The Diary of Doctor Oates

WARNING: This game has a horror setting with themes of violence and betrayal. It may not be suitable for young children.

• Players: 4 to 8 players; at least 6 are recommended for the best experience
• Duration: approximately 3 hours; larger groups or novices might extend playtime

Little remains of the world you once knew. Now the restless dead stalk the streets, feeding on the pitiful remnants of humanity. You and a few survivors have banded together, knowing that your only hope lies in cooperation. But in these desperate times, whom can you really trust?

With 16 characters endowed with unique abilities, random events, hidden agendas, and an immersive setting, The Diary of Doctor Oates is full of surprises and replayability. Do you have what it takes to survive in this harsh new land?

Overview

The Diary of Doctor Oates is a game of social cooperation and competition set in a world recently overrun by zombies. By working together, you might survive the dangers long enough to fend off the undead and find a safehouse, but there's a catch: each player has a hidden agenda. Not everyone will be looking out for your survival, and maybe not even their own! Learning whom to trust is a key aspect of the game.

Unlike fully-competitive games, it is possible for many players to win together, encouraging cooperation. Unlike fully-cooperative games, at least some players will lose, encouraging competition. The challenge of the game stems from finding the right balance.

Thematically, the game is presented as a narrative related through the diary entries of Dr. Samantha Oates, a survivor of the zombie apocalypse. Excerpts from her journal pervade the game, revealing the trained mind of a physician desperate to both survive and make sense of this horrific new world. This theme carries over into the gameplay, where all the players take turns acting as the game's narrator. During your turn, you make decisions for the game: influencing random events, putting others in harm's way, and generally shaping the story. Though death is permanent, players continue to take their turns narrating even if their characters die; this gives them an opportunity to achieve their goals and win, keeping the whole group engaged from start to finish.

Gameplay

The game takes place on a map, where the entire party travels together from a ruined city to a safehouse while being pursued by an ever-expanding horde of zombies. Random events take place at each zone on the map, offering the means to help or harm one another, sometimes subtly, sometimes not.

As the party attracts attention, it will eventually be drawn into combat, leaving the players to contend with voracious zombies. These decisive clashes are rife with opportunities for various shades of backstabbing, from redirecting zombies at one another to lying about whether you will deal with one before it can strike...or even simply running away at a key moment. Only cooperation can save you all.

For a detailed description of gameplay, check the downloads section for a free copy of the rules.

Audience

With a 3-hour average playtime and rich mechanics, this is not a casual game. It is, however, excellent for an engaging game night with moderate to serious players. In particular, The Diary of Dr. Oates might appeal to you if:

• You like cooperative social gameplay: brokering deals and coordinating others
• You favor competitive social gameplay: breaking deals and backstabbing opponents
• You are intrigued by layers of strategic depth gradually revealed through experience
• You enjoy games in which character death is meaningful but not alienating
• You embrace flavor text and immersing yourself in new worlds