Dead of Winter is a strategic board game set in a post-apocalyptic world where players must cooperate (or at least semi-cooperate) to survive the harsh winter while also achieving their own secret objectives.
Are you ready to face the daunting challenges of a world plunged into chaos? Let’s dive into the game and discover how to play Dead of Winter, step by step.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Main Objective of Dead of Winter
- Dead of Winter Game Contents
- Getting Started
- Dead of Winter Board Game Characters
- How to Play
- End of the Game
- Dead of Winter Board Game FAQs
- Do you have to play outside cards in Dead of Winter?
- How many scenarios are there in Dead of Winter?
- How many action dice do you get in Dead of Winter?
- How many zombies to add Dead of Winter?
- Can Dead of Winter be Played Solo?
- What are the rules for the noise token in Dead of Winter?
- Do you have to play outside cards in Dead of Winter?
- How many times can you move in Dead of Winter?
- What is the age rating for Dead of Winter?
Introduction
Welcome to a comprehensive guide on how to play the Dead of Winter Board Game. If you’re a fan of immersive tabletop experiences and love the thrill of surviving in a post-apocalyptic world, then this game is sure to captivate you. Dead of Winter, designed by Jonathan Gilmour and Isaac Vega, has gained tremendous popularity among board game enthusiasts for its unique gameplay mechanics and intense narrative.
In this article, we will walk you through the ins and outs of Dead of Winter, providing you with detailed instructions, strategies, and tips to navigate the challenges of this gripping survival game. Whether you’re a seasoned player looking to brush up on the rules or a beginner eager to learn, this guide will equip you with the knowledge you need to emerge victorious in the dead of winter.
| Age | 13 Years Plus |
| Players | 2 – 5 |
| Year | 2014 |
| Playing Time | 60 – 120 minutes |
| Categories | Survival / Post Apocolypse Cooperative / Placement |
| Publisher | Plaid Hat Games (Acquired by Fantasy Flight Games) |
| Expansions | The Long Night, Warring Colonies |
Main Objective of Dead of Winter
The main objective of the Dead of Winter Board Game is to survive the harsh winter in a post-apocalyptic world. Players find themselves in a colony of survivors, each with their own personal goals and secrets. However, the success of the entire group depends on their ability to work together and overcome the challenges that arise.
One unique feature of Dead of Winter is the need to balance individual objectives with the common goals of the colony. While players strive to achieve their own hidden objectives, they must also contribute to the overall well-being and survival of the group. This creates an atmosphere of uncertainty and suspicion as players must make difficult decisions that could benefit themselves or the colony.
The game is designed to simulate the desperate struggle for survival in a bleak, unforgiving world. Resources are scarce, the threat of starvation looms, and the ever-present danger of the undead hordes makes every decision crucial. As players navigate the challenges of scavenging for supplies, managing morale, and dealing with unforeseen crises, they must constantly assess their priorities and make tough choices to ensure their survival.
Dead of Winter emphasizes the delicate balance between self-preservation and cooperation. It challenges players to weigh their personal ambitions against the greater good, forcing them to confront moral dilemmas and consider the needs of the group. Success requires strategic planning, resource management, effective communication, and negotiation with fellow players.
Remember, surviving the winter is not just about individual victory but also about the collective survival of the colony. Can you overcome your own hidden agenda and work together with your fellow survivors to endure the freezing temperatures and the constant threat of the dead? The fate of humanity rests in your hands as you navigate the treacherous landscape of Dead of Winter.
