Categories
Merch For The Stash

Free Zombie Printables for Your Zombie Party

Need a zombie horde? I know where to find one….

As a surprise to no one, I absolutely love zombie parties! (so bring on Halloween already!!!). Also as a surprise to no one, I hate buying expensive props. So these free printable zombies are right up my alley, and I thought you may like them too!

These free zombie printables make perfect shooting range targets, thematic zombie party props, table decorations, cup holders(?!), or even just fun little companions (they don’t bite….). Give them a try!

For those looking for a more grisly themed zombie party, these may not be for you, as the (pretty cool-looking!) art is in more of a ‘cutesy’ style.

The printables are actually lifted straight out of the printable escape room game, ‘Escape Room Z‘. If you like the look of these printables, I’d recommend giving the escape room game a look. We played it ourself, and absolutely loved it! (You can read about our playthrough of the game here)

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Categories
Zombie Games That'll Thrill

Epic Zombie Escape Room Kit You Can Play At Home

We Played Escape Room Z – And We Loved It!

First thing’s first, you should know that we’re veterans of the escape room world.

We’ve played, and beat, some of the top-rated escape rooms on the planet. Whenever we travel, we’re always on the lookout for escape rooms, leading to incredible experiences in Portland, Maine, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Orlando, and more (not to mention, countless forgettable escape room experiences pretty much everywhere!).

So understandably, we always love to find ourselves a new challenge. We needed something that would stretch our wits to the breaking point… and hopefully a little further!

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Enter Escape Room Z, the world’s best zombie escape room game. Winning escape room Z requires securing the last pizza in existence (or at least in the building) and saving it from hordes of foul, smelly, and rather ugly zombies. You start the game with nothing but your wits. You hope those wits lead you to a pizza and a weapon. Otherwise, you’re a zombie’s next victim.

Given that this is Lock Paper Scissors’ hardest at-home escape room game, and we LOVE zombies, Escape Room Z seemed like the perfect fit for us! So we decided to set it up over the weekend and give it a go. Here’s how it went:

The Setup

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Escape Room Z sets up without hassle.

Besides excellent training for the zombie apocalypse, the beauty of the game is in its total customizability. If you want to turn your house into a full-on zombie invasion, with mannequin zombies in every corner, blood splatter on the wall, and real pizzas in the oven, you can! Or, if you’re not feeling like going to all that effort you can just throw the cards on the table and get your adventure started.

We have an open living room/dining room/kitchen setup. We decided that this provided more than ample space for the six people playing the game. You will probably want a room that has a wall without breakables. You will see why later.

When decorating the room, we took a middle road, primarily because we lack mannequins, and because my wife would not allow blood splatter on the wall (shocking, I know). Fortunately, Escape Room Z comes with great posters. Print out the posters and place them around the room. We staged some on mirrors, some on the refrigerator, and some on the picture frames. After the game, we almost forgot to remove a zombie portrait from our daughter’s frame!

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The game itself sets up quickly. Print out the clue cards and zombies (yes, zombies. Don’t worry, no AI is involved, and the zombies will not animate). Cut out where indicated. Assemble the zombies and bring them all to the game room.

You can either put the cards all on a table or hide them around the room. We spread them around the room, including putting some on the wall, to make the players move and think.

Finally, locate the Spotify playlist for the game (here!). Escape Room Z features two playlists, a mellow, spooky list, and an upbeat, fun list. We went with mellow and spooky. Dancing while zombies lurked outside the door seemed foolhardy.

The Gamemaster (Yes, You)

One of the fun parts of setting up the game was not knowing what clues were needed first or in what order! Escape Room Z’s design allows everyone to play, including the people setting up the game. (Which was great news for me! I wanted to play too!)

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The Escape Room Z website contains excellent instructions to set up the game. It also contains well-marked spoilers — do not click those links! You want to have as much fun as the players in the room. Therefore, you do not want to know the hints and solutions in advance.

If you need a hint during the game, you ask for it on the Escape Room Z website. You will need the site open during the game, as some clues only appear after you put in the right answer to another clue. Make sure you have a laptop or tablet available during the game.

The Team

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We invited another family of escape room fanatics to the house for the zombie party game. This group also has several games and a few escapes under their belt. Our final tally was four adults and two college freshmen (engineering majors, so we figured we had it made. Oops).

The Feast

While I craved an excellent cauliflower crust pizza, which goes well with the game’s theme, our friends had pizza the night before. I settled for fajitas with tortillas, queso, and guacamole. Maybe settled is not the right word.

