22: Left 4 Dead as a Card Game

[Fengol]

Similar to munchkin, the players draw cards from a "encounter" deck containing zombies, items and events and resolve them using limited equipment and a lot of co-operation.

The major difference though is that instead of players taking turns to draw from the deck and resolving it; each player draws a face down card and then all the players resolve their cards simultaneously. Secondly, monsters can be kept to continue attacking in the next round, adding to the danger but allowing players to focus attacks. Finally, when the deck is finished, it's reshuffled into a Finale deck and the drawing rules alter slightly to oppress the players with zombies!

Version 1.0.7 Download (l4dcardrules.pdf)

Cards page 1 (l4dcards.pdf) [I'm busy making a hardcopy to hand in to the judges]

[Aequitas]

Make it .... I want to play this.
Don't disappoint me.

[Fengol]

At the start of the game each player has: 5 points of health, 1 health pack (taken from the campaign deck) and can deal 1 point of damage.

Card counts and descriptions (100 cards per deck):
30 Zombie - Deals 1 damage if ignored. Has 1 health
5 Hunter - Cannot be ignored by player. Has 1 health
5 Smoker - Deals 1 damage when flipped. Player must ignore. Deals 1 damage if ignored by all players. Has 1 health
5 Boomer - Deals 1 damage and all players must draw a card if ignored. Has 1 health
2 Tank - Deals 5 damage. Has health equal to players + 1
2 Witch - Deals 3 damage if any player engages a monster card. Has health equal to players - 1
8 Horde - Cannot be ignored, draw 2 cards
4 Car Alarm - Draw 2 cards if ignored
4 "There's ammo over here" - All players have +1 damage this round
2 Uzi - Player has +1 damage and keeps this card. Player can only have 1 gun
2 Assault Rifle - Player can engage any 2 monsters and keeps this card. Player can only have 1 gun
2 Sniper Rifle - Player has +2 damage and keeps this card. Player can only have 1 gun
2 Shotgun - Player can engage all his own monsters and keeps this card. Player can only have 1 gun
4 Pipe Bomb - Remove all zombies. Player can keep this card and must discard when used. Player can only have one pipe bomb or Molotov
4 Molotov - Discard the monsters drawn in the next Exploration phase. Player can keep this card and must discard when used. Player can only have 1 pipe bomb or Molotov
4 Pills - Heals 1 points of health. Player can keep this card and must discard when used
6 Health Pack - Heals 4 points of health. Player can keep this card and must discard when used
2 Mounted Turret - Remove all monster cards this round
3 Waiting for the lift - Each player draws a card
3 Fallen off the edge - Player can not engage this turn

[dislekcia]

Wow. This is such a good idea!

Playtest time?

[Fengol]

Friday, my house :D

[Azimuth]

I must say, this does sound really, really similar to a board/card game called Zombies. In fact, I shouldn't be at all surprised if Valve's designers were influenced by this game.

[Fengol]

@Azimuth, I think it's safe to say both L4D and Zombies!!! (which, for best effect requires you're drunk and simultaneously watching a B movie) took their stuff from the movies. And thanks for the reminder, I think I'll steal some ideas from there too.

[dislekcia]

Originally Posted by Azimuth

I must say, this does sound really, really similar to a board/card game called Zombies. In fact, I shouldn't be at all surprised if Valve's designers were influenced by this game.

Having played Zombies!!! (plus expansions) a ton, this game feels quite different in a couple of key areas: The way that players all draw at the same time and then work together to deal with whatever's popped up, as well as the way that cards that aren't dealt with (I assume) stay in play and bother the players. So someone who's just drawn a zombie while someone else got a tank is definitely going to take 1 damage this turn until he (or someone else) can deal with the zombie that's in front of him.

Zombies!!! is all very "screw your neighbour", so I'd say cross it with Arkham and L4D and we're sold :)

BTW: Fengol, any chance of putting in different types of weapons? Like the assault rifle lets you attack 2 zombies a turn, if that's what you decide to do?

