If I'm Going Down... (2012)

If I'm Going Down... (or IIGD) is the first ever Dying Card Game (or DCG) from Van Ryder Games. A DCG is a card game in which it is certain that the character(s) WILL die. For 1 to 2 players (expandable to 3 to 4 with a 2nd copy), IIGD is set in a world overrun by zombies. Unlike virtually every other Zombie game, your goal is not to survive, but to kill as many zombies as possible before you die, which results in very engrossing solo or cooperative play.

IIGD puts you smack in the middle of a hopeless scenario where endless zombies lurch and ramble toward you, never stopping until you are dead or become one of them (Zead). You must gather and use weapons and resources to take as many of the abominations as you can with you.

Zombies enter the playing area from several "Entry" points depending on the scenario. You can take actions during your turn such as Attack, Use an Item, or Search for Resources. Each turn the Zombies will be moved closer and closer and eventually the resources will run out...

Random events or "Occurrences" that come into play and change the rules keep the game fresh and different every time. The game may be played in a sort of "Kill em All" mode where you simply try to achieve the best score or you can play one of several Story Arcs that add entertaining story lines to the game where how well you do determines what happens in the story after you die.

The unique mechanisms of the Fate Deck – which determines whether you find a resource when searching and whether you "hit" or "miss" during an attack – and the Tracker cards – which are used to keep track of health, ammo, and inventory – make this a game unlike any you have seen before.

One other thing that makes this game unique in the Zombie genre is that each Zombie is illustrated with AMAZING detail and has a character all its own. You may just become more invested in the story of the Zombies than you are in the characters you play!

IIGD allows for some level of creative control for players who have interest in making their own layouts and scenarios.