We had a nice dinner and a good conversation. We relaxed over a few drinks and caught up with the college students (home and taking online classes due to the pandemic). Finally, we cleared the dining room table, put away the food, and finished the game setup (we needed the dining room table for the zombie game).

The Game

Before starting the zombie escape room game, make sure you have a good countdown timer. We used one we found here and cast it to the tv. It provided audible prompts every ten minutes. Problem solved.

Everyone sat down at the dining room table. We played the introductory video, giving everyone a sense of the zombie game. Everyone paid rapt attention. A sense of urgency filled the room. We started the timer and began the game.

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As soon as the timer started ticking, everyone quickly gathered the clues hidden around the room (we decided against hiding them in lockboxes for this game). We sat down at the table, stared at the clues, and then at each other. The first question — where do we begin?

The website for the game listed several puzzles. It also offered hints and solutions. We did not bother with hints. Instead, we tried to find a relationship among the puzzles, using various techniques gleaned from prior experiences (there will be no spoilers here. However, if you’re looking for escape room tips and tricks, Lock Paper Scissors also has a great ‘how to beat an escape room’ guide here).

We quickly started the two engineering students on a puzzle requiring matching shapes while the rest of us went to work on the word puzzles. Some of these struck more fear into our hearts than the zombies did! As we decided which one made the most sense to start with, we heard the ominous words “50 minutes remaining.”

Five minutes later, we decided that we needed our first hint. After all, we had zombies at the door, a pizza in the oven, and were running out of time to solve the first clue. We did break one of the cardinal rules of escape rooms — feast after the game, not before! A full belly can really slow down your thought process. Whether it was the food or our own poor imaginations, we needed help.

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Fortunately, Escape Room Z offers its own help wizard (check it out here). Pictures of all puzzle cards sit on a single website. They offer 2-3 hints, which you take one at a time, and a solution. Not ready to concede, we unlocked the first hint. Of course, it triggered that glowing ‘aha!’ moment for all of us. In hindsight, the answer was staring us dead in the face, so we solved it and moved past the first puzzle.

While four of us toiled away at the next puzzle, and the engineering students continued their quest for the proper matches to unlock the oven, the ominous voice returned. “40 minutes remaining.” We all stared at it for a few seconds, as if that would add time back to the clock.

By this point, my phone had malfunctioned, and the spooky zombie music disappeared, but, with our heads deep in the puzzles, no one noticed. While it was on, it added to the vibe in the room. I highly recommend you use one of the playlists.

A few seconds later, the engineering students broke into an excited yell! They solved the puzzle that unlocked the oven. Woohoo! We’ve got the pizza! College students love pizza fresh out of the oven, even if it is just paper.

Now we just needed to take our pizza and escape the zombie horde. For that, we definitely needed a weapon. Remember, you want to fight zombies from a distance, not up close. (By the way, have you read our zombie survival tips yet? They may save your life…)

We unlocked another hint. It helped. We found the answer… or so we thought. When we put our answer into the link provided, it told us we had the wrong answer. It gave the same response for the next two.

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Here is where I bestow upon you two vital hints. First, four people working on one puzzle leads to confusion. We should have split up into more groups. Second, don’t transpose numbers. Zombies are not smart. They don’t recognize typos. You need to input the numbers in the proper sequence to get the right answer and unlock the gun safe.

Finally, we unwrapped the answer to the puzzle and obtained the gun! Time to confront the zombies marching across the dining room table!

We bought a cheap nerf gun for our weapon. You pulled back on a lever to load the spring and pull the trigger to send the dart flying. Fortunately, for my health and my marriage, I tested the dart out on a sofa earlier in the day. It packed a punch! That meant that the zombie shooting gallery needed to stay away from all breakables. I planned accordingly.

You can buy a much less powerful gun for your game or even throw ping pong balls at the zombies. Ping pong balls will disintegrate a zombie on contact.

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We backed about 10 feet away from the zombies and began shooting. Our weapon lacked accuracy. We probably missed six times for every hit. Finally, after passing the weapon to all six players (multiple times, I regret to say), the last zombie fell, leaving us victorious! The clock was stopped, high fives were exchanged, and puzzles relived!

The Aftermath

Everyone agreed that Escape Room Z was a serious challenge.

