History VideoGame / ContagionMonochrome

** {{Handguns}}: The SIG and the Colt 1911. Despite both of them being starting weapons, they chamber different ammo.
** RevolversAreJustBetter: The Revolver, which is an alternative to the 1911. It shares the same ammunition with the latter, but it carries less shots and lacks a flashlight. However, it can kill a survivor with 2 shots to the chest.

** The Mossberg has a wide spread and each pellet does pathetic damage, making it terrible for killing other players. However, since a single pellet to the head with kill zombies, its capable of taking down small herds of zombies with one blast.

* AlternateHistory: According to the game's web site, ''Contagion'' takes place in an alternate history where the original Roanoke colony flourished instead of vanishing mysteriously. The game takes place in Roanoke town, [[LikeRealityUnlessNoted although other than the location existing, there's no real difference from the real world]].

** The IED, a StickyBomb made from a cell phone and a block of explosive.

* RemovingTheHeadOrDestroyingTheBrain: A head-shot with any gun or charged melee weapon will kill any zombie or player for that matter. It's impractical to kill zombies with anything other than headshots, because they can otherwise soak a very large amount of damage before dying (a ''single'' zombie can take about 31 shots to the chest from the basic 9mm pistol before dropping. That's 31 zombies you could have killed with well-aimed headshots.)

** Three assault rifles - the AR-15, the AK-74U and the SCAR - are present, taking up roles as the JackOfAllStats of firearms. They boast high firepower, decent recoil, and a healthy magazine size, giving more individual bullets per ammo box than any other weapon. The AR-15 or the SCAR are the weapons to use for any battles at long range or in the dark, as the AK is less accurate and lacks a light.
** There are also two submachine guns, the [=MP5K=] and its lightless alternative, the [=KG9=]. Both share ammo with the SIG, but due to their higher firing rates and superior ammo capacities, they're more-or-less direct upgrades to it. The [=MP5K=] will outpace the [=KG9=] in range and accuracy, but the [=KG9=]'s rate of fire is a death sentence in close encounters; unless you're in a dark area and ''need'' the flashlight, the two are about an equal trade-off.

* RemovingTheHeadOrDestroyingTheBrain: A head-shot with any gun or charged melee weapon will kill any zombie or player for that matter. It's impractical to kill zombies with anything other than headshots, because they can otherwise soak a very large amount of damage before dying.

* BoomHeadshot: A headshot from any weapon will nicely pop a zombie's head (or anyone's head, for that matter). This is important, because zombies can otherwise soak a few dozen rounds before dropping, which means you'd run out of ammo after only killing a couple of zombies if you only aimed for the torso.
* BoringButPractical: The SIG. It's not the most exciting of guns, but it's accurate, ammo is plentiful, it can kill zombies with a single headshot, and you always start off with it.

** [[TheStraightAndArrowPath The compound bow and the crossbow]]. Once you learn how to aim them and score headshots consistently at different distances, the power[[note]]downing a zombie in three bodyshots is nothing to laugh at[[/note]], quietness, and re-usability of the arrows, plus the zombies' tendency to congregate where their last buddy got killed[[note]]they only register the noise of the arrow impacting something, not the bow being fired[[/note]], make clearing out great stretches of the map an almost trivial task; it helps that a single ammo pickup (a compact quiver) gives you max ammunition. They only really fall short in the finales, where there are zombies, which know exactly where you are, coming in large numbers.

** Ditto for the IED, the game's equivalent of a C4 made from a cell phone [[AndSomeOtherStuff and some other stuff]].

** In the PVE game modes (Escape and Extraction), weapons that sacrifice ammo capacity, rate of fire, or the flashlight attachment for increased damage, such as the Colt .45, the .357 magnum, or the rifles. This is because you'll only be fighting zombies, and against them headshots (the only effective shot placement) are always a OneHitKill regardless of the gun used. The sniper rifle in particular gets a niche use in Barlowe Square to clear out the zombies further ahead on a street you have to go through, but that's it.
*** Sniper rifles aren't that useful in general. They trade ammo capacity and firing speed for range and damage. However, very few firefights are long-distance ones. The BLR fares a bit better for medium-ranged combat, but even so, the rarity of its ammo makes it less than practical.

