City of Horror
- Players
- 3-6
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 6 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 90 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 13+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 2.4 / 5
- Year
- 2012
About the game
City of Horror is a backstabbing survival game that drops 3-6 players into a zombie-overrun city, where survival often means sacrificing your fellow players. Each character can move between limited-capacity locations, barricade for safety, and scavenge for items, but critical moments like a zombie breakthrough are resolved by group vote, often at someone else's expense. Sharing its bones with designer Nicolas Normandon's earlier Mall of Horror, it adds a changing city map, twenty unique characters, antidotes, and dwindling action cards for added tension. It's a survival game built on negotiation and self-preservation.
Hobbli's Notes
City of Horror thrives on its uncomfortable social tension - deciding who to sacrifice to the horde is where the game truly shines. We think it's best enjoyed by groups who don't mind a little betrayal among friends. The downtime can add up in a full six-player game, so keep turns brisk.
What we like
- Unique blend of cooperative survival and secret self-interest creates tense social dynamics.
- Changing city map and twenty unique characters add strong replayability.
- Voting mechanic for critical moments creates memorable, dramatic decisions.
- Zombie horror theme is well supported by scavenging and barricading mechanics.
Keep in mind
- High downtime grade can slow down larger groups.
- Negotiation-heavy backstabbing may not suit groups who prefer pure cooperation.
- Player elimination is possible, which can sideline unlucky players.
Who it's for
Suited to groups of 3-6 who enjoy negotiation-heavy, semi-competitive social games with a horror theme and a willingness to betray each other.