Dead of Winter Game Contents
- 10 Dual-Sided Main Objective Cards
- 24 Secret Objective Cards
- 10 Betrayal Secret Objective Cards
- 10 Exiled Secret Objective Cards
- 30 Survivor Cards
- 5 Player Reference Sheets
- 1 First Player Token
- 25 Starting Item Cards
- 20 Crisis Cards
- 80 Crossroads Cards
- 25 Wound Tokens
- 6 Starvation Tokens
- 2 Track Markers
- 20 Police Station, Grocery Store, School Item Deck Cards
- 20 Gas Station, Library, Hospital Item Deck Cards
- 20 Helpless Survivor, Food, Noise, Barricade Tokens
- 30 Zombie Standees & Survivor Tokens
- 60 Plastic Standee Stands
- 1 Colony Board
- 6 Location Cards
- 1 Rulebook
Colony Board
- The game board represents the colony’s location and provides a visual representation of the survivors’ base.
- It features different locations, such as the police station, library, gas station, and more, where players can send their characters to scavenge for supplies or perform specific actions.
- The game board serves as the central hub for gameplay and helps players strategize their movements and plan their actions.
Survivor Cards
- Each player receives a set of player cards, representing the survivors they control in the game.
- These cards depict various characters with unique abilities and backgrounds, adding depth and diversity to the gameplay.
- Player cards are essential for determining each survivor’s strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities, which can greatly influence the outcome of the game.
Item Cards
- Item cards represent the essential supplies and equipment that survivors need to survive the winter.
- These cards include weapons, food, medicine, tools, and other valuable resources that can be found or traded within the game.
- Item cards play a crucial role in managing the colony’s resources, fending off threats, and completing various objectives.
Crisis Cards
- Crisis cards represent unexpected events and challenges that the colony must face during gameplay.
- These cards introduce dilemmas and difficult choices, forcing players to allocate resources and make tough decisions collectively.
- Successfully overcoming crisis cards is crucial for maintaining the morale and stability of the colony.
Crossroad Cards
- Crossroad cards are narrative-driven cards that add a storytelling element to the game.
- These cards present players with thematic scenarios and choices that can impact the game’s outcome.
- The decisions made when prompted by crossroad cards can lead to unexpected consequences, shaping the narrative and gameplay experience.
Objective Cards
- Objective cards outline the secret goals of each player, known only to themselves.
- These cards add an element of mystery and hidden agendas, as players strive to achieve their personal objectives without revealing their true intentions to others.
- Fulfilling the objectives is a key component of the game and can lead to individual victory or failure for the entire group.
Getting Started
To fully enjoy the Dead of Winter Board Game, it’s important to properly set up the game components and establish the initial conditions. Follow these step-by-step instructions to get started:
- Organizing the Game Board:
- Unfold the game board and place it in the center of the playing area.
- Ensure that all players have clear visibility and easy access to the various locations depicted on the board.
- Distributing Player Cards:
- Shuffle the player cards and deal one to each player.
- Each player receives a player card, which represents the survivor they will control throughout the game.
- Instruct players to keep their player cards secret from others.
- Setting up the Main Deck:
- Combine the item cards, crisis cards, and crossroad cards to form the main deck.
- Shuffle the main deck thoroughly to ensure a randomized gameplay experience.
- Place the main deck face-down near the game board, within reach of all players.
- Objective Cards:
- Depending on the number of players, randomly select a number of objective cards equal to the player count plus one.
- Remove any remaining objective cards from the game without revealing them.
- Shuffle the selected objective cards and deal one to each player, face-down.
- Each player now has their secret objective to fulfill during the game.
- Additional Setup Steps:
- Each player places their survivor pawn at the colony space on the game board.
- If playing with the “Betrayal at the Colony” variant, follow the specific setup instructions provided in the rulebook.
- Place the round tracker token on the starting space of the round track, typically marked as Round 0.
- Assign the first player marker to a player of your choice.
- Lastly, make sure all players have a clear understanding of the game rules and are ready to embark on the challenging journey together.
Note: The above instructions provide a general setup for Dead of Winter. Refer to the rulebook for any specific setup variations or additional rules based on expansions or variants you may be playing.
Dead of Winter Board Game Characters
In the Dead of Winter Board Game, players have the opportunity to control unique characters who represent the survivors struggling to endure the harsh winter. Here’s an overview of how players choose their characters, the significance of character abilities, and some tips for selecting characters based on their strengths and weaknesses:
Choosing Characters
At the beginning of the game, players can select their characters from the available pool of Dead of Winter Board Game characters.
