Zombie Apocalypse Competition Format

BASIC GOAL: Stay alive and outlast the zombie hoard.  The last surviving human gets 50% of the prize pot, but even if you become a zombie, you can still win prizes.

ROUND 1: All players start off as humans and random 4-player groups are created and assigned randomly to games.  The goal in the first round is to finish in the top half (1st or 2nd place), which means you’re still a human.  If you finish 3rd of 4th, you’re a zombie.

(* If there are two extra players, they will play a 1vs1 match with the higher player staying human, lower player turning zombie.  If there is an odd number of players, that player will start as a zombie but is rotated in starting with Round 2.)

Example of a 4-player group:

Conclusion of Round 1: two players stay human, two become zombies.

ROUND 2: Now it is zombies versus humans.  4-player groups are created and the zombies are now trying to infect the humans to win prizes.

A zombie who infects a human wins prizes and keeps playing in the following Round.  An unsuccessful zombie goes on the zombie “wait list” and is rotated back into play in the order s/he went out.  For example, in Round 2, the first 4-player game to end and report the winners and losers will include the first zombies on the wait list.  Therefore, the earlier a zombie goes out in the previous round the better their chance of playing in the following Round(s).

If a zombie infects a human, he gets $5 or a prize (drink/app, or other).  If he infects 2 humans, he gets $10.  If there are 2 zombies and both of them infect both the humans (finish 1st and 2nd, or 1st and 3rd), they get $5 each.  If there are 2 zombies and both of them infect 1 human (finish 2nd/3rd), the top zombie gets the $5 prize and continues play, the bottom zombie goes to the wait list.

Sample Conclusion of Round 2

ROUND 3 and 4: Play continues as in Round 2. Groups are formed as follows*:

If there are 2, 4, 6, etc humans, then 2 Human vs 2 Zombie games will be formed.

If there are 3 humans left: Three 4 player games consisting of one human and three zombies.

5 humans left: Two 4 players games consisting of 2 humans and two zombies.  One 2 player game consisting of one human and one zombie.

7 humans left: Three 4 players games consisting of 2 humans and one zombie.  One 2 player game consisting of one human and one zombie.

9 humans left: Four 4 players games consisting of 2 humans and one zombie.  One 2 player game consisting of one human and one zombie.

etc.

(*Since there are four machines to play on, the above groupings are designed to allow as much play and as little downtime as possible).

ROUND 5 and on: Play continues like before except that each human gets 1 less pinball to play with, and from Round 6 forward they get two less pinballs to play with.  Outrunning zombies is tired and thirsty work.  The last remaining human is declared the winner.

ZOMBIE SWEEP: It’s possible that as early as Round 2, the zombies might “sweep” the humans, leaving no clear human survivor.  In that case, the top-performing half of human players continues, the bottom half become zombies, and play continues into the next Round, or, if only two humans left, a human player is declared the winner.  (In the case of 3 humans, the 3rd human is infected and the other two remain human.  For 5, the 4th and 5th player.  For 7, 5th, 6th and 7th.

Zombie SWEEP with TIE (Zombie Apocalypse): Though it’s unlikely, it’s also possible that in later rounds, the zombies might infect the remaining humans AND the humans finish in the same position.  In this case, the zombies responsible will divide up all remaining prize money, including the Grand Prize for the last human survivor.  For example, there are three human survivors left.  Three 4-player games consisting of 3 zombies and 1 survivor each are played.  The humans all finish in 3nd place.  The six zombies who finished 1st would divide up the prize pot.

General Rules:

• No bang backs or death saves
• Extra balls are plunge and one flip
• Players are responsible for coin-drop, however all entry money is paid back.
• Slam Tilt results in replay of game, with the offending player taking automatic 4th. 2nd Slam tilt results in Disqualification.