Grab a revolver or a barbed-wire-wrapped bat: A new game based on “The Walking Dead” has landed on Facebook.
“The Walking Dead Life” is a social game built for Facebook Gaming‘s Instant Games platform, letting fans experience the show’s most memorable moments, collect virtual coins, and attack friends and foes alike.
The casual game, developed by game company Playco, is aimed at promoting the 11th and final season of the long-running zombie series, which premieres Sunday, Aug. 22 on AMC.
“The Walking Dead Life” is accessible on Facebook Gaming at this link, designed to be played on mobile devices. It soft-launched on the platform earlier this spring.
In the game, players encounter fan-favorite characters like Rick Grimes, Michonne Hawthorne and Daryl Dixon. They can level up to unlock Easter eggs at various scenes and locations, including the Atlanta hospital in Season 1, Hershel’s farm and the infamous West Georgia Correctional Facility prison from seasons 3-4.
AMC picked Facebook Gaming as the exclusive platform for “The Walking Dead Life” because it allowed the cabler “to create a game that’s incredibly social in nature,” according to Clayton Neuman, VP of games for AMC Networks. He also pointed out that there’s no download required — and that players get alerts directly through Facebook Messenger about game activity.
“’The Walking Dead Life’ is all about getting your friends in on the action, whether that involves you attacking their base, teaming up on a squad to raid others or setting up a tournament to see which of your friends reigns supreme,” Neuman added.
Undoubtedly, what also was a key consideration for AMC is Facebook’s huge base of daily active users. For the first quarter of 2021, Facebook averages 195 million DAUs in the U.S./Canada (and 1.9 billion worldwide).
“As we focus on bringing high-quality games to Facebook Gaming, we’re thrilled to work with Playco and AMC on ‘The Walking Dead’s’ newest title,” Jason Rubin, VP of play for Facebook Gaming, said in a statement.
Over the years, “The Walking Dead” comic books and TV show have spawned multiple game titles, including the four-season episodic adventure game from Telltale/Skybound Games.
Playco calls itself “the world’s first instant gaming company.” Its other titles include “EverWing” on Facebook, “Snake Squad” on Snap Games and the recently released “Trip Royale” on Line Messenger, launched in partnership with soccer star Keisuke Honda and his educational non-profit org NowDo. Last fall, Tokyo-based Playco closed $100 million Series A round of funding co-led by Josh Buckley and Sequoia Capital Global Equities, with participation from Will Smith’s Dreamers VC.
“We’re thrilled to work with AMC and Facebook to bring ‘The Walking Dead’ to life through a unique and interactive instant game for the millions of fans of this hit show across the globe,” Playco CEO Michael Carter said in a statement. “One of the best ways to connect with your friends is through the mutual love of entertainment like TV shows, and we hope this game brings friends closer together through play.”