The number of characters available may vary depending on the player count and any expansions being used.
Players should take their time to read and understand the abilities and backgrounds of each character before making their choice.
Character Abilities
Each character in Dead of Winter possesses unique abilities that can greatly impact gameplay.
Abilities can range from specialized skills, such as being a skilled fighter or a master negotiator, to special actions or bonuses during specific game phases.
Character abilities contribute to the overall strategy of the game, allowing players to excel in certain areas, overcome challenges more efficiently, or provide valuable support to the group.
Special Abilities
In addition to their regular abilities, some characters may have special abilities that set them apart.
Special abilities are often more powerful and have a significant impact on gameplay.
These abilities may grant additional actions, alter game rules, or provide exclusive benefits that can greatly influence the outcome of the game.
Selecting Characters
When choosing characters, consider their abilities in relation to the overall objectives of the game.
Look for characters whose abilities complement the needs of the colony and align with your preferred playstyle.
Consider the balance between characters who excel at combat, resource management, exploration, or morale boosting, depending on the specific goals and challenges you anticipate facing.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Characters in Dead of Winter often have strengths and weaknesses that should be taken into account when making selections.
Some characters may have higher combat abilities but weaker resource management skills, while others may excel at contributing to the colony’s morale but lack in other areas.
It can be beneficial to have a diverse group of characters that cover a range of abilities, ensuring you have the necessary skills to tackle different scenarios that may arise during the game.
Remember, the selection of characters is an important strategic decision. Consider the objectives, challenges, and gameplay preferences of both yourself and the group when making your choices. By understanding and leveraging the abilities of your chosen characters, you can enhance your chances of survival and success in the Dead of Winter Board Game.
Character List
Here is a list of some of the characters available in the base game of Dead of Winter Board Game:
- Amber – The Determined
- Ben – The Pharmacist
- Brad – The Veteran
- Elsa – The Teacher
- Gabriel – The Brains
- Hank – The Drifter
- Ivy – The Visionary
- Jane – The Farmer
- Joshua – The Troubled Child
- Kyla – The Cop
- Lily – The Runaway
- Meryl – The Nurse
- Neil – The Soldier
- Nora – The Hitchhiker
- Peter – The Sheriff
- Regina – The Chef
- Sam – The Fireman
- Sophie – The Schoolgirl
- Tom – The Handyman
- Wanda – The Librarian
Please note that the availability of characters may vary depending on expansions or additional content you have for the game. It’s always a good idea to refer to the specific rulebook or game materials to confirm the complete list of characters for your version of Dead of Winter.
How to Play
Understanding the turn structure and basic rules is crucial for learning how to play Dead of Winter, navigating the challenges and making impactful decisions. Let’s delve into the gameplay and explore the key elements:
- Turn Structure:
- Dead of Winter follows a turn-based structure where each player takes their turn sequentially.
- The game is played over a series of rounds, typically divided into player turns and a Colony Phase.
- Player Turns:
- During their turn, a player can perform various actions with their controlled survivor character.
- Actions include moving to different locations on the game board, searching for items, attacking zombies, interacting with other players, and using special character abilities.
- Players must carefully choose their actions based on their objectives, the needs of the colony, and the current state of the game.
- Colony Phase:
- After all players have taken their turns, the game proceeds to the Colony Phase.
- During this phase, players collectively face the challenges that arise in the colony.
- This phase involves checking for food and adding zombies to the game board, resolving crisis cards, and evaluating the overall morale of the colony.
- Crisis cards present dilemmas that require players to allocate resources and make collective decisions to overcome them successfully.
- Resource Management:
- Resources play a vital role in Dead of Winter. These include food, medicine, weapons, and other essential supplies needed for survival.
