we have here that has plenty of open space for a game like this. They have two ticket options for purchase, which are survivor tickets and Alpha zombie tickets. The event lasts for four hours from start to finish and there are several easy to follow rules in place to keep everyone safe such as only allowing certain Nerf gun ammo, being asked not to shoot anyone directly in the face and more. In total there were about 550 people at the event on the Saturday we attended (including staff), only 16 of them started off as Zombies!

Survivors need to bring Nerf guns or rolled up socks (used like bombs/grenades) to use to defeat the zombies who will be running around, when you arrive to the event you meet up with your faction color and download the Zedtown app which sends you missions and information during the event. Not only do the survivors have to fend off zombies but they also have to face each other! There are three factions in total, Red, Gold and Blue all of which have their own leader and will do different missions such as collecting gas to fuel their generators. Before heading to Zedtown you have the option to dress up based off of the suggestions given for the faction, for example the Red faction can dress like Mad Max or Borderlands characters while the gold faction can dress like Hunger games characters. If you do decide to dress up there is a costume contest at the end.

For those who purchase Alpha Zombie tickets, you arrive early and get treated to a seat in the makeup chair while a makeup artist transforms you into a zombie! Our group was split on how we wanted to start out, my husband and I started off as Zombies and the rest of our group went as survivors. Since we saw they were having a costume contest my husband wanted to dress up as a charger which is a character from the video game Left For Dead, we've done the costume in the past before but this time we ramped it up and fixed a few things on it making it better than before. I decided I would get my makeup done at the event instead of doing it at home so that I could see what their process was like.

My Thoughts;

I was honestly a little worried about the event at first, I am a big baby and sometimes my anxiety gets the best of me so I was worried about being split off from the rest of my group. However once everything got started I was perfectly fine and had a wonderful time. When we first arrived we made sure to get there early so I could get my makeup done. It was neat arrive early because several of the people who had arrived at the same time we did were checking out my husbands costume and asking for photos. They had several security measures in place to keep everything fun and safe, We went through a decent check in process where they used the metal detector wands, did bag checks, nerf gun checks and more. After getting through the checks my husband and I were directed to the zombie area where all the zombies would stay out of site until the event started.

The makeup process was fun although I wish they were doing it in a better lit room as the poor lighting made it hard to see and photograph in the room. Makeup wise I was quite happy with my makeup, the process was longer than I had expected it to be which is nice since Alpha Zombie tickets cost more than survivor tickets. Prior to the event I had thought there would be more zombies starting off so I figured it out be a five minute makeup process but it ended up being closer to a half hour. Once all the zombies were transformed we had to wait until the start of the game before wandering out so no one would see us, during the waiting time they ran down the rules and how to turn survivors into zombies. Like the survivors the zombies also had someone leading us and helping us along the way, they were both known as the Boss Zombies and were unable to be "killed" in the game.

They had gathered all the survivors into the middle of the western town so the mayor could make an announcement and tell everyone the rules of the game, towards the end of the instructions they opened up a gate which is when all of us dressed as zombies ran out. As soon as you started running out a adrenaline rush hit, all of the survivors started screaming and running to get away from the zombies and head to their faction head quarters. During the initial zombie release several people had dropped their nerf gums, ammo and more trying to run away and many others ended up falling and tripping trying to get away it was a bit chaotic but a lot of fun and resulted in several good laughs.

During the course of the game survivors were given tasks which took them through the other factions territories and of course near the zombies so they had to watch their backs constantly. It was a lot of fun being a zombie because you were able to hide and chase after people to "tag" them as a zombie, once you tagged someone they gave you their Zedtown dogtags (given to them at the start of the game) for you to scan and turn them into a zombie on the Zedtown app. After being turned into a zombie they were instructed to go to the zombie hub to thrown on some zombie makeup and re-enter the game as a zombie. Remember how I said at the start that we started out with 16 zombies (18 if you include the two boss zombies) and almost 500 survivors? Only about sixty people made it out alive as survivors by the end, some of the aplha zombies were pretty fast and racked up a lot of "kills".

As a zombie if you were shot and killed you had to return to the zombie hub and wait to re-spawn in the game. They had a small station set up that had a count down and music that would play, once the time and music stopped you re-entered the western town to hunt for more survivors. To keep track of who was who they gave everyone colored headbands, green meant you were a zombie. We were required to wear the headbands during the entire event and if we were shot we had to lower the headband to let the survivors know we were out and needed to re-spawn.

This event was one of the best events I've been to, everything was well thought out and executed. If you didn't bring a bag to carry your Nerf guns in after you were turned into a zombie they had a bag check area where you could store your guns, they also had paramedics on hand, water coolers out for everyone and marshals walking around to help anyone with questions or problems. The only thing we had a boo moment with was my husband was a bit disappointed zombies weren't included in the costume contest, but I can see why they wouldn't because most who are arriving as zombies don't do their own makeup. I am a bit jealous of the people who get to work with and travel with Zedtown it seems like a fun place to work. There is a ton of information that goes with this event but not enough space to write about it all! If you want more information on this event or to see if it is coming to a town near you (or you can request that they do) check out their website and facebook for photos, information and more.