Front Page

Content

Authors

Game Index

Forums

Site Tools

Submissions

About

KK
Kevin Klemme
March 09, 2020
35165 2
Hot
KK
Kevin Klemme
January 27, 2020
20836 0
Hot
KK
Kevin Klemme
August 12, 2019
7428 0
Hot
O
oliverkinne
December 19, 2023
3981 0
Hot
O
oliverkinne
December 14, 2023
3506 0
Hot

Mycelia Board Game Review

Board Game Reviews
O
oliverkinne
December 12, 2023
2079 0
O
oliverkinne
December 07, 2023
2587 0

River Wild Board Game Review

Board Game Reviews
O
oliverkinne
December 05, 2023
2257 0
O
oliverkinne
November 30, 2023
2499 0
J
Jackwraith
November 29, 2023
3020 0
Hot
O
oliverkinne
November 28, 2023
1973 0
S
Spitfireixa
October 24, 2023
3696 0
Hot
O
oliverkinne
October 17, 2023
2626 0
O
oliverkinne
October 10, 2023
2462 0
O
oliverkinne
October 09, 2023
2291 0
O
oliverkinne
October 06, 2023
2509 0

Outback Crossing Review

Board Game Reviews
×
Bugs: Recent Topics Paging, Uploading Images & Preview (11 Dec 2020)

Recent Topics paging, uploading images and preview bugs require a patch which has not yet been released.

× Talk about the latest and greatest AT, and the Classics.

Revisiting: Last Night On Earth

More
26 Sep 2015 09:43 #211382 by ChristopherMD
This game always had divided opinions around here, but I know some people definitely like it. I like it, but I haven't played it in at least a couple years. How has this held up? Are you still regularly playing it? Is it a shelf toad for you now? Did you sell it or trade it with no regrets? Has it been replaced by something you prefer? Are you just sick of zombies and never want to see another one?






Previously Revisited:
Decent 2nd
Dungeons & Dragons Adventure System Games
Earth Reborn
Galaxy Trucker
Neuroshima Hex

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
26 Sep 2015 10:38 #211385 by R.P.Kraul
I have the LNOE base box and Growing Hunger. The theme is great. I think what has stopped me from loving it more is the need for a zombie player. I just wish it played solo because the zombie player has some basic options, and it's strategically dry.

The other thing I dislike is the search mechanism. It's not just LNOE, though. I think a lot of zombie games use a similar mechanic. It would be nice to play a zombie game in which the characters already come equipped with weapons. One would think that, in an zombie apocalypse, survivors can either run like hell, or they're already equipped with weapons.

It's certainly not a bad game. The theme shines. Some of the specific characters really shine. I like that there are fewer zombies and that they're more difficult to kill. If you think about it, a zombie wouldn't be all that easy to kill. Contrary to what we see in movies, shows, and video games, getting a head shot on a moving target--even a slow-moving target--takes a lot of skill. And no, luck wouldn't help one out much, either. This is one area where LNOE really gets it right.

I suppose the reason I don't play it more is that it the one-versus-many mechanic--it's one versus many because there's no logic in having more than one zombie player. I really wish there were a solo variant.
The following user(s) said Thank You: ChristopherMD, SebastianBludd

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
26 Sep 2015 11:25 #211387 by SuperflyPete
I still like it. Haven't played in a while but I'd like to.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
26 Sep 2015 11:27 #211388 by Josh Look
When I first got into hobby gaming, I didn't really recognize games belong to specific camps. I bought and played what I heard was good, be it War of the Ring or Ticket to Ride. Games were games. LNOE and the reactions it got from the people I played it with is the game where distinctions were made and helped me define what I like and the kind of experience I prefered. At the time I hadn't played anything else that had this much theme, and it was a really fun game to boot. Do I feel like playing it now? Not so much, but I know I'd still have fun if I did.

I think there's a few things that sunk it. First, there aren't that many good scenarios in the base game. It's been said a million times before, but the fish the deck scenarios suck. Fixing that would mean adding expansions, which did bring more scenarios but also diluted the decks as well.

