The zombie genre has delivered some epic games over the years, including hits like Left 4 Dead, Resident Evil, State of Decay, Dying Light, and The Last of Us, just to name a few. Despite there being a number of games in the genre, it continues to thrive, and now another megahit Zombies franchise is finally back with a new game, but this time around it’s boasting some major changes along with a killer new theme.
If you love taking out Zombies, there’s a good chance you’ve played one of the hit Zombicide games from Guillotine Games. The franchise started in the modern day, but has since expanded to multiple timelines and themes, including medieval times, space, the Wild West, and even the DC Universe. Now, a new game in the franchise is hitting with the core action intact, but we are jumping into the thrilling world of Pirates in the fittingly titled Zombicide: Dead Men Tales, and the new game brings some major changes to shake up the gameplay.
It’s Pirates vs Zombies, Necromancers, and Abominations, But Don’t Forget The Grom
Zombicide is a popular game series from Guillotine Games and Asmodee, but this is actually the first entry in the franchise under Asmodee completely, as CMON was the previous owner of the IP. CMON has sold off quite a bit of its IP in the past year, and now this newest entry in the Zombicide franchise will hit crowdfunding on Gamefound on April 22nd. If you decide to jump in, there are going to be a few changes from the traditional formula that look to really shake up the tried and true core gameplay.
One of the immediate changes is in the various zones your Pirate crew will have to navigate on the board. There are now sea zones on the board, and these cannot be crossed by Pirate survivors, but Zombies can freely move through them. This becomes even more problematic when you consider that while the Zombies are moving through the water, they are beneath the waves, so they can’t even be targeted in any way.
Spawn zones have also changed, as there aren’t any more door-opening mechanics to trigger Zombie spawns. Instead, Zombies will just enter through numbered Spawn Zones and Coffins, which are on the board, thanks to the Necromancer controlling the Zombie army, the Governor.
So far, it may seem really unfair, but there is also the introduction of Rope Zones, and these are amazing, as they allow any Survivor to spend a move action to swing the survivor up to three Zones in any direction. That means you can swing right over a sea Zone or a horde of Zombies to safety, and there are even ways to get an extra space to swing to.
There are also Treasure Zones that you use to locate Treasure Tokens to pick up new elite weapons, though you can also access these from dedicated zones on the map. There are plenty of pistols to wreak havoc with, but you can also obtain speciality weapons like a sword pistol, the Grinder, or Xhianna’s Retribution. This is the first time that firearms have been available in the Fantasy branch of Zombicide, but since these are older weapons, you will need to reload after every shot.
There’s also a new mechanic built around Grom, which is the drink of choice for Pirates. You can find Taverns in the game and use a drink action to find Grom, which then gives you a Grom token to use. These allow access to Grom dice to make your attacks and actions even more powerful, but if you roll a 1, you will be flat on your back and vulnerable to attack until you can get back. Guess you had a bit too much Grom at the Tavern, and you can’t do anything until you use an action to stand up.
Zombicide: Dead Men Tales is set to hit Gamefound on April 22, 2026.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