The puzzles were challenging, but not impossible, as you would want from an escape room. A room too difficult leaves everyone frustrated, while an easy room leaves the players unfulfilled.

We entertained serious doubts around 15 minutes in that we would finish. Fortunately we managed to pull it together, and using only a few hints, we escaped the zombie horde with a little time to spare. It did take a few minutes to figure out what direction the hints were pointing us in, but once we wrapped our heads around the way the hints were worded we progressed quickly.

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Setting up the game could not be easier. You decide how elaborate a setup you desire, and lay it out. You could be ready to play the game in about 20 minutes — the time it takes to print out the games, cut out the cards, and assemble the zombies. You could also spend a few hours setting it up to create a more realistic feel. You control the experience.

Our setup worked for our group. It created an excellent atmosphere to draw the players into the game. However, once we began solving puzzles in earnest, the wall posters faded into the background. We focused on the puzzles, as you might expect when facing death at the hands of pizza-eating zombies.

Your Turn

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We had a night to remember. We will definitely return to these print-at-home escape room games for more epic game nights in future. They allow for a wonderful night of fun with friends, without the high cost of regular escape rooms. (Seriously, six people can play one of these games for the price of a single escape room ticket!)

Try a zombie party game for yourself. Print out Escape Room Z, decide on a setup, and invite some friends over. You and your friends will have a blast figuring out clues and solving the game! Afterward, serve refreshments as everyone discusses the red herrings they fell for and the puzzles that they solved with ease. You will have a fantastic night to remember and to repeat.

And if you’re looking for even more diy escape room ideas, check out this escape room Pinterest board for some serious inspiration!

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Categories
Merch For The Stash

Best Zombie Mugs for Your Daily Coffee or for Offering an Awesome Gift

Not only that coffee turns most of us from almost-zombies in the morning to fully functioning grown-ups, but it can also be used as an excuse to show your love for zombies and the zombie genre, no matter if you’re silently hoping that a zombie apocalypse will become real, or you just enjoy you zombie books, movies or TV series. Either way, we have done the research and found some of the most awesome zombie mugs out there which will turn drinking coffee into an even more pleasant routine.

These zombie coffee mugs are great as gifts for those who are fans of the walking dead (and I’m not only talking about the TV series here), so we’ve got you covered.

They’d also work really well to theme-up a zombie party, like the zombie escape room party we played the other weekend. (You can read our review here, or go check out the Escape Room Z game for yourself here)

And if you like zombies too, there’s no shame in getting one or three of these mugs for yourself. We have 13 to choose from – this is a lucky number in the world of zombies!

So let’s not waste any time and let’s check out below the best zombie mugs that money can buy. It’s time to start drinking your daily coffee with style!

Magic Zombie Mug

Another awesome product that uses a bit of magic: the otherwise bland, black mug changes into this awesome zombie mug when hot liquid is poured inside. This heat reactive coffee mug is perfect as a gift, in my opinion – especially for somebody who isn’t expecting the surprise! Let them enjoy the magic zombie mug, one of the best on our list!

Click here to buy it on Amazon

Shrunken Head Zombie Mug

The level of detail here is simply amazing, and this zombie mug looks awesomely terrifying. It’s the most expensive item on our list and I am sure that few people would actually spend that much money on a coffee mug, but if you are ready to pay the price, it’s absolutely awesome!

Click here to buy it on Amazon

Zombie Head Coffee Mug

Another great design with a zombie that looks, in my opinion, funny instead of scary. Of course, opinions vary and what matters the most is that this coffee mug is of really high quality, made of ceramic and it’s pretty large. Plus, it comes with a large handle so that even the largest (or clumsiest) hands can get a good hold of it.

Click here to buy it on Amazon

Oliasports Ceramic Zombie Mug

I am not really sure why some zombies are associated with the green color, but if you think that’s the suitable tone, then you’ll love this ceramic mug. Large and funny, this is perfect for your daily coffee or tea.

Click here to buy it on Amazon

Horned Zombie Head

This mug is also terrifying, which is an added bonus: just looking at it will instantly awaken you! The level of details is extremely high here and you can’t help but love the handle. The interior of the mug is made of stainless steel, while the zombie itself is cold cast resin. Beautiful!

Click here to buy it on Amazon

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Keep Calm And Kill Zombies Mug

Well, you can’t have a proper list with a reference to the classic “Keep calm and…” meme. This one is here for the zombie fans who want something that’s both funny and nice.

