For some UF students, the end of the world is coming early this year.
Starting today, several hundred UF students will tote around Nerf guns and rolled up socks and will carefully plan their routes around campus to survive the newest round of Humans vs. Zombies.
The game was originally started at Goucher College in Baltimore in 2005 and is essentially a five-day, 24-hours a day game of tag, according to the official Humans vs. Zombies website.
Kevin Freedman, president of Gators Humans vs. Zombies, said this will be the tenth time Humans vs. Zombies has been played at UF.
According to Freedman, a 22-year-old mechanical engineering senior, the goal of the game depends on which side a player is on. The zombies must tag humans to turn the humans into zombies.
Zombies win if there are no humans remaining. The humans win if they can survive five days without getting tagged.
The humans have won twice.
Only UF students and faculty are eligible to be a part of the game, and play is banned indoors due to UF policy and safety concerns.
According to Freedman, UF football player Jesse Schmitt started Gators Humans vs. Zombies in Spring 2010.
The rules and in-game missions are always changing, so each game is different.
Freedman said Humans vs. Zombies is a great game because the aspects range from creative problem solving to a video game atmosphere.
“It’s got just about everything,” Freedman said.
Participants range from brand-new players to game veterans.
Kris Phifer, 18-year-old UF fine arts freshman, said she’s excited to play the game for the first time.
“I get a chance to be a brain-eating zombie,” Phifer said. “I get an excuse to dump buckets of blood on myself. Why wouldn’t I play?”
Sterling Bash, 19-year-old UF chemical engineering sophomore, said the game is a good way to learn the layout of campus and meet new friends.
“The game’s good to let off steam and get away from the seriousness college causes,” he said. “It’s also a great excuse to shoot people with Nerf guns.”
Adam Sanchez, 19-year-old UF geology sophomore, said he’s playing the game for the fifth time. He said it’s one of his favorite experiences at the university.
“Running around late at night with your Nerf gun, knowing zombies are hunting you,” he said. “You can’t get that experience with anything else.”
Sanchez said he’s never met someone who’s played Humans vs. Zombies and hasn’t loved it.
“I’m going to keep playing this until I graduate, and even then I might not stop,” he said.
