All Runners 5 will know about the emails from Abel Township residents like Sam, Jody, and Janine after a mission. We love writing and designing these, and from today, you can revisit them at any time on ZombieLink! So if you’ve lost or deleted a “milestone email”, or you just want a better way of exploring them, look no further than their ZombieLink mission page.
Ever been on a mission from Abel Township and wondered when it was time to turn back home? Then you’ll love our new audio notifications, out now in our 9.3.0 update on Android and iPhone!
We’ve added four ways to hear about your progress while you’re running:
Rolling Pace: Pace for your most recent mile or kilometer
Overall Pace: Pace for your entire run so far
Remaining Progress: Amount of time or distance left until your mission is complete
Halfway Through: Triggers when you’re halfway through your set run duration, which for most runners will be when you’re halfway through a mission
These options will work slightly differently (or won’t apply) on different game modes – for example, Supply Missions, Interval Training, and Airdrop won’t play the “Halfway Through” announcement. But we hope you’ll find them useful while you’re out saving the world!
You can find all of these options in the More > Settings screen in the app, and they’re available to both free and paid subscribers.
Also in 9.3.0…
On Android:
You can now adjust run durations by 0.1 km/mile or 1 minute increments
We’ll remind you to sync to ZombieLink if you aren’t logged in
We hope you’re ready, Runner 5: Jack & Eugene’s World Tour is three times bigger than our normal virtual races, and their epic journey to Abel Township is starting Thursday 29th April! Here’s the full lineup for Part 1:
AMBIENT MODE 1 📻 An experimental new prelude… 29 April
TRAINING MISSION 1 👟 6 May
TRAINING MISSION 2 👟 13 May
5K + 10K RACE 🏁 20 May
You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. And you’ll run!
All VIP members will get instant access to Jack & Eugene’s World Tour as soon as it’s out, along with all 11 past virtual races.
Upgrade to VIP today by tapping More > Membership in the app, or buy a gift code online from just $49.99!
A Special Message from Jack and Eugene
Hello from beautiful Alderney, Runner Five! How are you doing? I really hope this care package has arrived in one piece, and that it didn’t take too long to get to you. Never thought I’d have so much nostalgia for the post, of all things!
Gene and I are doing really well at the moment – we’ve finally got our space set up just the way we like, and it feels really good to be a bit more settled, even if it is weird having so much room to ourselves. Even though it was cramped and the generator was always half a second away from dying or catching fire, I have to admit, I think I’m always going to miss our studio at Abel. It was home for such a long time, you know?
Speaking of, we actually found one of your old mix tapes you made for Radio Abel back in the day, and I have to say, you’ve got some absolute bangers on here! It’s been really nice relistening to it and thinking of you guys.
I hope you’re doing well and staying safe, Five. Make sure Janine doesn’t work you too hard, yeah? We miss you.
Join your favourite radio hosts, Jack & Eugene, on their epic journey to Abel Township. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll run! 9 missions. 3 races. 1 glorious adventure.
That’s right: Jack & Eugene’s World Tour is three times bigger than any of our previous virtual races, and will run throughout 2021! (and it won’t even be the only virtual race we run this year – but that’s a story for another time…)
The race is available to all VIP members, and if you haven’t signed up yet (or you want to treat your friends!), check out our new twin-pack and 6-month VIP membership gift options! You can also sign up to VIP in your app by tapping More > Membership.
Grab the J+E Pack…
Since this is our biggest race, it was only fitting that we make our biggest souvenir pack ever!
Whether you’re a first time caller or a long time listener to Radio Abel, you’ll love the gorgeous double-sided medal, all-new Affirmation Cards, temporary tattoo sheet (with shippo!), button badges, running bib, and so much more!
Sure, it might seem a bit odd for the boys to be assembling these, but self-care’s an essential part of survival, even during a zombie apocalypse…
Tell the world you’re definitely not a zombie with our fantastic tech shirts and tank-tops! Decorated with Jack and Eugene’s trademark ‘Radio Abel’ flair, you’ll be met with open arms by their fans and friends during your runs across the country.
And don’t miss our tote bag for all the tour merch you’ll collect, plus a mug for that early morning or late night Radio Abel listening!
Sign up or give the gift of VIP starting from just $49.99 – now available in twin packs and 6 month durations! It’s the best way to bring your crew on Jack & Eugene’s World Tour and show them what they’ve been missing with our 11 other virtual races!
Earlier this year we launched The Home Front, our free series of home bodyweight workouts for everyone around the world in lockdown. These workouts have been played hundreds of thousands of times and we’re incredibly proud of what we accomplished by repurposing the app’s “run engine” for new kinds of storytelling and exercises.
But we wanted to do even better – so with our 9.2 update, we’re introducing a brand new dedicated Home Workout mode!
Home Workout Mode preview
Home Workout mode lets you view all the exercises you’ll be performing, with clear step-by-step instructions and gorgeous illustrations by our artist, Kascha Sweeney. And these instructions aren’t just visible before you begin, but also during your workout!