Click here to buy it on Amazon

Zombie Molded Mugs

Oh, my! This one’s beautiful too! Scarier than the most on this list, but beautiful nevertheless. I can just see myself drinking a super black coffee out of this mug, while listening to classic, hardcore rock at maximum volumes. Or you can just gift it to somebody who would appreciate that!

Click here to buy it on Amazon

Love Zombie Mug

Another mug that makes for a perfect gift, especially if your soul mate actually loves zombies. If not, it’s time to start doing so!

Click here to buy it on Amazon

Goth Evil Zombie Mug

To be honest, I’d say that this is a vampire – or a vampire zombie at most, but the description says that it’s just another brain-eating walking dead. This is not exactly my style, but some people might appreciate it. Especially since you simply can’t ignore that scary stare!

Click here to buy it on Amazon

Rotten Zombie Coffee Mug

Fortunately, there’s no smell of rot included in the package! All that you get is a beautifully crafted, large mug. Just like a previous product that we’ve listed here, this one has a stainless steel interior and is hand painted!

Click here to buy it on Amazon

Zombie Apocalypse Mug

Well, I am sure that the message on the mug would apply for many zombie fans out there. Apart from it, we’re getting a mug that’s easy to carry around and it’s made of stainless steel. So, the right person could even use it as a weapon in case a zombie apocalypse actually hits the planet!

Click here to buy it on Amazon

These would be our recommended zombie mugs for fans of the genre. You’ll see that your coffee (or whatever you drink there) will taste even better once your mug arrives.

Categories
Zombie Movies You'll Wanna CRUSH

Zombie With a Shotgun Gets New Website to Keep Us Excited about Upcoming Release

Zombie with a Shotgun started as an amazing web series that took fans of the zombie genre by surprise. You can check out some of the episodes on the official Youtube channel in case you haven’t done so already and you will surely be pleased with what you’ll see!

But Zombie with a Shotgun became so popular over the years that work on a feature film started and it’s expected to launch sometime this year. And in order to keep us as hyped as possible, they’ve launched a website for the entire franchise. You can check it out here, with more details about the web series and the feature film, for interesting artwork and behind the scenes stills and even Zombie with a Shotgun swag in case you’re liking what you see so much that you need to own a piece of it.

The upcoming film is described as “that zombie film where all the rules we know about zombie films go right out the window”.

The movie tells the story of Aaron (played by Braeden Baade) who is on the run with Rachel (Kathryn Kuhn) and fighting for survival against zombies and humans alike. Aaron has been bitten, but for some reason remained stuck in a transition phase and the zombie virus didn’t get the chance to fully turn him into a walking dead. But it gave him some special abilities, one of them being the power to communicate with other zombies. Sounds pretty interesting and, even though this is a low budget indie flick, it’s extremely interesting.

There’s a lot of stir around the project too – there’s also a comic book series developed around the project and this one has the potential of becoming one of those cult classics. It’s coming slowly, like a classic zombie – but it’s those classic zombies that we really love and make the wait worthwhile!

Categories
Merch For The Stash

Grab a Pair! Awesome Zombie Socks & Stockings for Women / Girls

I promise that these great zombie socks & stocking won’t make you shamble! Instead, they’ll prove that you love zombies a lot, they will look cool and all zombie geeks will love you. What’s best is the fact that you will feel so good wearing them all, that you’ll consider your new favorite socks. Yay for that!

The truth is that there are way too few options when it comes to zombie themed socks and stockings and that’s a shame. Even more, most of the products we’ve found and considered high quality enough to recommend to others were related to The Walking Dead. Which is not really that bad since TWD is an amazing series most zombie fans love… but a bit of variety would’ve been better.

Either way, I believe that I’ve managed to find some really awesome zombie socks and stockings for girls (or women if you don’t like to be called a girl) and you can check them out below.

Walking Dead Women’s Socks – Walker Bait/Caution Walkers

These officially licensed Walking Dead socks are perfect for all zombie fans out there. So even though they’re themed as “Walking Dead socks” they can be worn as generic zombie ones as well. And they look cool, so click here to check them out!

Defeet Aireator

Cool and spooky, this pair comes with a great design. It might be a bit too much green for some, but if you love the color, this pair is perfect for you. Definitely makes you think about Stubbs the Zombie (video game character, in case you haven’t heard about it).

Click here to check out the Defeet Aireator socks & buy today

Walking Dead Zombie Chibi

The only problem with these socks is that they’re unisex, so you’ll probably fight over them with your boyfriend/husband if he’s also a zombie fan. So why not grab two pairs to avoid family conflict?