Timber Peak, and using just that one box, is probably the best way to play.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Gary Sax, ChristopherMD

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
26 Sep 2015 12:16 #211389 by OldHippy
I've enjoyed pretty much every game of LNOE that I've played. I think it's a fun game. I always found the combat mechanic a bit odd and I didn't like how people would game the zombies near the end. Like how you knew that if the player killed X zombies in Y rounds they'd win... so during round y-1 or 2 the zombie player might stop coming towards you and actually run away. Not because it's what a zombie does but because it increased their chances of winning and the zombie player had the option so why not use it.

We just laughed it off but it didn't sit right with me.

All in all though I always enjoyed it. They were some fun scenario's in there and the game always moved at a good clip, I'd gladly try it again. We just got bored of it and my buddy sold it off.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
26 Sep 2015 12:16 #211390 by hotseatgames
I just have the base game. It never hit the table very often, and I think that's due to the search the deck scenarios and it really not being all that fun to be the zombies. I did like the inventive card play though.

I'll never get rid of it because it's the first game I completely painted.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
26 Sep 2015 12:35 #211391 by Michael Barnes
This is one of those games that EVERYBODY was playing for a while.

And no NO ONE is playing it.

God, those photographs..."oh, tee hee...cheesy B-movie...oh no, I've never actually seen any exploitation movies...this is what I think they must be like."

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
26 Sep 2015 12:51 #211392 by SuperflyPete

Michael Barnes wrote: This is one of those games that EVERYBODY was playing for a while.

And no NO ONE is playing it.


Just like Earth Reborn, Tigris, Agricola, Thunder Road, and a hundred other games that are great and just never see the table.

I think that on balance, zombie-type games suck ass. LNOE is the exception along with X of Horror (City or Mall). Everything else is pretty bad to middling.

If there was a DDAS type zombie game where the AI was really smart, like Gears Of War smart, that might be the one that is played in perpetuity.

I still say that Zombie Survival is one of the best zombie games but the rules muddied it so much that it was overlooked.
The following user(s) said Thank You: R.P.Kraul

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
26 Sep 2015 13:18 #211394 by Jexik
It's all right. It was one of my first post-Heroscape games so I have a soft spot for it. I still have it but have probably only played it 3-5 times in the last two years. When we want something with that many players lately we've been reaching for Betrayal at House on the Hill instead. Or Dead of WInter or Zombicide.

Generally if I've got 5 or more I'd rather play Skull, Avalon, One Night Ultimate Werewolf, or Codenames. I've drifted towards shorter games the longer I've been doing this.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
26 Sep 2015 13:18 #211395 by R.P.Kraul

SuperflyTNT wrote:

Michael Barnes wrote: This is one of those games that EVERYBODY was playing for a while.

And no NO ONE is playing it.


Just like Earth Reborn, Tigris, Agricola, Thunder Road, and a hundred other games that are great and just never see the table.

I think that on balance, zombie-type games suck ass. LNOE is the exception along with X of Horror (City or Mall). Everything else is pretty bad to middling.

If there was a DDAS type zombie game where the AI was really smart, like Gears Of War smart, that might be the one that is played in perpetuity.

I still say that Zombie Survival is one of the best zombie games but the rules muddied it so much that it was overlooked.


Just curious, have you tried any version of Dawn of the Zeds? I haven't but am looking forward to the 3rd edition. It looks to me like it might be the ultimate zombie survival game, but it's probably more tactical than thematic.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
26 Sep 2015 13:19 #211396 by SebastianBludd
If you add the barricades/sewers/Grave Weapons/Unique Items/Survival Deck (Survival of the Fittest expansion), Grave Dead (Growing Hunger), Zombie Champions (Blood in the Forest), and the Hero and Zombie Upgrades (Timber Peak & Blood in the Forest) then LNOE is a lot more strategic and less rote for both zombie and human players. Unfortunately, that content is spread across 2 base sets and 3 expansions and there aren't any comprehensive rules for combining it.

