Articles about HvZ

Goucher HvZ was the subject of an outstanding Washington Post feature article by reporter Laura Wexler. Also check out the award-winning photo gallery by photographer Alexey Tolchinsky.

USA Today picked up an article from the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, which was in turn covered by Stephen Colbert on the Colbert Report.

Fox “news” aired a piece about Humans vs. Zombies on the Shepard Smith 7:00pm News Broadcast. And most recently Johnny Diaz reported about us with the Boston Globe.

Jeffrey Young of the Chronicle of Higher Education wrote this article after learning about the innovative and home-made technology which powers the game. The attached video really captures the spirit of the game!

This article by the Rochester “Democrat and Chronicle” talks about the origins of the game (though it incorrectly places Goucher College in Massachusetts) and interviews game co-creator Brad Sappingson.

Asa Eisenhardt interviewed Goucher game mod Max Temkin for the Goucher Quindecim.

An Intro to Humans vs. Zombies

Humans vs Zombies is a game that can be played in almost any setting by almost anyone. The original game was played on a college campus with 17-22 year old students. That doesn’t mean there’s any reason that it can’t be played in kindergarten classrooms or retirement homes. Since that first game the rules have been expanded for offices, high schools, neighborhoods, summer camps and a myriad of other situations.

Especially on college campuses, HvZ provides a social opportunity that is unmatched by any other academic or extracurricular activity. Many players tell us that they found their best friends while playing this game. That’s no coincidence; this game breeds close interpersonal connections unheard of from traditional team athletics. The nature of the game requires you to put your “life” (or “un-life”) in the hands of your fellow players. If you’re willing to commit yourself to it, participation in HvZ can result in camaraderie that lasts far beyond the game’s timeframe.

Part of going to college is learning to take yourself more seriously, be it through developing your opinions, honing your discipline or by many other means. When we look at the professional world, we see many intelligent, disciplined, serious people, but we’re worried that it comes at a price. It’s easy to become so wrapped up in your own professional serious image that you forget how to have fun. That idea is simply unacceptable to us. Humans vs Zombies is a way of holding on to one’s inner child, of allowing one’s self to have fun for no other reason than to have fun. Participation forces you to re-evaluate your life. The simple task of walking to class becomes a life or death situation. If you commit yourself to the game and allow yourself to play earnestly, you eventually come to a point in which you realize just how ridiculous you seem to the outside observer. This idea sounds, to put it modestly, unpalatable to most people. Nevertheless, there’s no doubt in our minds as to the benefits in playing. We notice these benefits even when returning to our professional lives.

FOR MEDIA REQUESTS, PLEASE CONTACT US. We are happy to provide media, including our logo and photos of the game under a creative commons license.