Running from Zombies

Zombies, Run!

You tie your shoes, put on your headphones, take your first few steps outside. You’ve barely covered a hundred yards when you hear them. They must be close. You can hear every gutteral breath, every rattling groan --they’re everywhere. Zombies. There’s only one thing you can do...

RUN!

If simple fitness won't get you to run, maybe a ravenous horde of zombies will.



London-based developer Six to Start wants to remind people of that in their upcoming iOS game, Zombies, Run!. Rather than another zombie-killing game, Six to Start aims to create a fully interactive alternate-reality adventure game, where runners can ensure the survival of a human colony in an apocalyptic wasteland - but only if they get up off the couch and run for their lives.

The game mechanics sound pretty simple: all the player has to do is run. "You receive orders and hear the story told through radio messages and voice recordings between your own custom playlists," the game's Kickstarter page explains. "Missions last around 20-30 minutes in real time and there'll be over 30 unique missions in Season 1." As players run, they advance a seasonal story and pick up supplies that they can ration out when they return home. In-between missions (runs), players will discover puzzles, documents, websites, and other story tidbits to help them piece together a larger narrative.

If this sounds like a good idea to you, then it's up to you to help Six to Start get the necessary funds together. Their Kickstarter page explains that they will fund the game out-of-pocket, but player contributions can help make the game better, from better testing to famous voice actors. Considering that one of their offers is $20 worth of Season 1 content for a $10 donation, this could be a chance for would-be runners and marathon veterans alike to save some scratch. After all, a little extra money could come in handy during a zombie uprising.

As any runner can tell you, good fitness is its own reward. That said, there's nothing wrong with spicing up a run with an unobtrusive game, and it could be just the thing to get new runners out of the house and onto the streets. If nothing else, it will be good preparation for the inevitable real zombie apocalypse. I think getting fit for the zombie uprising is the way forward.



Off their website,they say....

Zombies, Run! is an ultra-immersive game for the iPhone and iPod Touch where you help rebuild civilisation after a zombie apocalypse. By going out and running in the real world, you can collect medicine, ammo, batteries, and spare parts that you can use to build up and expand your base - all while getting orders, clues, and story through your headphones.

Zombies, Run! is about making the thrill of running even better with a game and a story delivered through your headphones. We’re making running more fun, more exciting, and more addictive for everyone from newbies to marathon runners. And Zombies, Run! works anywhere - in a park, along a beach, in the city, even on treadmills!

Also: we don’t make you watch your screen while you’re running; we don’t make you change your favorite routes; and you don’t need to buy any fancy armbands or tracking devices. All you do is press a button when you start, and another button when you’re done. That’s it. We follow your lead.

Story, Game, & Fitness App: A Triple (Zombie) Threat!

You’re Runner 5. Hundreds of lives are counting on you. You've got to help your base rebuild from the ruins of civilization by collecting critical supplies while avoiding roving zombie hordes. Can you save them?

You receive orders and hear the story told through radio messages and voice recordings between your own custom playlists. Missions last around 20-30 minutes in real time and there'll be over 30 unique missions in Season 1.

You'll automatically collect items like medicine, batteries, and ammo while running, and once you’re back home, you get to assign them to different parts of your base. Who needs the vitamins more, the soldiers or the doctors? Which buildings need extra defenses? It’s up to you - and the bigger your base, the more missions you’ll have access to.

But what are the leaders of your base scheming about? How did you get there? Where did the zombies come from? There’s a deeper mystery to be uncovered, puzzles to be solved, websites to be discovered, documents to be viewed so you can learn the truth of what’s happened to the world.

Zombies, Run! records the distance, time, pace, and calories burned of all your runs, and we’re keen to add RunKeeper integration. There's also the option to hear audio notifications of for time, distance, and pace during your run. If you want to get fit while also saving the world, this is the game for you.

Why we need your support

Zombies, Run! is a pure indie game. We’re self-funding the development, art, writing, and promotion 100% from our own pockets, and we’re happy to do that because it’s a game we’ve wanted to make for a long time, and it’s real labour of love.

We want Zombies, Run! to be the best game it can possibly be, and that’s where your support will be incredibly valuable to help pay for great voice actors, better sound production facilities, exhaustive testing, and of course, making your rewards!

What we'll do with any extra funds

Create extra couch-to-5k and marathon training mission packs. Add data export, web integration, RunKeeper integration, and multiplayer support.

For each extra $5k raised, we’ll recruit one special guest of your choice to lend their voice to a character in the game. You’ll be able to vote on who you’d like to hear, and we’ll do everything within our power to secure their talents. Imagine Nathan Fillion, Ellen McLain, or Felicia Day as zombie-killers - it could happen!


Frankly, this might be one of the best ways to get people interested in running and keep some from falling out of it. I personally love zombies and running, so it combines my two favorite things in the world.

Hope to see you out there!




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