“Burt Wilson: One question, Frank: this guy screaming in here… you’re sure he’s a dead cadaver?
Frank: Why don’t you open the door and find out!”
Written by Simone Morini
Heads up: this article contains spoilers for Return of the Living Dead. Yeah, I know, after 40 years, maybe we can stop calling them spoilers… but still.
In 1985, three years before I was even born, Return of the Living Dead hit theaters. A film that would go on to become an absolute cult classic in the horror scene.
I saw it for the first time when I was a kid, and it ended up right in the middle of the big horror rewatch I did while working on the first VHS boxes.
Then, about a year ago, I got the call: the current rights holder of the film wanted Aces Games to develop a Return of the Living Dead adaptation using the Very Horror Stories system, as part of the 40th anniversary celebration.
You can probably imagine the excitement of realizing that Very Horror Stories had made it far enough to catch the attention of the film industry.
Of course I didn’t need to be asked twice. Together with Angelo Peluso from Grim Moon Studio, who came on board as a partner from the start, we got to work on bringing this horror milestone into a VHS box… a playable one, of course.
VHS – Return of the Living Dead: Where it all began
First step? A rewatch. Not with the eyes of the kid who watched it years ago, or even the horror fan. This time I had to watch it like a builder.
In my mind, the final game needed to capture everything. Every line, every iconic moment had to earn its spot. Some would even become part of the rules.
We needed Characters to play, and luckily the film delivers. Each one stands out, visually, personality-wise, everything.
We needed Monsters. And even though this is technically a zombie movie, where there usually aren’t specific villains, just hordes of the undead, this one had more than enough to work with.
You’ve got the iconic Tarman. Trash, resurrected and turned into an undead queen. The relentless Freddy. The Yellow Cadaver.
Oops. Guess I just spoiled a few things.
Then we needed Main Sets. And again, the movie already had them all mapped out. Every key part of the plot is tied to a specific location: Uneeda, the Resurrection Funeral Home, and of course, the Resurrection Cemetery.
The more I worked, the more every piece just seemed to fall into place. VHS was already designed to feel like a cinematic experience, but this adaptation only made that idea stronger.
VHS – Return of the Living Dead: The Mood, the Madness, the Trioxin
As I kept writing, it became clear: having just Characters and Sets wouldn’t cut it.
Return of the Living Dead demanded more, and in some weird way, it already knew how to give it to me.
First, I had to step away from Deadbreak, the zombie-themed VHS in the lineup. But that wasn’t a problem: Deadbreak is built to honor the whole zombie genre. Here, instead, we were working on one specific film, with its own unique rules and tone.
That’s what made Return of the Living Dead so powerful to work on: it gave me clear boundaries. And within those, I could go all in, chasing every reference, every possible detail to make players say, “I’m actually playing the movie.”
Adapting it wasn’t enough. It had to feel unique.
Very Horror Stories was born to stir up nostalgia, but a title like this, fully dedicated to a single film, needed to take players right back into that world. Right down to the smell of trioxin in the air.
We pulled it off thanks to a mix of subtle and not-so-subtle tweaks to the rules. They had to feel natural, lightweight, and immersive at the same time.
The core of the new mechanics? The BRAINS! Condition. It handles cemetery reanimation, brain-eater enemies, character transformation into the undead, and a whole series of events ripped straight from the movie, like the contaminated rain or cracking open a trioxin barrel.
VHS – Return of the Living Dead: Le Tweaks
This wasn’t just an adaptation. It was a chance to step back and see VHS from the outside.
That new perspective sparked a few necessary updates, and eventually led to a brand new quickstart.
What kind of updates?
We introduced the Film Cards, which help speed up the flow of each session and keep things tight.
We also rewrote the entire core mechanics chapter, turning it into a clear, step-by-step guide that walks you through every play mode.
And we developed an entirely new section on how to create custom content. It’s not in the quickstart, but it’s already written and ready in our archives.
So yes, the return of the living dead also brought a return of VHS. Not by changing the rules, but by reworking how they’re presented, making the whole experience more accessible and immersive.
The Dead just opened their eyes
There’s still plenty to talk about with this adaptation. Not just Kickstarter updates, but the work behind the scenes that brought this version to life.
So if you’re curious about how we tackled the design, the mechanics, the story, and all the little Easter eggs hidden along the way… we’ll definitely be diving deeper soon.
In the meantime, if you haven’t already, you can grab the brand new VHS Quickstart and the Return of the Living Dead demo by [clicking here] and scrolling to the first image under the banner (note: desktop only, it won’t show up on mobile).
And while you’re there, make sure to follow the page so you don’t miss the campaign launch.
Want early access to spoilers and behind-the-scenes content? There’s a free VIP newsletter sign-up form waiting for you too.
Hope you enjoyed this article, and thanks for reading all the way through.
See you soon,
– Simone