Last week I found this game called Urban Dead, a "massively multiplayer web-based zombie apocalypse" created by the same guy that did the Zombie Infection Simulation. Don't let the "massively multiplayer" part scare you off though, this is not your traditional MMO. The game is played in your web browser; it is like a text adventure, but instead of typing commands you have buttons and dropdowns to perform actions. You are limited to 50 actions per day; so even if you get hooked on the game it can't take more than 10 minutes a day.

Like most MMOs, you choose a starting class when you first create your character. The class will determine your starting equipment and the XP cost of different skills. You can choose to be one of eight survivor classes, grouped into civilians, military, and scientist, or you can start as a zombie. All survivor classes have the same skill tree, and your level is determined by the number of skills you have.

What really sets the game apart is the fact that you never really die. When you lose all your health, you fall over dead. You can then use some action points to stand up and live life as a zombie. You will have different skills (zombie skills) and a different character description, and you will only be able to speak in grunts and moans. However, if you get to a revivification point you can have someone bring you back to life. Your XP is the same whether you are a zombie or a survivor, so you can earn XP as a zombie and then use it to buy survivor skills.

The game takes place in the city of Malton. It is made up of a 10x10 grid of suburbs, where each suburb is itself a 10x10 grid of blocks. The map at the upper left shows your current position plus the eight surrounding blocks. You can move in any direction by clicking the name on the map. You can also enter buildings from the street as long as they are not too heavily barricaded. The Free Running skill will let you enter heavily barricaded buildings; it is recommended that you get that skill early. You don't want to get stuck outside with no AP; your character stays in the game even when you are logged out, so make sure you get into a safe place at the end of each day.

This game is really fun once you get into it. It's nice to actually use your imagination to build a vision of the world and the dangers you encounter therein. It's also interesting in that you can actually spend more time metagaming than actually playing the game. Fortunately, the wiki is extremely detailed, and I would recommend reading the beginners guide to start. Also, the latest issue of The Escapist has a nice article about the game which they happened to post just days after I started playing. How's that for timing?

Urban Dead is a truly unique experience. It's made to be played fairly regularly, but also designed so it won't take over your life (unlike some other games.) Oh, and if you would prefer to have some graphics, you can install the Urban Dead Toolbar extension for Firefox. It adds a graphical map and inventory, among other things. I really hope you enjoy this game!