After the Virus

A cooperative zombie deck-builder in which every reshuffle brings more undead into your deck.

Designer: Jacob Fryxelius
Published by: FryxGames
Editions by: Maldito Games, Reflexshop, Schwerkraft-Verlag

After the Virus is a cooperative deck-builder set after the zombie apocalypse, for one to three survivors. You work through 15 missions that form a storyline if you play them in order, and the undead do not wait politely: every time your deck is reshuffled, more zombies are shuffled in. To keep up you dig through the area deck for weapons and other useful finds. Some stay in your deck, some sit in your play area, and some can only be used once in the whole game. Managing that deck and that table is the whole challenge. Expect tension that grows with each reshuffle, and a game that suits a lone survivor just as well as a small squad.

Zombies shuffled into your deck on every reshuffle15 missions that form a storylineWeapons found in a shared area deck

Who it's for

You like deck-building and zombie themes, and you want a co-op that also works as a solo challenge, with a campaign-style sequence of missions.

Not for you if…

You want a short game or anything competitive. This is a roughly ninety-minute cooperative struggle with a growing threat.

Vibe's take

Tense and slowly tightening: each reshuffle makes your deck a little more dangerous. You spend your turns weighing which finds to keep, which to play once and which to leave, always with the clock of the next reshuffle ticking.