Step Up exercise instructions during Jody’s Lock-in workout
Adding these instructions directly in the app gives us much more flexibility for future storytelling. In The Home Front, our characters had to give you exercise instructions out loud – this worked for Ministry broadcasts that told you how to work out indoors, but it wouldn’t work for different kinds of stories where there’s less reason for people to tell you how to exactly do a wall sit or mountain climbers!
So yes, that means we will be using Home Workout mode beyond the epic 35-part Home Front story. Stay tuned…!
We’ve got great news: we’ll be releasing the first 15 missions from Season 9 in Spring 2021!
Earlier this year, we decided to delay the release because it wasn’t safe for us to record in person and we weren’t satisfied that we could reach the high audio quality you deserve by recording remotely.
Since then, we’ve levelled up our remote recording capabilities through our work on the Home Front and New Adventures. Most of those scripts were designed for remote recording, with fewer actors per scene, but over time, our Head of Production Matt Wieteska and Sound Designer Mark Pittam have pushed the limits of what we can do, with the 5-episode, 27-actor Nellie Bly a fantastic demonstration of how far we’ve come.
Remote recording is still more time-consuming and expensive for Zombies, Run!, however – that’s why we’re starting with just the first 15 missions of Season 9. But we’re as eager as you are to continue the Abel Township saga and find out what’s next for Runner 5, so we’ll aim to do as much as we can as circumstances permit.
Keep your headset tuned and stay safe out there, Five, because Season 9 is on the horizon!
Our big Holiday Sale has arrived! You can get 10% off everything in our official store, including amazing new merch and even deeper discounts, but first…
We’ve launched our first-ever gift VIP subscription, and to celebrate, we’re taking $10 off the normal price until November 27th! 🎉
VIP comes with unlimited access to hundreds of thrilling missions, workouts, and 11 virtual races across Zombies, Run!, ZR 5K Training, and The Walk. It’s the perfect present for any budding Runner 5!
Looking for your next running outfit, or just keen to complete your Abel Township lifestyle? We’re offering 10% off everything in our official store – just use code HOLIDAY2020 at checkout!
This code is valid until Friday November 12, so move fast!
NEW: Sam Yao is My Operator! 🎧
Who could ask for a more loyal, funny, brave, and hopeful operator than Sam Yao? Give him a shout-out every time you leave the house with our new shirts, tote, and mug designed by artist Leslie Strock!
NEW: I Am Runner Five 🔥
Show your colours and declare to the world: I Am Runner Five! Back by popular demand, these shirts are a new Blendtech fabric that dries faster and wicks sweat better than normal cotton.
We’ve heard you – you want Runner Five masks. Grab our dual-layer mask with space for an optional filter today!
Believe it or not, but a lot of our players don’t always run with Zombies, Run! Our game is designed for running, jogging, and walking outside and on treadmills, and we have new modes like The Home Front tailor-made for bodyweight fitness (with a dedicated Home Workout mode coming soon!), but we often get asked if you can play our hundreds of running missions without running.
And the answer is: Yes!
Thanks to our Simulate Running mode (previously called Constant Pace), you can set up a simulated running speed and you’ll still hear our awesome story and collect all the supplies and materials and artefacts you need to rebuild Abel Township! Just tap the Tracking button below “Start Mission”.
(You can also use No Tracking if you’d rather not have simulated distances appear in your Run Logs and Statistics.)
Here are some ideas of how you can simulate running as winter approaches in the northern hemisphere!
If you’re on a rowing machine, why not speed through a 2000m distance with a quick simulated running pace and a short mission duration?
Prefer exercise bikes or spinning? Turn on back-to-back Story Missions for a long ride through the zombie apocalypse!
You can even do home workouts or bodyweight fitness or even household chores while “running”!
You won’t get zombie chases with Simulate Running or No Tracking, but you can still speed up or intensify your exercise when characters tell you to move – as they often do in our story.
If you’re a veteran Runner 5, you’ll have memorised our run settings screens and be able to switch between GPS and Step Counting without a backward glance (helpful if you’re escaping zoms!).
But over the years, our settings have grown into a powerful but complicated list, so with this update, we’ve redesigned them on both Android and iPhone to make them easier to navigate and understand. Also, they’re just a lot nicer-looking now!
We’ve also renamed settings so they’re more understandable (Constant Pace is now Simulate Running, Built-in Player is now ZR Player), and made lots of other little improvements:
Run settings are accessed in exactly the same way as before, from the bottom of the Mission screen, and other than their appearance, they also behave in the same way – so don’t worry if you’ve already got your perfect system set up!
Also in 9.1
Redesigned News articles so they’re easier to view and faster to load
Android: Airdrop clips now play back correctly rather than continuously
We’re already hard at work on our 9.2 update, which will bring a dedicated Home Workout mode – and of course, we’ve been releasing Home Front missions and New Adventures almost every week!
In our new five-part globetrotting New Adventure set in 1889, you’ll join Nellie Bly as she races around the world in 72 days. We asked writer Jessica Wright Buha on why this true story is so exciting and important, and what led her to it.