Click here to check them out & get yours

The Walking Dead Low Cut Socks

Another set of officially licensed socks. These were made back in 2013 so not many are still available. You can get yours and consider them a bit of collectible socks, for real!

Click here to check them out and buy them before they’re gone

Zombie Photo Real Printed Leggings

This pair is absolutely awesome! Probably not for everyday use in most cases, but for cosplay, Halloween, or feeling like a zombie when you are at home, these are absolutely amazing. They look great and you’ll feel great wearing them.
Click here to check them out & grab a pair

Walking Dead I Heart Daryl Dixon Knee High Socks

Everybody loves Daryl. If you agree with that, why not grab some socks that make the statement public? These knee-high socks will definitely make your legs look awesome!

Click here to check them out and grab a pair now

Working Dead Socks

A really fun take on the Walking Dead. Great pair of socks to put on when you go to work. Funny and high quality!

Click here to buy a pair today

Walking Dead Ladies Argyle Hand

What can be better than a pair of zombie themed socks? Two pairs, of course! This is exactly what this Walking Dead set offers. A really great design and art work for both pairs!

Click here to check them out and get yours now

Sock It To Me Zombies Knee High Socks

Pink flowers and zombies. It can’t get any cheesier and in this case, cheesy is good. Love them and I am sure you’ll love them as well!

Click here to grab a pair today

Socking Dead Zombie Leg

We’re rounding things up with another Sock It to Me design. An awesome zombie leg that works great for roleplaying games, Halloween costumes and everyday use. Yes, you love zombies, so you can wear these daily!

Click here to check them out

These would be today’s recommendations in terms of great looking and high quality zombie socks and stockings for ladies of all ages. Grab your favorite pairs before the stocks run dry and wear them with pride. It’s cool to be a zombie fan!

And if you really want to take things to the next level, check out our recommended zombie slippers. They’d be a great match for your new socks!

Categories
Zombie Photoshoots that Spook

Download Some High Quality Zombie Wallpapers Here

If you love zombies as much as I do, then you always want to have something zombie-related nearby at all times. Zombie wallpapers are a great way to achieve that since you’re probably spending a lot of time looking at your computer’s screen anyway. And in case you’re finding it difficult to get more zombie wallpapers, I’ve decided to come help you out a bit and share with you 14 zombie themed images – all of a really high quality in my opinion – that you can use as wallpapers.

Alternatively, if you’re looking for a little more cartoon grunge and a little less gore, check out Escape Room Z. This printable escape room kit comes with a bunch of cool posters that can really easily double as wallpapers. (Check out our playthrough of Escape Room Z here)

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I’ve shared with you some iPhone wallpapers in the past, created by Tony Moore himself – so you should check them out if you want to pimp you iPhone a bit as well – but don’t expect too many images there.

Below, however, I have gathered 14 high quality zombie wallpapers that you can download for free. In order to do so, first click the wallpaper(s) of your choice to open them in larger resolution, then right click the new image and select to save it on your computer or just click the “Set as Desktop Background” option and you’ll always have some zombie-related image greeting you.

Check them all out and download the ones you really enjoy. Here are the great zombie wallpapers you can download today:

Wallpaper #1

Wallpaper #2

Wallpaper #3

Wallpaper #4

Wallpaper #5

Wallpaper #6

Wallpaper #7

Wallpaper #8

Wallpaper #9

Wallpaper #10

Wallpaper #11

Wallpaper #12

Wallpaper #13

Wallpaper #14

There you have it! 14 great zombie wallpapers to use whenever you feel the need for more zombies in your life. I hope you enjoyed them – if you do, check back often as I might add even more wallpapers as free downloads in the future! If not, you’re still getting a ton of great zombie-related stuff from the blog, and that’s really useful as well!

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Categories
Zombie Books & Killer Reading

I Finally Read Dead Drunk… and I Didn’t Like It!

Unlike Katy Perry who liked doing that thing she always wanted to do, I didn’t find the highly appreciated Dead Drunk: Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse… One Beer at a Time by Richard Johnson that entertaining. So why am I writing about this?

As you probably know already from my recommendations, I am an avid zombie book reader, and for some reason I never came upon Dead Drunk – which is actually a series of zombie apocalypse books. After seeing it recommended lately here and there and after a few friends who share my love for zombie literature said I should give it a try, I did.

