Run for your lives! The zombie apocalypse is beginning. The campus-wide game of Humans versus Zombies (commonly abbreviated HvZ) began on Oct. 28.

The game, which roughly 275 students are registered to play, is similar to tag. All of the players start out as Humans, and identify themselves as such with bandanas on their arm or leg.

“What’s going to happen is that there is going to be an original Zombie, and they will turn other Humans into Zombies, and that progresses throughout the week,” says Ashleigh Bartlett, one of the game’s moderators. Zombies wear their bandana around their head, and when a Zombie tags a Human, they have to turn into a Zombie themselves. Humans can defend themselves by either throwing socks at the Zombies or shooting them with Nerf guns, which leave the Zombie stunned and unable to attack for 15 minutes.

All Humans also carry their number with them to make it more difficult for players to lie and say they weren’t tagged. Usually, says Sheldon Price, leader of the unofficial squad The Family, cheating isn’t too big of an issue.

“The moderators will run with the larger groups, and typically people didn’t try to cheat last year, except one time on a particular mission, and then the moderators just kind of restated the rules and said that they could kill your character and they didn’t want to do that,” Price said.

“We have seven moderators right now that will be on site at all times,” says Matt Fox, one of the game’s moderators and a survivor of last year’s game.

During the week of gameplay, Humans (collectively known as the Resistance) participate in various ‘missions,' such as scavenger hunts and capture the flag, Bartlett said.

“It forces players get involved,” she said. “During the week there’s a lot of paranoia since you are vulnerable any point you’re not in a building on campus.”

Though the mini games serve the primary purpose of putting the Resistance in more danger, but they have their consolation prizes that make it worth the effort.

“If the Resistance completes the objectives we get a bonus kinda,” said Jeremy Rappaport, leader of one of the unofficial Human squads dubbed the Roughnecks. “Zombies are stunned for longer the next day.”

Rappaport thinks that the game will be a bit more challenging this year.

“I imagine that most of the humans will be gone after three days or four,” Rappaport said. “And once you’re outnumbered by zombies, the game changes from shooting for fun to running and hiding. It was easier last year because the zombies didn’t organize, but I think that may change this year now that zombies will have some kills under their belt from last year.”

HvZ has gathered popularity since it’s first game last year on the Mizzou campus.

“it’s a lot of fun to play and just watch too,” Bartlett said. “It can get pretty intense at times, Humans break up into teams and strategize.”

Humans versus Zombies has also gathered a huge following on other college campuses nationwide, including Truman College.

“All of their Humans were dead after 3 days, because Truman is such a small college,” Fox says. “At the Mizzou game last year, the Humans actually won, which is unprecedented. The Humans at Mizzou did awesome.”

Stay tuned for more reports from the front lines.