From the publisher’s rulebook

Who goes first in City of Horror?

Give the First Player token to whoever looks most like a zombie. That player moves a character first during the Character Movement phase.

Rule details

During setup, place the Zombie Leader token on that player's color. Character placement starts with the player to their right and goes counterclockwise, so the first player places their characters last.

Movement cards are normally chosen secretly and revealed simultaneously. Actual character movement then starts with the First Player token holder and proceeds clockwise.

The B side of the Water Tower lets players with characters there choose their movement cards after the others have revealed theirs.

Source & edition

City of Horror: Repos Production rulesRepos Production · Setup steps 2–3; Movement Card Selection; Character Movement; PDF pages 4, 5 · Checked 2026-09-23Printed page references: 4, 5
PDF page 4 PDF page 5

All 14 Repos Production starting rules

Image: © Repos Production and any credited cover artist · Repos Production

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<blockquote class="whogoesfirst-rule" cite="https://whogoesfirst.fun/games/city-of-horror-repos-en/">
  <p><strong>Who goes first in City of Horror?</strong> Give the First Player token to whoever looks most like a zombie. That player moves a character first during the Character Movement phase.</p>
  <p>Source: <a href="https://whogoesfirst.fun/games/city-of-horror-repos-en/">Official starting rule on Who Goes First?</a> (Repos Production English rules, copyright 2013)</p>
</blockquote>

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