Learn to Play
Escape the Horde is a fast-paced, fun-filled, collaborative card game where two Factions (Survivors and Infected) fight for supremacy in the Wastelands. Survivors must work together to outrun Patient Zero and their horde of zombies, using weapons, cunning and strategy. Patient Zero and the Infected attack relentlessly trying to infect and Turn all Survivors.
Win Conditions: Survivors win when the last card has been drawn from the Stack and they have not been Turned, or if they survive the Countdown Clock (activated the moment a Survivor Turns). Patient Zero and Infected Survivors win when they infect and Turn all Survivors. Here's a rundown on how to get there...
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Starting the Game
At the start of the game deal a Faction card to each player. Faction cards should remain hidden until either an in-game action triggers a player to reveal their role, or the player chooses to reveal who they are by playing a card or taking an action in a particular way. In a four player game start with three Survivors and one Patient Zero. For 5+ players, add a second Patient Zero.
Pre-Game Set-Up
Set aside all the unused Faction, I'm Fine, Turned, Wasteland and Countdown cards as these will not be used in general game-play. Shuffle the remaining cards and then deal five cards face down to each player. In a game with 5+ players, deal three cards to each player.
If a player is dealt a Zombie or Discard Weapon card, they must redeal that card for another (non-Zombie, non-Discard Weapon) cards, until they have a full hand of cards. Shuffle the Stack.
First Player & Gameplay
Each player reveals cards from the top of the Stack until a Zombie card is revealed. The first player to turn a Zombie card face-up, starts the game. Shuffle the Stack once again and then begin the game.
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Game Play
Gameplay moves in a clockwise direction. Priority (the right to play a card) is held by the active player (the player who played the last card). who passes priority once they play another card, or move to another action, such as ending their turn. The player with priority may play any number of cards as they wish and there is no order to who may respond next, Chaos can be fun.
Players have no maximum hand size and may hoard cards.
All players stay in the Game right to the very end - some still as Survivors, others as Infected.
Card Types
Cards with the lightning bolt symbol on them (located on the top right of a card) are CRITICAL SPEED cards and can be used at anytime. If a card has no symbol in the top right then they can only be played in that players turn and not at CRITICAL SPEED.
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All Play cards can be used by all players (not everyone at once). These include Yeah/Nah, Steal, Rescue and Discard Weapon.
Weapons and Grenades cannot be countered or negated by a Yeah/Nah card.
Scavenger Phase
The first of the three game phases is the Scavenging Phase. Each player may play any number of cards from their hand during their turn. Survivors play their relevant text actions on cards; Patient Zero however, may keep their role revealed for as long as possible by playing the Survivor text until they are outed.
Draw Phase
At any stage during a player's turn they MUST draw a card from the Stack. Once a player draws this card (Draw Phase) their turn ends, unless the card they draw triggers an action.
If the card drawn is a Discard Weapon card, that player MUST reveal it and respond by discarding a Weapon card from their hand.
If the card drawn is a Zombie card, that player MUST reveal it and respond by placing it face-up in front of them. The Combat Phase is now triggered. The ONLY exception to this is Patient Zero, who may instead put that Zombie card secretly into their hand, or in front of a Survivor where the Combat Phase is triggered.