Izakaya of the Dead Instructions

Story

A zombie panic has broken out! But the drunk people are ignoring it and drinking again today. One of them is a zombie. They want to find the zombie, but they also want to drink. A draft beer, for now. Finding the zombie can wait.

Overview

Izakaya of the Dead is a communication party game where players convey menu items shown on cards using only two kinds of actions.

• Groan using “ah,” “ee,” “oo,” “eh,” or “oh” (you must draw out the sound)
• Gesture using only one arm—the arm on your non-dominant side (gestures are optional)

Neither the zombies nor the drunk people can speak properly, so all they can do is groan. Zombies cannot move their bodies properly, while the drunk people can only use one arm because they do not want to let go of their beer mugs.

The drunk people win by successfully placing an order or finding the zombie. Then they can keep eating and drinking.
The zombie wins by making the orders fail and not getting found out. Hide well and make the drunk people your prey.

Contents

How to Play: 3–6 Players

Winning

A player with the “drunk person” role wins if an order succeeds even once. They also win if every order fails but they can guess who the zombie was.

A player with the “zombie” role wins if every order fails and no one realizes they are the zombie.

Setup

① Determine roles
Take as many role cards from the box as there are players. Be sure to include one “zombie” card.
Shuffle the role cards face down and have each player draw one. Check your role without showing it to the other players.

② Determine the turn order
The player who most recently drank alcohol or was most recently bitten by a zombie is the first to place an order. If nobody qualifies or there is a tie, decide randomly, such as by playing rock-paper-scissors. Turns proceed clockwise from the first player.

③ Prepare the recommended menu cards
Shuffle all recommended menu cards face down and place them in one pile.

Ordering

① Draw a recommended menu card
When it is your turn, draw one recommended menu card. Do not let the other players see the menu item written on it.

② The other players choose a number
All players except the one who drew a card choose and call out one number from 1 to 5.

③ Place your order
Using only the two methods below, communicate the menu item on the card that matches the number chosen in step ②. If you use any other method, your order fails and is treated as incorrect.

• Groan using “ah,” “ee,” “oo,” “eh,” or “oh” (you must draw out the sound)
• Gesture using only one arm—the arm on your non-dominant side (gestures are optional)

※ If you are the zombie
If your role from setup is “zombie,” you must read the menu item marked “Z,” regardless of the number chosen in step ②. Use your groans and gestures cleverly so the others do not realize you are the zombie—and so that you do not accidentally give the correct answer.

④ Guess the order
The players who are not placing the order guess the menu item (the name of a food or drink). They get only one answer. Discuss and agree on one answer. When you know the item, answer by saying, “Is your order [item]?” (replace [item] with the menu name). You may give up if you do not know.

⑤ Check whether the answer is correct
Reveal the card so everyone can see it and check the answer. If it is correct, the order succeeds and the drunk players win immediately. If it is incorrect or the group gives up, continue to step ⑥.

⑥ Place the next order
The next player becomes the one placing the order, and repeats steps ①–⑤. If every player has placed an order once and none have succeeded, continue to step ⑦.

⑦ Find the zombie
Even if every order failed, the drunk people can still win by finding the zombie. Think back: did anyone place a suspicious order or interfere while everyone was discussing? If you find the zombie, the drunk people win; if the zombie stayed hidden, the zombie wins.

How to Play: 2 Players

Winning

The player guessing the order wins if they guess it correctly. Even if the order is wrong, they win if they can guess whether the player placing the order was the zombie or a drunk person.

If the player placing the order is a drunk person, they win if the order succeeds or if the other player believes they are a drunk person. If they are the zombie, they win if the order fails and the other player does not identify them as the zombie.

Setup

① Choose who will guess and who will order
Decide which of the two players will guess and which will place the order. If you play several times in a row, switch roles between games.

② Determine roles
Take one “drunk person” role card and one “zombie” role card, shuffle them, and have the player placing the order draw one. Check your role without showing it to the guessing player.

③ Prepare the recommended menu cards
Shuffle all recommended menu cards face down and place them in one pile.

Ordering

① Draw a recommended menu card
The player placing the order draws one recommended menu card. Do not let the guessing player see the menu item written on it.

② The guessing player chooses a number
The guessing player chooses and calls out one number from 1 to 5.

③ Place your order
Using only the two methods below, communicate the menu item on the card that matches the number chosen in step ②. If you use any other method, your order fails and is treated as incorrect.

• Groan using “ah,” “ee,” “oo,” “eh,” or “oh” (you must draw out the sound)
• Gesture using only one arm—the arm on your non-dominant side (gestures are optional)

※ If you are the zombie
If your role from setup is “zombie,” you must read the menu item marked “Z,” regardless of the number chosen in step ②. Use your groans and gestures cleverly so the other player does not realize you are the zombie—and so that you do not accidentally give the correct answer.

④ Guess the order
The guessing player tries to identify the menu item being ordered (the name of a food or drink). They get only one answer. If they know it, they answer by saying, “Is your order [item]?” (replace [item] with the menu name). They may give up if they do not know.

⑤ Check whether the answer is correct
Reveal the card so both players can see it and check the answer. If it is correct, the order succeeds and the guessing player wins. If it is incorrect or they give up, continue to step ⑥.

⑥ Guess the role
Even if every order fails, the guessing player can win by guessing the role of the player placing the order. The guessing player declares their guess. The outcome depends on the order player's role and the guessing player's guess, as described below.