The game is overall slower and more methodical than other games in the genre (most notably ''Left4Dead'' or ''Call of Duty'''s ''VideoGame/NaziZombies''). Zombies are generally of the traditional slow, shambling Romero type (although they can individually vary in speed to a noticeable degree), and ammo is fairly limited, especially if it's being shared between 4 or 8 players. You can survive a decent number of hits, but healing items are also ''extremely'' rare; usually there is only 1 or 2 in the entire map, so you're generally limited to the health you start the level with. The overall pacing and atmosphere is comparable to a first-person version of the early ''ResidentEvil'' games, if they only had zombies and no special mutants.

* AlternateHistory: According to the game's web site, ''Contagion'' takes place in an alternate history where the original Roanoke colony flourished instead of vanishing mysteriously. The game takes place in Roanoke town, although other than the location there's [[LikeRealityUnlessNoted no real difference from the real world]].

* WhoForgotTheLights: The majority of indoors environments have no lighting because of blown lamps or power outages. This wouldn't be a problem if the flashlight beam wasn't pencil-thin and short-reached, and if the pocket light's beam actually aligned with the sights of the weapons you'd use it with instead of pointing almost straight down or to the side when you actually aim. To the surprise of nobody[[labelnote:*]][[/labelnote]], {{Game Mod}}s that enhance the flashlight so the beam is floodier are quite prevalent.

* ZombieInfectee: If you get grappled[=/=]bitten by a player-controlled zombie, you run a high chance of becoming infected and will die and respawn as a zombie after a couple minutes. There is no way to cure the infection; healing items were rumored to be able to do this, but that is inaccurate.

** [[TheStraightAndArrowPath The compound bow and the crossbow]]. Once you learn how to aim them and score headshots consistently at different distances, the power[[note]]downing a zombie in three bodyshots is nothing to laugh at[[/note]], quietness, and re-usability of the arrows, plus the zombies' tendency to congregate where their last buddy got killed[[note]]they only register the noise of the arrow impacting something, not the bow being fired[[/note]], make clearing out great stretches of the map an almost trivial task; it helps that a single ammo pickup (a compact quiver) gives you max ammunition. They only really fall short in the finales, where there are zombies in large numbers which know exactly where you are.

** [[TheStraightAndArrowPath The compound bow and the crossbow]]. Once you learn how to aim them and score headshots consistently at different distances, the power, quietness, and re-usability of the arrows, plus the zombies' tendency to congregate where their last buddy got killed[[note]]they only register the noise of the arrow impacting something, not the bow being fired[[/note]], make clearing out great stretches of the map an almost trivial task; it helps that a single ammo pickup (a compact quiver) gives you max ammunition. They only really fall short in the finales, where there are zombies in large numbers which know exactly where you are.

** There are also two [=SMG's=], the [=MP5K=] and its flashlight-less alternative, the [=KG9=]. Both share ammo with the SIG, but due to their higher firing rates and superior ammo capacities, they're more-or-less direct upgrades to it. The MP5K will outpace the KG9 in range and accuracy but the KG9's rate of fire is a death sentence in close encounters.

* LogicalWeakness: The Riot zombie is completely clothed in bulletproof armor from head to toe. What's the easiest way to deal with him? [[StuffBlowingUp With explosives of course]]. Also, the armor also doesn't seem to protect them at all from melee weapons. [[FridgeBrillaince In real life, tactical armor works decent against bullets, but isn't so hot against blunt force trauma]].

There are 3 main game-types: Escape, Extraction, and Hunted

In Escape, players work together to accomplish a set of goals and call in a rescue vehicle.