But I didn’t like it.

Dead Drunk: Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse… One Beer at a Time was originally released back in 2013 and I keep thinking if that’s the reason why I found it so meh. Zombie literature has evolved a bit, maybe, stuff like that has been written already… I don’t really know. But for me, this book was not enjoyable.

It seems to be on similar terms with Mark Tufo’s work, but it’s nowhere near the Zombie Fallout series. Based on the title, you’d think that you’re going to get a humorous take on the zombie apocalypse genre, but that’s not the case either. Or at least the jokes and everything that happens isn’t as fun as the author probably wanted them to be.

(Quick detour! If you’re looking for a more humorous take on the zombie apocalypse, I’d recommend trying the Escape Room Z printable escape room game. I played it for a game night with my friends and was quite impressed – check out my review here)

Even more, the fact that I really disliked about this book – which might change with new ones in the series, but I will surely never read to find out – was that it had so little zombie action!

The book starts with some unnecessarily extended intro where we meet the characters and where the author tries to squeeze in jokes and funny things (which, I must repeat, I didn’t find that funny at all) and during the story itself, it has even more flashbacks that just increase the length of the book but don’t add any other value otherwise – like the former MMA guy’s fight that really adds no value to the thing and doesn’t really help at all.

Seeing that the book has so many positive reviews, I can only think that it’s my problem that I don’t find this book enjoyable. The main characters are immature and plain stupid, you can’t really relate to any and you will never care about their future, you can barely remember their names even though the author does manage to build some solid stereotypes in his novel.

The humor itself – which I believe should be the book’s biggest selling point – is of a questionable quality, filled with frat-jokes coming from grown-ups and the whole thing is so filled with cliches that it makes your head spin. I must repeat – I am not sure if all these cliches would’ve been noticed in 2013 when the book was originally released, since zombie literature wasn’t really a thing back then, but today, after reading tens of zombie novels, this one doesn’t manage to stand out, unfortunately.

And that upsets me, because I was really hoping for a good read!

Categories
Zombie Movies You'll Wanna CRUSH

Check out these awesome zombie movies!

You can never have enough zombie movies and unfortunately I am not saying that because there are a ton of movies for zombie fans released each year. However, even though sometimes their quality is questionable to say the least, we do get a fair share of zombie movie releases and in this article we’re going to talk about them.

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Make sure you also check out my list of the best ever zombie movies – titles you have to watch if you haven’t done so already. Once you’ve watched the classics, then take a crack at this list:

The Girl With All the Gifts

Definitely the best on this list! It has a solid cast as well – Gemma Arterton or Glenn Close and I am sure you will love it. A must watch, suitable even for those who are not necessarily fans of the genre. Find out more about it on IMDB.

Day of the Dead

Very little is known about this movie, but it has a really hefty budget for a zombie flick: $10 million, so something nice might come out. It’s also said to be a remake of Romero’s Day of the Dead, which is definitely a bonus! Keep an eye on it on IMDB. This surely looks like a potential fan favorite for future years!

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Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

I am not a very big fan of Resident Evil anymore and I was sure that I’ve seen the last in the series 2 or 3 times ago, but there you have it: there’s one more left for fans. Not your regular zombie flick, but most people label it like a zombie movie so it’s on our list. More details on IMDB.

Cargo

Another potential hit, starring the Hobbit aka Martin Freeman in a role I wasn’t expecting to see him anytime soon: a father trying to save his son during the zombie apocalypse. This one is definitely worth keeping an eye on – IMDB is again our friend.

Patient Zero

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp37IobyiOg&ytbChannel=TRAILER%20ZODIAC

Another big movie with AAA actors like Matt Smith, Clive Standen, Natalie Dormer or Stanley Tucci. It comes with an interesting approach, as we’re following a man who can speak the new language of the infected during the apocalypse and we follow him as he tries to lead a group of survivors to safety. Check it out on IMDB.

Marilyn: Zombie Hunter Documentary

This looks like a B movie at best, but since its director describes it as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Kill Bill,” this makes me want to find out more. Keep an eye on IMDB for more details.

Do you know of any zombie movies hits that we missed? Let us know by commenting below!

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Categories
Zombie Books & Killer Reading

6 More Must-Read Zombie Books

Zombie books just keep churning themselves out like… well… zombies! But I’ve selected another prime pick for you guys.

I would also love to hear from you at the end of this article: what are your favorite zombie books?

