Ohio University’s campus became a battlefield on Saturday as players played a “Humans vs. Zombies” game, facing off against the zombie apocalypse in this interactive event.
Originally launched at Goucher College in Maryland in 2005, “Humans vs. Zombies” is a high-energy game of tag with an apocalyptic twist. Players join either the human or zombie team, with human players trying to complete missions using Nerf Blasters to defend themselves.
In contrast, zombies aim to infect as many humans as possible. The game ends when all humans have turned into zombies or when humans successfully survive until time runs out.
Ohio University students began hosting “Humans vs. Zombies” games in 2006, making it an annual event. Event organizer Derrick Porter started playing “Humans vs. Zombies” in 2015 after learning about it from representatives of Pittsburgh Technical College, who introduced the game to his high school. Porter, a fan of games, was instantly hooked and decided to try it out.
“I went, had an awesome time, made tons of friends, and wanted to give back to this community,” Porter said, explaining why he began organizing “Humans vs. Zombies” events to let others enjoy the experience.
This year, college students across the U.S. joined Ohio University participants, filling College Green with creative costumes. Some dressed as characters from the “Resident Evil” video game while others sported unique outfits like a unicorn. Custom Nerf Blasters, some costing hundreds of dollars, added excitement.
During the event, Walter Hall’s second floor became a hub of activity, where players prepped their Nerf Blasters, shared food and drinks, and socialized. They also received mission briefings inspired by the game “Destiny,” which sparked the idea of a crossover with “Humans vs. Zombies.” Porter and his girlfriend, both fans of “Destiny,” thought of merging elements from the game with “Humans vs. Zombies” while traveling home from another event.
“We realized many concepts from ‘Destiny’ fit perfectly with ‘Humans vs. Zombies,’” Porter said. “We thought people would love it, especially fans of ‘Destiny,’ who might be interested in trying out ‘Humans vs. Zombies.’”
When the event was announced over the summer, it quickly attracted interest. Ohio University’s longstanding involvement with “Humans vs. Zombies,” along with the beautiful campus, helped draw players from as far away as New York and Washington.
Porter noted the turnout as a sign of the campus’ appeal and the organizers’ dedication. “We’re very proud of the quality we bring to our events, and our reputation is something we work hard to maintain,” he said.