These are the official “Goucher-Style” Humans vs. Zombies rules as invented by Brad Sappington and Chris Weed of Goucher College in 2005, with a few changes since to make the game more balanced and safe.

We suggest adapting the rules to fit your school – account for what your administration will allow, what will keep your players safe, and what will keep the game from getting out of control. You can see dozens of alternate rule sets on the Multimedia page or talk to players about what works best.

If you’re interested in starting a game, you might want to check out our handy Game Guide.

If you do modify the rules, please let us know! Shoot us an e-mail or head over to the community section of the site.

These rules were illustrated by CrashedCar.ca, an outstanding artist and interactive designer.

Humans vs. Zombies is a game of tag. All players begin as humans, and one is randomly chosen to be the “Original Zombie.” The Original Zombie tags human players and turns them into zombies. The zombies must tag and “feed” on a human ever 48 hours or he starves to death and is out of the game.

• The Zombies win when all human players have been tagged and turned into zombies.
• The Humans win by surviving long enough for all of the zombies to starve.

This gear is required for all players:

• Bandana

• Nerf gun and/or socks

• One 3×5 index card

Rules created for the safety of all players are strictly enforced. Violation of safety rules will result in a ban from the game.

1. No realistic looking weaponry.
2. Guns may not be visible inside of academic buildings or jobs on campus.
3. Players may not use cars.
4. Darts must not hurt on impact.*

*If you’re not sure about this, fire it at point-blank range into your own eye and see if it hurts. If you’re still not sure, just speak with a moderator.

Players cannot be tagged or shot in the following areas:

• Dorm rooms
• Bathrooms
• Academic buildings
• Library
• Sports and Rec Center (Gym)
• Health Center
• Dining Halls.

Staying On Campus: Humans must sleep on campus. If you need to leave campus for longer than 24 hours, we apologize, but there are no exceptions.

I.D. Number: Humans must keep one index card with their unique identification number on them at all times.

Stunning a Zombie: Humans may stun a Zombie for 15 minutes by shooting them with a Nerf gun or throwing a sock at them.

When Tagged By a Zombie: When tagged by a Zombie, a Human is required to distribute their ID card. One hour after being tagged, a Human becomes a member of the Zombie team. Wear your bandanna around your head – you are now allowed to tag other Humans.

Wearing a Headband: Humans must wear a headband around an arm or leg to identify them as players of the game. (This headband will come in handy when you become a zombie!)

Feeding: Zombies must feed every 48 hours. A zombie feeds by reporting their kill on the website.

Wearing Your Headband: Zombies must wear a bandanna around their heads at all times. The Original Zombie does not need to wear a headband.

Tagging: A tag is a firm touch to any part of a Human. After tagging a Human the Zombie must collect their ID card. Kills must be reported within three hours.

Getting Shot: When shot with a Nerf gun or hit with a sock a Zombie is stunned for 15 minutes. A stunned zombie may not interact with the game in any way. This includes shielding other zombies from bullets or continuing to run toward a human. If shot while stunned, the zombie’s stun timer is reset back to 15 minutes.

Shooting Non-Players: Shooting non-players with Nerf darts is a bannable offense.

Non-Player Interference: People who are not registered participants may not directly interact with the game. This includes bringing food to humans or spying for either team.

Safe Zones: A zombie must have both feet outside of a safe zone to tag a human. Humans can stun zombies from inside of a safe-zone.

No Shields: Zombies may not use shields to deflect Nerf darts or socks.

Athletes: Athletes are safe during official practices, but not on the way to or from practice.

Required Academic Events: Similarly, students at required academic events are safe for the duration of the event (even if this event is in a free-play zone), but they are not safe on the way to or from the event.