The Zombies had the upper hand at Red Deer College this week.
By Friday morning, only 18 humans were left standing. In a game of Humans versus Zombies, 100 students and staff participated in the three-day invasion.
Players began as humans, with one student chosen randomly as the original zombie. Slowly and strategically, he began killing humans and turning them into zombies by his touch. Gradually, his army grew and the fate of mankind was in jeopardy.
The event was organized by the Campus Recreation and Student Life. Lee Wiebe, student life co-ordinator, said the inaugural modified game of tag was an outlet for students dealing with the anxiety of final exams.
“Also, it’s a really good way to bring a whole bunch of different social groups together and break down the boundaries of social groups,” said Wiebe.
Wiebe said the first game just happened to fall on April Fool’s Day. Humans versus Zombies is a game played at colleges and universities. Next year, they will keep the same dates.
The zombies wore orange bandanas while the humans were identified by a white arm band. Humans were free from attack in safe zones, including regularly scheduled classes and meetings where the game was not permitted to continue.
Humans could prolong their life by tossing marshmallows and socks at the zombies, which would stun the dead for 15 minutes.
Throughout the invasion, various missions were conducted and the winning side would get a reward. For example, humans were tasked to transport someone to another location safely. If they succeeded, they would get five human lives back.
The game started on Wednesday and was expected to end Friday evening or “until humans either resolve the apocalypse by completing successful missions or until all humans are converted to zombies,” said Wiebe.
crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com