Band together with up to three of your zombie-battling buddies to save the school from an undead invasion! As the zombie hordes begin to occupy the school, players will need to keep their brains in the game along with all of their best gear and a little bit of luck. Zombie Kidz Evolution is a 2-4 player legacy board game geared towards children but is perfectly suitable for adults and teens alike. Will they be able to save the day or will the school be overrun before all of the gates are locked?

Zombie Kidz Evolution was released in 2018 by Le Scorpion Masque. It features artwork by NIKAO, who also has illustrated several other children’s games such as The Legend of the Wendigo, Monster Chase, and the dice game TerrorEyes. The game was created by Annick Lobet, designer of Save the Pie, Traffic, Zombie Kidz, and the upcoming pirate-themed legacy game Pirate Legends. Zombie Kidz is the predecessor of Zombie Kidz Evolution and is not a legacy game.

As with most games that come with a board, the first thing players need to do is set the double-sided board in the center of the play area. The “Night” side should be face up if there are only two players. Should there be more than two players, the “Day” side needs to be face up. Out of the eight zombies, four random ones are placed on the board; one in each entryway to the school. The remaining zombies form a queue or “reserve” in a line next to the board (the order the zombies are in matters more later). The lock tokens and d6 are placed within easy reach of all players. Each player chooses their character and places the standee in the red, center room. There’s no specific mechanic in place for choosing the first player, but we tend to go with who saw a zombie movie last or whoever can do the best zombie impression.

On a player’s turn, they must first roll the die to see if and where a zombie enters the school. Then they get to decide if they want to move to an adjacent space or stay put where they are. It is important to note that players can not move into a room that has three or zombies in it. The player then gets to eliminate up to two zombies from the area that they are currently in. Should two players be in an entryway that is zombie free, they can high five and officially lock the gate, preventing more zombies from invading! If all four locks are in place, everyone wins. Should there be a point where the die is rolled and there are no zombies left in the queue, the school is overrun and everyone loses.

People may be wondering at this point what makes the game “evolve” and/or where the legacy aspect is. Included in the box are thirteen sealed, white envelopes. There is also a progress chart on the back of the “Zombie Hunter Guide” (a.k.a. the rulebook). Every time a game is played, win or lose, a brain sticker is added to the progress chart. Should a mission be accomplished during the game, a trophy sticker is added to the progress chart and to the mission list to mark it as completed. Missions can only be completed once and only one mission counts per game. Each envelope opened will add to or modify the game in some way. This can include new content, new missions, new rules, and more!

Slated for retail in December 2020, the standalone sequel Zombie Teenz Evolution expands upon the Zombie Kidz universe. While the school was saved, the entire town is now under siege! Though similar in appearance, this legacy game is a little harder and will require even more teamwork if players are going to save the world. The two products are cross-compatible with one another, allowing players to use their Zombie Kidz characters in the Teenz’s plight and vice versa. Both games ramp up the action as more sessions are played to keep them fresh and engaging. This is one of the games’ greatest qualities as they continue to bring new elements to the table, making them fun to play again and again!

Zombie Kidz Evolution is a game that just keeps giving and is one that we keep giving away as gifts. Though marketed as a children’s game, it is a great game to use as an introduction to legacy and teambuilding mechanics regardless of age. Players will continue to dig up new mechanics as the legacy elements build thus allowing newer gamers to develop their gaming skills as the game deepens. Zombie Kidz Evolution is a game that keeps coming off the shelf, not because it has to in order to progress, but because we enjoy it that much even at two-players as adults. As with most legacy games, you can have players come and go between sessions without derailing the campaign. This is incredibly helpful when playing at family gatherings or when someone simply can’t make it to game night. Even as more of the game is unlocked, Zombie Kidz Evolution still allows a pick and choose set up for which elements to utilize per game. This way it is not difficult to rollback the complexity to allow new players to learn as well.

All photos of Le Scorpion Masque products used in this review were taken and edited by Krista unless otherwise stated.