Extraction is more arcade-like, with the players cooperating to hold off waves of zombies and help poorly armed A.I. controlled civilians to a rescue vehicle.

Hunted is completely different from the other two, pitting the players against each other in a fight to the last man standing in a zombie-filled environment.

* TheStraightAndArrowPath: Later updates introduced a crossbow and a compound bow, DifficultButAwesome weapons that trade off slow fire rate, relatively difficult aiming with a learning curve, and low total ammo capacity in favor of being almost completely silent[[note]]zombies will head towards the point where the arrow hit, be it a rotten noggin or a map surface[[/note]], very powerful[[note]]capable of downing a normal zombie in three bodyshots and a riot in ten[[/note]], and having reusable ammo, as you can recycle used arrows with no ill effects.

** [[TheStraightAndArrowPath The compound bow and the crossbow]]. Once you learn how to aim them and score headshots consistently at different distances, the power, quietness, and re-usability of the arrows, plus the zombies' tendency to congregate where their last buddy got killed[[note]]they only register the noise of the arrow impacting something, not the bow being fired[[/note]], make clearing out great stretches of the map an almost trivial task. They only really fall short in the finales, where there are zombies in large numbers which know exactly where you are.

** SniperRifle: The Remington, the BLR and the M1 Garand. While the first is your normal run-of-the-mill scoped bolt-action rifle, the second is a lever-action with a detachable magazine, and the Garand is [[CoolGuns/BattleRifles the Garand]]. Only the remington has a scope, the others only have iron sights.

** In the PVE game modes (Escape and Extraction), weapons that sacrifice ammo capacity, rate of fire, or the flashlight attachment for increased damage, such as the Colt .45, the .357 magnum, or the sniper rifles. This is because you'll only be fighting zombies, and when fighting zombies one-hit-kill headshots are all that matter.

* BoringButPractical: The SIG. It's not the most exciting of guns, but it's accurate, ammo is plentiful, and it can kill zombies with a single headshot.
* DifficultButAwesome: Melee weapons. They cost no ammo to use and a properly aimed charged attack will kill most things in a single hit. On the downside, using one eats a large amount of stamina, and only some like the baseball bats or the sledgehammer can kill reliably.

** LightningBruiser: In the Panic game-types, players are put in the shoes of a slightly weaker Riot zombie. With the ability to sprint, strafe and actively pursue players however, they become a much larger threat.

* ImprovisedWeapon: Ditto for the IED, the game's equivalent of a C4 made from a cell phone [[AndSomeOtherStuff and some other stuff]].
** In a game-play sense, the Fire Extinguisher acts as one for melee weapons. Its bashing attack deals more damage than any other non-melee weapon's, and it can be found in the beginning of Roanoke PD. [[MundaneUtility Oh, and it's also really good at breaking doors]].
* LogicalWeakness: The Riot zombie is completely clothed in bulletproof armor from head to toe. What's the easiest way to deal with him? [[StuffBlowingUp With explosives of course]].
** The armor also doesn't seem to protect them at all from melee weapons. In real life, tactical armor works decent against bullets, but isn't so hot against blunt force trauma.

* NintendoHard: While Contagion itself is already pretty difficult, Extreme difficulty jacks it up even higher. Zombies can kill in less than 5 hits, infection is more-or-less guaranteed from a single strike, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and doors can be destroyed in less than 3 seconds]]. The scarcity of ammunition only exists to reinforce that status. Run into a [[EliteMook player zombie]], [[OhCrap however...]]

* ShoutOut:
** You can't really look at the crossbow weapon without thinking of ''Series/TheWalkingDead''.
* SoftGlass: Averted. Walking into a broken window without clearing it will damage the player going through it.
* SpiritualSuccessor: To the original two VideoGame/ZombiePanic games.

** {{Handguns}}: The SIG and the Colt 1911. Despite both of them being starting weapons, neither use the same ammunition.