I'm actually working on some guidelines - using Growing Hunger's "Dots" point system - for plugging and playing the different rules and expansion content but I put it down after realizing how much of an undertaking it would be. It's not just a matter of coming up with which parts to use from which games but you also have to analyze each scenario and hero to see which ones will work with each game. I made a bunch of notes after analyzing each hero and scenario but it still needs collating in a spreadsheet...

I still really like the games and the cleverness of the fight system usually gets lost in chatter praising the atmosphere or lamenting the randomness. If you have the base game (with or without Growing Hunger) and you're looking to make it more strategic for both players for the least amount of money I would skip Timber Peak and just get the Blood in the Forest expansion. While BitF doesn't have as many of the Hero Upgrade (15 vs. 30 in Timber Peak) or Zombie Upgrade cards (6 vs. 10 in TP), the Zombie Champions are amazing and so fun to play. I'd have to look at the content more in depth to see if the BitF map tiles or cards would clash with LNOE or GH but otherwise the ZC's and Upgrades should be cross-compatible.

If it were someon who wants to see what all the fuss is about but didn't know where to start I'd go the opposite route and get Timber Peak and Blood in the Forest. Then I would try adding Growing Hunger (for the Grave Dead) and any of the smaller expansions later.

The last time I played we used TP + BitF and it was 2 vs. 2. My team lost to the zombie team who spawned as many of the Champions as they could and beat us handily. The Feral Dead (Move 2) are fun and the Zombie Behemoths are nuts (Move D3, 2 Fight Dice, Ignore a wound on 4+, Inflict an additional wound during a Fight if it rolls a natural 6 and wins the Fight). There was one Behemoth that shrugged off about 5 wounds during the game and it went a long way to contributing to our defeat.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Gary Sax, ChristopherMD, Egg Shen, R.P.Kraul

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
26 Sep 2015 15:07 #211401 by Hex Sinister
I can't think of anything positive to say about this game. I haven't bought another Flying Frog title since. I got lucky and had a noob buy it off me for too much money. Head$hot!

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
26 Sep 2015 22:46 #211410 by metalface13
I sold mine off several years ago when it was in between print runs, so I got decent money for it. Only ever had the base game, none of the expansions. I seem to remember everyone always having fun with it among my casual gamer friends and family. The search mechanic was bothersome, but people had fun. I don't remember why I sold it, maybe it was just the offer. I don't really regret it though, although my wife has mentioned it maybe once or twice. I'd be open to giving it another chance if someone wanted to play it.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
27 Sep 2015 09:39 - 27 Sep 2015 09:42 #211414 by Grudunza
I sold mine off a couple years ago. But I will always have an appreciation for it. I was at my first game con in SLC in 2008, playing Pillars of the Earth and having a most dry and dull time, when a group of people sat next to us playing LNOE, boisterously laughing and trash talking and chucking piles of dice. I felt like a kid sitting inside taking piano lessons while his friends are all outside riding bikes and playing baseball. And when I picked it up shortly after, the game didn't disappoint... Many great experiences with close endings, and a very cinematic feel. I still think the dice combat system is a great one, and the game has enough interesting decisions to keep it engaging (though playing the heroes is usually much better than the zombies).

To me, the cheesy photographs work really well for that game (which is supposed to be depicting a cheap zombie flick), but they shouldn't have kept that for a style (especially on ATOE, where it was depicting gothic horror). LNOE got bloated with expansions, and I think it would have seen more life if they had ever made a co-op/solo version. Every Flying Frog game after that got worse in quality and interest for me. I wanted to like the other games, and kind of still like ATOE in some respects, but nothing else lived up to the quality and promise of LNOE. I'd love to play it again at some point, but probably wouldn't go out of my way or buy it again.
Last edit: 27 Sep 2015 09:42 by Grudunza.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Gary Sax, ChristopherMD, Cranberries

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
27 Sep 2015 10:07 #211415 by Sagrilarus
This game always felt like there was a whole lot of nothing going on some turns. That and the presence of Cancel cards meant that it didn't work foe me personally. The Defend the Manor scenario was better, the only one really worth playing.

S.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Moderators: Gary Sax
Time to create page: 0.434 seconds