Let’s get right into it!

The Burning World: A Warm Bodies Novel – Isaac Marion

Although I am not the biggest fan of this type of zombie novels and I wasn’t a huge fan of the original Warm Bodies novel either, I understand that many zombie fiction lovers – and not only – enjoy it, so it has to be shared. It’s one of the most successful zombie series in mainstream media, so at least for that it deserves some recognition. Here’s what you can expect from this book:

“How do you fight an enemy that’s in everyone? Can the world ever really change? With their home overrun by madmen, R, Julie, and their ragged group of refugees plunge into the otherworldly wastelands of America in search of answers. But there are some answers R doesn’t want to find. A past life, an old shadow, crawling up from the basement.”

Click here to find out more and get it now.

The Old Man at the End of the World – AK Silversmith

I actually found out about this book from a comment on the blog and was intrigued by it. I mean, there are not a lot of zombie novels in which the main character is am 87-year old man who’s slower than the zombies themselves. A hilarious romp, in the end with a single complaint: it was way too short! Here’s a bit from the book’s description:

“Gerald’s life takes a quick turn for the worse, he must do things he has never done before. After 87 largely well-behaved years as a model citizen, less than four hours into the ‘zompocalypse’ and he has already killed a neighbour, rescued a moody millenial drug dealer and forged an unlikely allegiance with a giant ginger Scotsman. And it isn’t even tea time.”

Click here to find out more and get your copy today.

Safe Haven: Rise of the Rams – Christopher Artinian

The planet has succumbed to a monstrous virus. Those who die from the infection return as savage predators hell-bent on spreading the virus to the rest of the human population. The UK and Ireland are the last hold-outs, but when the infrastructure supporting their self-imposed quarantine collapses, it’s everyone for themselves.

Another zombie apocalypse book that’s not set in the US and a nice read overall, showing a different approach in a country where weapons are not piled up at all corners. Nothing special, but still a really enjoyable read.

Click here to find out more and get your copy today.

ANDROMEDA – Amy Bartelloni

Although it’s more about a post-apocalyptic world and an adventure in that world and a lot less about zombies or the infected, this is a really promising beginning of a new series. Surprisingly well written – but do check the preview to make sure that this is your type of book! Here’s a bit of the plot:

Ten years after a pandemic swept the globe, survivors were forced into factions and camps in order to survive… Jade and Sera are two orphans who have found refuge in a government camp. It is there where Jade falls in love with a young soldier, Anyon. But Anyon has his own secrets, carefully guarding a past that involves Sera. But before Jade and Anyon admit their feelings to each other the camp is attacked and they’re separated.

Click here to find out more and get your copy today.

Dead Haven – Flint Maxwell

when Jack’s mother passes away in a freak car accident involving a half-eaten deer and a pack of cigarettes, he knows something’s up. Now, Jack and his fiancé Darlene are forced to go back to his dreaded hometown of Woodhaven, Ohio for mom’s funeral. But what he doesn’t know is it might be their funeral, too.

It starts a bit too slow, but it picks up and ends as a really good read. Can’t wait to read more in this new series!

Click here to find out more and get your copy today.

Zombie Road: Convoy of Carnage – David A. Simpson

In the high desert on the outskirts of Reno, there is an old truck stop frequented by a mix of hard caliber truckers, day tourists, musicians and travelers. They have survived the chaotic first hours of contact with the undead and now must make their way across the country to a location they believe is safe. Zombies are only the beginning of their troubles as they try to cover the thousands of miles of open road with their hastily armored 18-wheelers.

Your classic, enjoyable, zombie novel that reminds us one important thing: don’t judge a book by its cover!

Click here to find out more and get your copy today.

 

So these would be my top picks for now. I know the numbers were greater in the past, but the point is not to share just anything, but only the zombie novels that are actually worth reading! Let me know what your favorite is and if you know of another great zombie novel that I missed.

It’s probably about time to crawl out of your dark reading nook by now… why not crawl into an exciting zombie adventure with Escape Room Z! You can turn your living room into the apocalypse with this printable escape room kit. We gave it a go and absolutely loved it! Check out my playthrough of the game here.

And Make sure to check out all of my other awesome book recommendations here – there are some really great reads you’ll love here:

8 Best Books for Zombie Fans

7 More Epic Books for Zombie Lovers

Top 10 Zombie Books You’ll Love

Another 10 Epic Zombie Books for Diehard Fans

Even More Epic Zombie Books for Avid Adventurers

Categories
Merch For The Stash

Should You Be the Raider During the Zombie Apocalypse?