- Players must manage resources efficiently, making sure the colony has enough to meet its basic needs and withstand crises.
- Scavenging for resources, trading with other players, and making strategic decisions regarding resource allocation are key elements of gameplay.
- Morale:
- Morale represents the mental well-being and cohesion of the colony.
- Events, crisis cards, and player actions can affect morale positively or negatively.
- Maintaining high morale is crucial for the survival of the colony, as low morale can lead to dire consequences and potential defeat.
- Dealing with Crisis Cards:
- Crisis cards introduce unexpected challenges that players must face collectively.
- These cards require players to contribute specific resource cards to overcome the crisis.
- Failing to meet the requirements of a crisis card negatively impacts the colony, potentially leading to further challenges or a decrease in morale.
Player Turn Phase
During their turn in Dead of Winter, players have several actions they can take to further their objectives and contribute to the survival of the colony. Here are some of the common player turn actions:
- Move:
- Players can move their controlled survivor character to different locations on the game board.
- Each survivor has a limited number of movement points, usually determined by their character card.
- Moving allows players to explore new areas, scavenge for resources, or reach specific locations to fulfill objectives.
- Search:
- Players can search a location where their survivor is currently located or adjacent to it.
- Searching involves drawing item cards from the main deck or the location’s specific deck, if applicable.
- Item cards can provide valuable resources, weapons, tools, or other useful items to aid in survival.
- Attack:
- If a survivor is in a location with zombies or encounters them during movement, players can choose to attack.
- Combat involves rolling dice and comparing the combat strength of the survivor against the zombies’ strength.
- A successful attack eliminates zombies, making the location safer and allowing further exploration or objective completion.
- Use Special Abilities:
- Each survivor has unique abilities and special actions indicated on their character card.
- Players can utilize these special abilities to gain advantages, overcome obstacles, or support the colony.
- Special abilities may include healing, searching more efficiently, performing extra actions, or contributing to the overall welfare of the group.
- Trade and Interact:
- Players can engage in trading and interaction with other players survivor characters.
- This can involve exchanging resources, and items, or making agreements to fulfill objectives or assist each other.
- Effective communication and negotiation are essential for successful trades and collaborations.
- Objective-Focused Actions:
- Players should prioritize actions that align with their secret objective cards.
- These actions may involve specific tasks, acquiring certain resources, or interacting with specific locations or characters.
- Fulfilling objectives is crucial for individual victory and contributes to the overall success of the colony.
Colony Phase
The Colony Phase in Dead of Winter is the second part of each round and occurs after all players have taken their individual turns in the Player Turn phase. During this phase, players collectively face challenges and work together to ensure the survival and prosperity of the colony. Here’s a more detailed explanation of the Colony Phase:
- Checking for Food:
- The first step in the Colony Phase is to check if the colony has enough food to sustain its population.
- The number of food tokens required is based on the number of survivors present in the colony.
- If the colony doesn’t have enough food, the morale of the colony decreases, potentially leading to negative consequences.
- Adding Zombies:
- The next step involves adding zombies to the game board, representing the relentless threat of the undead.
- The number of zombies added is determined by the number of non-frozen locations that have exceeded their zombie limits.
- Players must strategize to manage the zombie population and prevent their overwhelming presence in key areas.
- Crisis Resolution:
- The core element of the Colony Phase is resolving crisis cards.
- Crisis cards present various dilemmas and challenges that the colony must overcome collectively.
- Each crisis card specifies required resource contributions from players to combat the crisis.
- Players secretly contribute resource cards from their hands to the crisis, aiming to meet or exceed the required contribution.
- If the crisis is successfully resolved, the colony survives the challenge and avoids negative consequences.
- However, failing to meet the crisis requirements can have severe repercussions, such as reducing morale or triggering further crises.
- Morale Check:
- After resolving the crisis, the overall morale of the colony is evaluated.
- Morale represents the mental well-being and cohesion of the survivors.
- Various factors, such as crisis outcomes, player actions, and specific events, can affect morale positively or negatively.