Also, it might make sense to have a phase-based game: Card Draw, Turn, Player response and Final, which loops. So a zombie card might do nothing until Final, when it will damage the player that drew it. That way someone can deal damage to it during the Response phase and it's not "ignored". But a Horde might say "Turn: Draw 2 cards", so those cards automatically come into play during the Turn phase, before the players can Respond.

If your playtesting is getting too predictable, it might be a good idea to add in dice for a bit of random, but I'm not too huge a fan of that idea right now, I say keeping it simple is probably the way to go.

Also, it might make sense to give players a "defensive" option of a melee attack, which doesn't kill zombies, but stops a player from taking damage from any zombies except a tank this turn. That way they haven't dealt with anything specifically (which lets the zombies build up for another turn, mwahaha) but they could get out of some dodgy situations/hordes a little easier.

[Bonezmann]

This game sounds like fun, even though I never played L4D before. :D

[Fengol]

Originally Posted by dislekcia

BTW: Fengol, any chance of putting in different types of weapons? Like the assault rifle lets you attack 2 zombies a turn, if that's what you decide to do?

Definitely, I want to expand the Weapons card into more variety and I want lower the number of Pipe Bombs to have Molotovs.

[FuzzYspo0N]

good idea fengol, im a huge fan of l4d, a card game would be pure win

[Aequitas]

Can I just say that this is an awesome idea ... and I want to play it.

I love the different weapons.

Think you should come up with a gameplay sequence, like what Dis suggested.

[dislekcia]

What about a "Reloading!" card that stops a player from attacking this round?

Molotov: Burns 3 zombies each round for 2 rounds. (Or places a fire token on each zombie and special in play, all zombies with a fire token at end of round take 1 damage)

Watch your fire!: Player has to attack a friendly player this round. (Aeq suggested something better: This card stays in play until the player it targets damages a zombie targeting someone else, at which point he deals equal damage to the zombie's target as well and the card is discarded)

[Fengol]

I see the Molotov as a preventative card, meaning the next round no new monsters come into play. I will expand the description to include all players.

I already have a "Reloading" type card with the Car Alarm. I'd like to keep the deck at a maximum of 100 cards but I'll include it, if the play testing suggests so.

The problem with "Watch your fire!" is that the game is about milling the deck has having all the encounters which means the players will be forced to damage one of their own. I have been wanting to incorporate it into the game though, along with "Fallen off the Edge" and "Trapped in the Closet" and I think I've come up with a mechanic.

When a player reaches 0 health points or below at the end of the Zombie phase (see first post) they draw from the "Last Stand" deck. The Last Stand deck is 4 cards face down that'll set the player at 3 health points however these are at a cost to the other players. There are only a few cards so each player can go to 0 once or one player can have 0 a couple of times. When there are no more Last Stand cards to draw, the game is over.

Last Stand Cards:
Watch your fire! - Gain 2 health points. Another player loses 2 health points
Seperated from the group - Draw the next campaign card. If it is a monster you die alone. If not gain 3 health points and return the campaign card and reshuffle the deck
Trapped in the closet - Gain 3 health points. Remove all your items
Caught under the car - Gain 1 health points

[FuzzYspo0N]

Thats a cool way to put it, Fengol. I dont know if i missed it but is there a "horde" card?

[Fengol]

@FuzzYspo0N, yip! Cannot be ignored, draw 2 cards

[Annihilatorza]

Sounds awesome !
Going to Be alot of fun, cant wait for this weekend.

I have my own idea I have flesh out some of the Idea's for it before I can say anything.
Could be alot of fun but it's something I have to work on first.

[Fengol]

Please don't laugh. I wish I could draw and I've been practicing a little. Here's some artwork for the cards


Zombie


Boomer


Stalker


Tank

[dislekcia]

Wow Fengol. That Last Stand dynamic is really well thought out. I like it! The only thing I'd change there is to put in more cards (still only 4 types, but have 12 in total) so that there's more random and less player prediction.

[FuzzYspo0N]

Quote:

Please don't laugh.

I tried really hard. honest. But i wouldnt SAY that i did laugh. lol,

Looks cool none the less. It will feel more indie / original, plus when you have a more solid game going there might be some willing artists who would love to paint up some graphics.