Zombie paintball cart rides are popping up everywhere during Halloween as the new craze on haunted house rides. These games are safe for all ages and a super fun way to learn how to shoot a paintball gun. This style of zombie paintball is simple; they all get into a hay cart with a loaded paintball gun. As the horsemen traverse a course, they shoot at people disguised as the undead. In most games aimed at the general public, the zombies are not armed, so they do not return fire. The poor zombies in this game are basically scary chunks of meat that you can explode with paintballs. As a worker in the trenches, the job of being one of the zombies leaves a lot to be desired. However, if done correctly with a lot of effort in the right props, details, story, and gear, the zombie ride can be a terrifying and exciting experience that you will never forget.
Fortunately, you don’t have to wait until Halloween to play zombie paintball. There are several other variations of the game that are even more fun. These games can be played at any time of the year on the field behind your house. If you are a paintball enthusiast and play frequently, try some of these zombie game variations to put a different spin on the same old game. You can also play zombie paintball as a Halloween or birthday party theme that your guests will never forget. When playing recreationally, you won’t need a lot of extra paintball supplies like a professional field or business would. However, the more elaborate the costumes and accessories, the more fun and memorable your game will be if your budget allows. When you don’t have to cater to the general public, you won’t need a giant hay cart to carry players. You can also have the option to arm the zombies with paintball guns so that they can fight back and enjoy a much more interesting and exciting game.
To play zombie paintball, you will need at least 8-10 people, however the more the better. Games with more people equate to more zombies and a lot more fun. Divide into two teams with specific numbers for the variation of the game you decide. A game has two teams, zombies vs. humans, each armed with paintball guns. Obviously each team tries to eliminate the other but the twist is this … zombies can only be killed with headshots, they can be hit in the body repeatedly without being eliminated. If a zombie shoots a human, the human is incapacitated for a period of time (5 minutes) and can then continue to play as a zombie trying to eliminate the humans. No matter how good the human team is, eventually the zombie team overwhelms humans almost always. This is because headshots are very difficult in paintball if you don’t know what you’re doing or don’t have an accurate enough marker. With this in mind, divide up your teams at first with slightly fewer zombie players and more players on the human team.
Another fun variation of zombie paintball is best played with a larger group. This game divides the players into three teams; two human teams and a group of zombies. The two human teams are divided into one with weapons and the other without. It is the job of the human team carrying the weapon to protect the unarmed team as they travel through a zombie-infested wasteland. The zombie’s job is to eliminate the protectors so they can eat the unarmed humans. It is best if the armed human team outnumbers the unarmed players whenever possible (eg out of 8 players; 3 are unarmed, 5 have weapons and protect all 3). This game is super fun and requires strategy from both sides if you want to win. A good rule of thumb to follow is that the zombies must shoot the armed humans to eliminate them, but they are not allowed to shoot the unarmed group, they must have physical contact with them to eliminate them. While this can be a tap on the back or a full tackle, this adds a whole new level of excitement to a fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping game.
Besides the usual individual gear, you won’t need a lot of extra supplies to play zombie paintball. However, the zombies will require some details. No matter how you decide to play, the zombies will be hit with the most paintballs, so your protective gear should be a priority. If you’re setting up a paintball hay ride, your zombies need to wear protective gear from head to toe. This includes shin guards, knee / elbow pads, armored vest and / or shirt, arm / forearm pads, gloves, neck guard, and goggles. For zombies, it is better to wear paintball goggles rather than full face masks so the goggle won’t interfere with face painting if you wear this. If you decide to wear scary masks, goggles are the best option to put over the mask. Choose zombie skins knowing that you will also add protective goggles. For example, choose a very loose-fitting mask to be able to wear paintball goggles underneath or a very tight-fitting mask (or face paint) for the outer goggles. Cheap vinyl paintball coveralls are also available and are great for covering up zombies for a unified look and offer a bit more protection too.
Before playing, decide other fun details of the game that determine the skill level of the players. For example, do you want fast or slow zombies? Slow moving heavily zombies are easy targets, best for beginning players, but very hard for zombie players. Fast Zombies is much more fun and scary, but it makes the game more suitable for the adventurous type. One of the most important decisions is what you want your zombies to wear so that you can distinguish them from human players. Will they wear scary Halloween masks, face paint, or simple colored bands around their arms? Obviously, the bracelet option is the cheapest and easiest route, but spending time, effort and money on the details will create a game that will never be forgotten. Vinyl overalls come in bright orange or camo. The orange makes your zombies stand out and easy to see, while the camouflage helps them hide for a much more challenging game. Finally, glow-in-the-dark paintballs are available to make playing at dusk or at night a lot of fun and in keeping with the theme.