Working on Zombies, Run! we’re lucky to have a very dedicated, creative and overall lovely fanbase. We try to celebrate that whenever we can, so we’ve been talking to some of our fans and would now like to introduce another of our fan interviews!

Today, we’re talking to Tom about creativity, and their favourite characters!

What got you into Zombies, Run! In the first place?

I think initially I saw a post about it on Tumblr, maybe around 2013. I was never one for physical exercise when I was younger, but thought that maybe this app could help kick things into motion. Now I can’t spend a single day without getting out and moving, even if it’s just a 30 minute walk. I came for the promise of zombie chases and stayed for the very lovable characters and the plots surrounding them. In fact, I don’t use the zombie chase feature that much nowadays. 

Was there a point during your initial run of ZR which hooked you? A point where you went ‘yes! This is for me’?

I actually started listening to Radio Mode first because I didn’t know where to “properly” start. I think I listened up to the point where it’s official that Jack and Eugene are together and I think that’s what really hooked me. I remember thinking “wow, there’s queer representation in this game!”, I didn’t know at first and it made me really happy. After that, I ran a couple of regular story missions and everything just kind of fell even more into place as I met more characters and the plot developed. 

Who is your favourite character, and why?

Picking favourites is always hard but I think my top three would be Eugene, Simon and Janine. I love Janine for her resourcefulness and her ability to make hard decisions, we’re quite the opposite in many ways but I adore her. In Simon I can see a few bits of myself and his story is one of the most compelling to me. Eugene is one of the characters that made me fall hard for Zombies, Run! as a whole. I mean, who doesn’t have a crush on that guy?

What was your best ZR experience?

I think the early days of my Zombies, Run! journey has some of the best moments. I used to walk around the fields at my parents’ place. It’d be at night, in the summer, and I’d mainly use the app to keep me company or make me take routes I hadn’t before. It has a very nostalgic feeling to it. The app really helped me get out of the house, even during hard days.

In short, I found Zombies, Run! at a very low point in my life. It helped take my mind off of difficult thoughts that’d occur when I was outside. It sounds cheesy but Zombies, Run! will probably always have a very special place in my heart. It’s helped me through a lot.

You draw a lot of cool artwork. Do you have a favourite ZR subject to make artwork of?

Thank you! Even though I tend to draw Simon or Jack and Eugene most of the time I usually just draw what I feel inspired to. Music is usually my go-to for inspiration so if a song that plays reminds me of a certain character then that’s probably who I’m going to draw. Overall I love drawing characters together, showing life in Abel and relationships without focusing on the zombies but rather people living together as a community. 

What’s your favourite music to run to? (Spotify playlist would be great!)

I have a lot of different playlists for running, all in terrible disarray. I tend to go for music that makes me want to move. Sometimes pace matters but sometimes the most important thing is to feel energized. There’s a lot of CHVRCHES in all my playlists. I put together a short playlist with some songs from my other playlists for you guys. 

Do you have any fanfic/fanart recommendations?

There are a lot of amazing creators in our community. I always feel a deep connection to the scenery in wubbelwubbwubb’s art. I don’t know how they do it but somehow they always manage to convey that deep nostalgic feeling I associate with Zombies, Run!. 

Yariem-alkahen does some really funny art of some of homeboundrunnerfive’s text posts which I really enjoy. It’s nice how an app about the end of the world can be turned into humour and memes. The world needs more of that, especially during hard times. 

Thank you Tom for speaking with me! You can find Tom on Tumblr and on Instagram!

The holiday season is coming to an end in the UK, and the long slog through the rest of winter begins. It’s a time for reflecting on the old year, and looking forward to the new. We have plenty of new things planned for the next year at Six to Start, with a new season of Zombies, Run! content on the horizon, more of our New Adventures, and our tenth (10th!!!) Virtual Race, which is looking to be more exciting than ever, and includes a few new ideas and features that we’re excited to announce closer to the time.

Before that though, there’s our newest New Adventure coming this month. Rule Britannia will take you on a daring mission through Roman-occupied Britain, on a quest to stop more violence and bring peace to the land! We’ll be releasing one mission a day from Friday 3rd January. Don’t miss out!

And if the winter gloom is getting you down, why not try one of our New Year mini-challenges? New Year’s resolutions can be great, but they can also be something that leaves you feeling like a failure if your plan to run two marathons a month, overhaul your entire wardrobe, and become a Hollywood superstar, don’t pay off.

So here’s our suggestions for some very achievable challenges that might brighten the next few months up!

• Read a book by an author you’ve never read before
• Try a new hobby. Even if you don’t like it, you’ve gained more knowledge and tried something new!
• Finish that season of Zombies, Run! you’re on before Season 9 comes out. Run, walk, cycle, clean the house to a mission, it doesn’t matter!
• Play the shortest game on your Steam account. We too know the perils of the Summer Sale.
• Draw something or write something, even if you’re terrible at it. Creating something can really give you a feeling of accomplishment.
• Move more slowly! Take the time to slow down and appreciate your surroundings. Unless you’re being chased by zombies, in which case ignore this suggestion.
• Try one of our New Adventures! Become an astronaut, walk the streets of Victorian London, or join an expedition across the USA!
• Attend a free class or event at your local library or community centre
• Buy some new socks so you can finally throw out the ones with holes in them. You know which ones I mean.
• Try a new kind of fruit or vegetable
• Give your running water bottle a good clean out and sterilise it, ready for the running season.
• Create a new playlist on your phone!
• Explore a new route for your next Zombies, Run! mission

Whatever you decide to try, all of us at Six to Start wish you the best for the New Year!