Zombies have become a fad over the last few years. They have permeated video games, films, comics and even television. The infection has now spread to real-life gaming as well.
Gnarwhal Studios’ game Humans vs. Zombies is “a game of moderated tag played at schools, camps, neighborhoods, military bases and conventions across the world,” according to the company’s website. “Human players must remain vigilant and defend themselves with socks and dart blasters to avoid being tagged by a growing zombie horde.”
Started at Goucher College in 2005, the game has become popular across college campuses. From such humble beginnings, the game is now played world-wide, and Eastern Michigan University is now included in the list of infected colleges. You might think the game is simply an innocent pastime, meant to be played for fun and relaxation. The truth, however, is much more unsettling.
Such a flippant attitude toward the zombie apocalypse cannot be tolerated. With the zombie horde an ever constant danger, now is not the time to take it so lightly. Now is the time to be prepared and vigilant against the undead menace. Media saturation has lulled the human race into a false sense of security. They believe because they can hold a mouse, a controller or a foam dart gun, they are prepared for the zombie threat. They are wrong.
For those wondering how this game differs from war-based gaming, the differences are huge. War-based gaming is a completely legitimate training exercise for waging war. Preparing for war is not to be taken lightly, but that is not the point here. Humans vs. Zombies could become a proper training tool for dealing with the undead horde, but first humanity must change its mindset toward the game.
War has been made into a game for as long as it has existed. However, war is still remembered as a terrible business. The same must be true for the zombie menace if we are to survive. We must respect our future enemy by being properly prepared for them when they arrive.
It’s not too late for the human race. This game could be the key to humanity’s survival. All we must do is shake our false sense of security. We must dislodge our minds from the idea that the undead apocalypse is pure fiction. The zombie threat is a legitimate concern, no matter how saturated our media has become. Only by being prepared for the undead will we be able to defeat it. A flippant attitude and a casual gaming experience will doom the human race, not save it.
Humanity is at a crossroads. We can ignore the undead horde, secure in our false reality of safety. We can play our video games, read our comics and watch our TV shows on cable, or we can use the tools we have available – not just a live gaming experience, but the written guides out there. We can use the tools we have and prepare. One option could spell the doom of humanity, the other could spell our salvation.
Either way, we must not take the zombie threat lightly. To do so is to kill us all. Whether Humans vs. Zombies is used as a proper tool against the undead threat or not, we must not take it lightly. This is about more than a college gaming experience. This is about the survival of the human race.
There is still time to save humanity from the undead apocalypse, but that time is not infinite. We must all come to a decision, and we must do it soon, before it is too late.