Nellie Bly is releasing every Friday from October 2nd to 30th, with the first two episodes completely free and unlocked. To play, get Zombies, Run! for free on iPhone and Android.
I don’t remember when I first read about Nellie Bly. I know I was a kid, and it was in one of those faded hardcover children’s books–one of the ones left over from my mom’s childhood. I can vaguely recall the picture on the cover: a faded 1890s photograph of Nellie in her famous traveling coat, the black and white checkered fabric in the ocean breeze, hat in hand, waving. Maybe there was a newspaper behind her?
The specific details are fuzzy, but there are three things I DO remember about Nellie Bly – three things that are absolutely burned onto the inside wall of my skull:
Nellie Bly was:
a woman
a writer
and very, very brave.
What an impossible trifecta. And in the late 1800s! Are you kidding me? And the more I read about her, the more I’m like, “Okay, yeah, this gal? Someone should be talking about her.”
Here’s a story from the Brooke Kroeger biography Nellie Bly: Daredevil, Reporter, Feminist. In 1878, Nellie Bly was fourteen. Her stepfather, Jack Ford, gets drunk and pulls a loaded gun on her mother, Mary Jane. Nellie and her older brother Albert jump in front of Mary Jane to protect her. Mary Jane flees, and Albert runs after her. Neighbors, hearing the snap of a bullet, turned to see Albert and Mary Jane racing down the street.
And where was Nellie?
SHE STAYED BEHIND. Because Nellie had a younger sister, Kate, and a younger brother, Harry. Who was going to make sure the kids got out safe? Nellie did. She got her siblings, grabbed their hands, and sprinted them to safety.
And then she grew up, and she became an investigative journalist where she infiltrated an insane asylum, exposed a political bribery scandal, and decided to see how fast a person could circumnavigate the globe. And all while financially supporting her mother, sister, and niece. How did she do all this? By being fearless.
I suppose Nellie wasn’t really fearless. She was desperate, and she simply focused that desperation into thoughtful action.
I say “simply,” but being focused when desperate is pretty tricky to pull off. I, for one, tend to just panic. Take, for example, my experience with the year 2020 in Chicago, IL USA.
New York newspaper, Thursday, November 14, 1889
In January, I get an email from Six to Start saying that the Nellie Bly globetrotting script I proposed is moving to the next phase of development. Amazing! I get to write about Nellie’s attempt to circumnavigate the Earth! I start drafting the first of what would be five episodes.
By late February, I’ve got most of the first two Nellie Bly episodes written. I buy an extra bottle of hand sanitizer at the grocery store, and I just feel EMBARRASSED at how much I’m overreacting.
It all happened so quickly. Remember?
In March, my son’s preschool switches from in-person to virtual. I write long-hand on legal pads while my son uses my laptop for his Zoom meetings.
In April, my husband’s company aggressively downsizes. He is let go. We split the workday in half: I watch the kids in the morning while he applies for jobs, and he watches them in the afternoon while I write.
In May, and June, and July, I write. And write and write, and revise, and write, and I sew masks by hand, and I teach myself how to cut hair so my husband will look decent on his Zoom job interviews, and I grow a victory garden. I put all the plants in the same sunny corner, and I set a folding chair right in the center, and sometimes I just sit there, alone, and my husband tells the kids, “Mom’s with the plants, give her some space.”
My daughter builds playgrounds out of blocks. My son draws maps of imaginary cities. I write while they sleep, while my kids dream of oceans and mountains and vast green fields. Of a world unfolded.
(Except when they have nightmares. Remember the nightmares? My son’s was that the grocery store was out of food.)
New York newspaper, Thursday, November 14, 1889
I write. First draft of episode three: done. Episode four: done. The death toll in the US barrels past 100k. One day we’re watching Paw Patrol and my four-year-old son turns to me and says, “But I don’t want to die.”
And then it’s the end of July, and my Nellie Bly episode five is due in a couple days, and I realize I can’t do it.
I can’t. I can’t write it, because in order to write it, I need to have some good ideas, and I need to have them fast, and I’m suddenly realizing that I’ve never had a good idea. Ever.
“I can’t do this,” I think. “I’ll have to ask Adrian and Matt and the rest of the team for a deadline extension. But how much more time do I need? A day? A week? A year?”
And then Nellie’s voice is in my head.
“Nonsense! If you want to do it, you can do it. The question is, do you want to do it?”
(An actual Nellie Bly quote from the Kroeger biography. The quote’s been rattling around my head for a while, but I never really felt the weight of her question.)
I did want to do it.
So I did.
I wrote it, and I sent it to the team, and I’m just so excited and so nervous to share it with the world. And I hope you all feel the same way I felt when I wrote it, because golly, it’s been wonderful to be immersed in Nellie’s world. A place full of electric lights and steam trains and the rolling sea, where crowds are exciting and not terrifying. Where the future feels bright. And I feel brave.
Nellie Bly is releasing every Friday from October 2nd to 30th, with the first two episodes completely free and unlocked. To play, get Zombies, Run! for free on iPhone and Android.
Zombies, Run! 