The zombie apocalypse just got real.
A giant urban zombie game kicks off in the U.K. this week, with players running through the streets of Cardiff in search of a hidden lab, all the time evading hordes of the undead. 2.8 Hours Later is a ticket-only event created by real-life game company Slingshot. Players get emailed a start location then turn up to start their 2.8 mile adventure through the city streets, trying to avoid getting infected by the marauding zombies that stand in their way.
The zombie theme is hugely popular in TV, movies, and video games, and it’s now breaking out into real-life events which let people feel like they’re actually living through a zombie outbreak.
A few years back, I got to take part in a zombie event in an abandoned shopping mall. It was scary as hell, but as least I was armed with a gun to protect myself. In 2.8 Hours Later, the only weapons you have are your brain, your sneakers, and your mobile phone.
The game lasts between one-and-a-half and three hours. Players can team up or go it alone, but if they get caught by a zombie there’s a chance they’ll be infected when they finally reach the lab. If they are infected, a make-up team will transform them into a zombie for the end-of-the-night zombie disco (making for an interesting journey home).
Players aren’t allowed to hit the zombies — they’re people too, after all — and are encouraged to stay sober until the end of the game. “Drunk people always hurt themselves or get eaten,” reads the advice on the 2.8 Hours Later website. “It’s a rubbish survival plan.”
After bringing its unique brand of undead mayhem to the streets of Cardiff, 2.8 Hours Later heads on a tour which takes in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Bristol, Leeds, Gateshead, and Sheffield. Tickets are priced between $56 and $85.