“Brains!” said Scott Bacon, moderator and vice president of the newest and most popular way to play tag. The Zombies vs. Humans game is the closest to an actual zombie apocalypse that we can get without experimenting with viruses ourselves.

The game started out last Monday at 8 a.m. with two “original zombies.” He and she were allowed to hide as humans until they made their first kills.

After that, zombies were popping up everywhere, marked with lime green bands tied around their heads. Wednesday night, there were close to 150 zombies hunting humans on Northern’s campus.

Zombies vs. Humans started as a simple game played among friends, but as word got out, the game became more and more popular. This year, there are about 350 players, and many more wanted to join but unfortunately did not make the registration deadline.

The only way for a human to turn into a zombie is for another zombie to tag them somewhere on the upper torso. Humans, recognized by wearing lime green bands on their arms, can throw marshmallows at a zombie to “kill” it, but the zombie is only out of the game for 15 minutes before they can resume the chase.

“I know last year some people went and got a few duffel bags and then went and bought a ton of marshmallows. They would fill the bags with marshmallows and hang one from each arm and throw handfuls at the zombies. They had like an unlimited supply,” said Bacon.

To combat the tactics of the humans, zombies like to hide in various places around campus. You can find them behind doors, in trees, and even under bushes waiting to ambush any human foolish enough to come close.

Along with just the basic mission to stay alive, both humans and zombies receive specialized daily missions. These are crucial to determining which team will ultimately win.

Tuesday’s mission included escorting a scientist looking for a cure, and Wednesday humans were charged with finding power couplings, simulated with glow sticks, to charge an anti-zombie device. The humans have won every challenge so far, but everything could change by Friday night.

Friday, Oct. 29 is the date of the final mission, the one that decides for certain which team wins this epic game.

“Usually the final mission is some sort of rescue scene,” Bacon said. “Last year the humans had to hold an area for so long before they were rescued. There were only 10 humans by that time, but somehow they won against 60 zombies.”

Interested students who would like to be included in the next round of Zombies vs. Humans or  have questions can send an e-mail to [email protected].