** ShotgunsAreJustBetter: The Mossberg and the Over & Under. The first is your standard pump-action shotgun, while the second is a more exotic double-barreled shotgun.
** SniperRifle: The Remington and the BLR. While the former is your normal run-of-the-mill scoped bolt-action rifle, the latter uses iron-sights.
** Two assault rifles, the AR-15 and the AK-74U, are present, taking up roles as the JackOfAllStats of firearms. They boast high firepower, decent recoil, and a healthy magazine size, giving more individual bullets per ammo box than any other weapon. The AR-15 is the weapon to use for a long range battle as the AK is less accurate.
** There are also two [=SMGs=], the [=MP5K=] and its flashlight-less alternative, the [=KG9=]. Both share ammo with the SIG, but due to their higher firing rates and superior ammo capacities, they're more-or-less direct upgrades to it. The MP5K will outpace the KG9 in range and accuracy but the KG9's rate of fire is a death sentence in close encounters.
** Beyond the previous mentioned, there are the several melee weapons, a crossbow, a healing item, a pocket light, the grenade, and its alternative, the IED. The baseball bats, sledgehammer, golf club and wrench are usually one-hit kills with a headshot while the machete, kabar knife and fireaxe may require more than one swing. The pocket is brighter than the standard flashlights, but it's fairly useless as the difference is not too drastic, it takes up a space that could be used for a weapon, and even if none of your weapons have a light, your free-space phone does.

* TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything: In Roanoke PD, there's a stuck elevator door that teases players with an item inside of it. Later on through the map, they can drop down and open the door from the inside. However, if a zombie gets stuck in here, they can actually manually open it by bashing at the control panel.
** Another Roanoke example. A wooden board shuts a door leading to the staircase in the beginning of the map. Normally, players can break this board when they reach it, providing them easy access to the beginning of the level. This board cannot be broken by zombie players.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To the original two ZombiePanic games.

The game is overall slower and more methodical than other games in the genre (most notably ''Left4Dead'' or ''Call of Duty'''s ''NaziZombies''). Zombies are generally of the traditional slow, shambling Romero type (although they can individually vary in speed to a noticeable degree), and ammo is fairly limited, especially if it's being shared between 4 or 8 players. You can survive a decent number of hits, but healing items are also ''extremely'' rare; usually there is only 1 or 2 in the entire map, so you're generally limited to the health you start the level with. The overall pacing and atmosphere is comparable to a first-person version of the early ''ResidentEvil'' games, if they only had zombies and no special mutants.

** There are also two [=SMGs=], the [=MP5K=] and its flashlight-less alternative, the [=KG9=]. Both share ammo with the SIG, but due to their higher firing rates and superior ammo capacities, they're more-or-less direct upgrades to it.
** Beyond the previous mentioned, there are the several melee weapons, a crossbow, a healing item, a pocket light, the grenade, and its alternative, the IED.

** Two assault rifles, the AR-15 and the AK-74U, are present, taking up roles as the JackOfAllStats of firearms. They boast high firepower, decent recoil, and a healthy magazine size, giving more individual bullets per ammo box than any other weapon.

Developed by Monochrome LLC, Contagion is a zombie-themed Indie FirstPersonShooter running on the Source engine. A [[SpiritualSuccessor spiritual successor]] to the HalfLife mod [[ZombiePanic Zombie Panic!]], it was originally a Kickstarter game. It hit its goal in October 13th, 2013 and was released as a Steam Early Access game on the 25th of the same month. The game entered full release on April 11th, 2014.

** In the PVE game modes (Escape and Extraction), weapons that sacrifice ammo capacity, rate of fire, or the flashlight attachment for increased damage, such as the Colt .45, .357 magnum, or the sniper rifles. This is because you'll only be fighting zombies, and when fighting zombies one-hit-kill headshots are all that matter.