Put in the most simplistic of terms, Dead Siege is a more intricate game of Chess. At its very core it is two players going head-to-head against each others’ strategy and wits. By combining elements of tabletop wargaming (like Warhammer, Warmachine, or BattleTech), complex board games (such as Arkham Horror or Settlers of Catan), and pen-and-paper RPGs (as in Dungeons and Dragons and its variants and spin-offs) the result is a complex, multi-layered survival horror experience that relies heavily on precision and strategy to win, while immersing the player in a dynamic setting.

            In a nutshell, Dead Siege is a basic enough game to learn, yet offers challenges and scenarios that are nearly endless.

WWIII was already bringing the world great losses in civilians and soldiers alike. During the three years of this horrible war, the US government had been monitoring the steady drop in its population. As the war showed no signs of stopping the US government began to devise a plan to create a new kind of soldier; a soldier that would not need food or water, and a soldier that could live forever given the chance.

The US government decided that it would use its most disposable resource in creating this new form of soldier: fresh bodies from the battlefield and any bodies that had been buried in mass graves over the last 3 months. The only problem that was encountered was how to reanimate the corpses.

In order to find an answer the US government turned to myth and literature. Frankenstein’s ideas in Mary Shelley’s novel were debunked over time, as well as several others. Eventually it was decided that a small team of explorers would need to set sail to find religions that would normally be considered too evil to approach under better circumstances.

After two weeks of sailing the explorers located an island. This island did not appear on any maps onboard their ship, and as they entered the waters near the island their communications faltered and then the ship fell in silence. Given the strange events the explorers felt that there might be something worth finding on this desolate island, or at least thought that they could replenish their supplies as no ports had accepted them on their way.

As the explorers made port and began to explore the island they were left paralyzed. As they walked they saw an overwhelming number of skeletons made dry and brittle with age. Even a touch caused the skeletons to flake away into dust. The explorers eventually located a dilapidated structure that appeared to have been a large temple at one point in history. Here they made shelter and began to fall into an uneasy slumber.

Late in the night a deep moaning followed by a sound resembling dead fish being thrown on the ground awoke the explorers. As they each opened their eyes they were met with the smell of decaying fish and a torch was finally lit by one of the few that had managed to overcome his fear.

The light fell on hideous creatures. They resembled fish as they each had gills and wet gray skin, however they had arms and legs like a human, but they could not seem to walk. They hopped along land, resembling toads, if toads had large teeth. As the explorers began to remember the reasoning behind their mission they stood agape. These creatures could mean that more truth should be granted to the myths and fictional literature that was viewed as a mere way of passing the time. One of the explorers eventually found his voice and screamed, “THE IMMORTALS!”

As if on queue the largest of the creatures stepped forward, eyeing the assembled explorers as if they were mere tools set in place in order to carry out a far greater plan.

The creature stated, in a gurgling voice that resembled a human cut at the throat, “We have heard of your war. Our lord has chosen his champion, and it is the United States. We can grant your wishes if you will set a meeting for us with your leader one week from this day.” At this they left without another word.

A week from that day, the President was visited in the early hours of the morning by the Immortals. Negotiations were made, and it was agreed that the Immortals would create the soldiers that the United States requested, however, there would be a price to pay. A human sacrifice would need to be made to the Immortals on each full moon. The catch? Each member of the President’s family would need to be sacrificed once the war was over.

One month later the war was ended and peace talks were currently in progress. It was also the night of the first sacrifice, however the President, as well as the other members of the US government, had decided that they would turn their elite soldiers onto their creators, the Immortals, unwilling to sacrifice the Commander-in-Chief and his family as instructed.

The Immortals knew of this plan before it could be organized. They set forth to force their creations’ will to turn on their masters – to turn against their own kind. The soldiers began to decay and emit a foul odor, however they would not die and they craved the flesh of the living. Due to their resemblance with popular media the creatures were thusly named zombies. The United States was the first to fall. Then the world, weakened by years of war, fell into darkness.

The game takes place 5 years after the zombies were forced to turn on humanity. Now, there are but a few that have survived. They have banded together in order to try and prevent the end of humankind and vanquish the evil set forth by the Immortals.