- Low morale can lead to detrimental effects, while high morale boosts the colony’s efficiency and resilience.
- Event Resolution:
- Some cards or game mechanics may trigger additional events during the Colony Phase.
- These events can introduce new challenges, provide opportunities, or impact the game in unexpected ways.
- Players must respond and adapt to these events, considering their potential consequences on the colony’s survival.
End of the Game
In the Dead of Winter Board Game, the game can end in either victory or defeat based on certain criteria. The game-ending conditions take into account factors such as morale, the round track, and the completion of the main objective. Here’s an explanation of how the game ends and the criteria for determining successful winners or losers:
- Morale:
- Morale represents the mental well-being and unity of the colony.
- If the morale level reaches zero at any point during the game, it signifies a complete breakdown of morale and leads to an immediate loss for all players. The colony succumbs to despair and fails to survive the winter.
- Round Track:
- The round track serves as a countdown mechanism, indicating the advancing progress of the winter season.
- The game is typically played over a set number of rounds as indicated by the round track.
- If the round track reaches zero, the game ends regardless of the current status or objectives.
- Completion of the Main Objective:
- The main objective card provides a specific goal that players must collectively strive to achieve.
- The game ends with a potential victory for all players if the main objective is successfully completed by the designated deadline or conditions.
- However, if the main objective is not fulfilled within the required parameters, the game ends in defeat for all players.
Successful Winners:
- To be considered successful winners, all players must collectively meet the conditions for victory.
- This includes completing the main objective within the specified parameters before the game ends.
- Additionally, the morale level should not reach zero, and the game should not conclude due to the round track reaching the end point.
- Successful winners overcome the challenges, manage resources, maintain morale, and achieve the collective goal of surviving the winter.
Losers:
- If any of the following conditions occur, all players are considered losers:
- The morale level reaches zero, reflecting a complete collapse of the colony’s spirit.
- The round track reaches zero, signifying the progression of time and the unavoidable conclusion of the game.
- The main objective is not fulfilled within the required parameters.
It’s important to note that while the game can end in defeat, players can still have individual success by fulfilling their secret objectives. However, the overall outcome of the game is determined by the collective achievements or failures of the players, the status of morale, the progress of the round track, and the completion of the main objective.
Strive to work together, maintain high morale, manage resources effectively, and prioritize the main objective to increase your chances of being successful winners in the Dead of Winter Board Game.
Check out my review of Dead of Winter.
Dead of Winter Board Game FAQs
Do you have to play outside cards in Dead of Winter?
No, Outsider cards function similarly to other item cards, allowing you to retain them in your hand until you decide to utilize them. Additionally, you have the option to request and deploy these cards during a crisis, just as you would with any other item card.
How many scenarios are there in Dead of Winter?
There are a total of 20 distinct scenarios available for gameplay, each presenting a varied starting morale level, zombie presence, game duration, and a unique objective for achieving victory in the colony.
How many action dice do you get in Dead of Winter?
Each player receives one action die plus one additional action die for each survivor they control.
How many zombies to add Dead of Winter?
For every two survivors, add one zombie. Also, add one zombie to each non-colony location that has a survivor present.
Can Dead of Winter be Played Solo?
Yes, Dead of Winter can be played solo. Check out my guide to playing solo.
What are the rules for the noise token in Dead of Winter?
In the colony phase, a crucial step involves rolling the die for each placed noise token. Following each roll, you retrieve the corresponding noise token, and if the result is a 3 or below, a zombie is positioned at the designated location. However, if the roll yields a 4 or higher, nothing happens.
Do you have to play outside cards in Dead of Winter?
No, keep them until you wish to play them. This is the same for any other item card.
How many times can you move in Dead of Winter?
Each survivor can only move once per turn.
What is the age rating for Dead of Winter?
Dead of Winter has a rating of 14 years plus. There are references to adult themes such as violence and alcohol which parents should be aware of.
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