Most of us hate the idea of raiders during any type of post-apocalyptic event and movies make sure to portray them as the baddest baddies out there. But if a zombie apocalypse hits, wouldn’t it be easier and more lucrative for you to become the raider?

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I personally (and unfortunately) know a lot of people who would prefer to be the raiders during a zombie apocalypse and in this article we’ll try to focus on those guys and girls and answer the burning question: should you be the raider during the zombie apocalypse? And especially what should you do to be a successful raider – if there’s such a thing like that. Things like this have to be covered, even though I do this only for fun and would never recommend anybody to go the raider way!

So in case you’re not familiar with the concept, raiding is the stealing and taking of possessions of other survivors. This can be done either by sneaking and stealing or with a more violent approach.

Let’s start with three tips for raiders:

– As a raider, it is always best to be sure you can take on your next objective. Taking over a military base with a lot of loot sounds tempting, but chances are you won’t be able to pull it of. If you get caught, you will die. Thieves are mostly looked down upon, so unless you have a big army of your own, do not engage. Pick your targets to your abilities and capabilities!
– Getting in and getting what you want is easy. Getting out and keeping what you got is hard. If you are taking the stealthy approach, make sure you can get away nice and quick, and be silent! Also have a plan B, make sure you can get away as fast as possible even if it is loud.
– Engage your own terms. Your most successful attack will be when your target is out in the open and vulnerable, away from their refuge. Bases are defended which will lower your chances of success.

Attacking a group of survivors

Once you have maybe tracked down a group of survivors you think you can raid, it is time to make a plan. Ideally the group would be unarmed, highly unlikely though since they have been surviving in a world full of walkers. Information will be very important, with surprise second. So try to get as much information of your prey without giving away your position. Signs to look for are: many children, older people, wounded people, slow moving people and small groups. Even though it’s not a must for this to happen, always consider that there will be some sort of retaliation and remember that a 100-years old grandma can still put a bullet between your eyes if given the chance or forced to!

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Terrain is a very important aspect in an assault. Take this into consideration before going in. When your attack is taking place on the open plains, there is no chance of cover for both positioning or surprise. High grass or trees however can be a great help in closing in to your targets.

If you manage to get close enough to surprise your victims, it can be used in most situations with great effect. An ambush is not always necessary, suddenly popping up around your victims will have a profound psychological effect. You will then demand the victims to surrender and can prevent a fight.

First Shots / Warning Shots

This can be very dangerous as it will have a great emotional affect. There is a chance though that it causes enough fear and confusion that the people will surrender. In case they don’t surrender you will have ensured a fight. People don’t make good decisions under stress and will most likely fight back. Warning shots, even when aimed in the air, can also cause a fight easily. They could start shooting at your position and you will start firing back and a fight is created. It is best to avoid a fight at all times. Try looking intimidating and demand respect of the prey and then ask for surrender instead.

Ask for Surrender

Ask for surrender. Once your group has taken position, reveal yourselves at once and yell at them to drop their weapons. Follow up with an apology that you just want to be safe. It is likely they have met other survivors so this demand is not very strange. If they refuse, try to surround them a bit more with caution. They could fire a warning shot or aimed shot so be very careful. This will not ruin you aspect of surprise, because they did not anticipate you here. If you can take a better position yell at them to drop their weapons one last time, and that you will count to three. Count fast, because it is not used for building tension. You are trying to force them to decide quickly without reason. If they do not drop their weapons, they are never going to and you will have to fight them. Make sure you fire first.

Raid them

Since you’re a raider, this is what you have to do! Raiding others causes high emotional pressure and builds hate so expect the people you raid to look into revenge if given the chance. Make sure you never offer that chance!

Although raiders would be tempted to steal everything – and most will – you should do your best to be a bit thoughtful and leave the survivors enough to get by and hopefully get back on track and rebuild. Leave them some weapons – but lock them in a box or empty the magazines or do anything that would prevent them from getting the weapons as soon as you turn your back to them. Leave them some food and comfort items and never visit them again.

But… could you live with all this on your mind? I personally believe that during an apocalypse, working together is the key to victory. Wars and fighting will only give the zombies the upper hand eventually and lower our numbers unnecessarily more. And look at the history: wars never resulted in great things, it was during the peace times that humanity really progressed and grew and improved!

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