Key Features

Start the match and understand the roles

Everyone begins as a zombie. Find the Cure pickup to become the first human. The human earns points while alive and for kills; a zombie that kills the human takes that role. The winner is determined by the score at the end of the match, not by being the final human for a moment.
Diner forecourt and neon building. TranZit layout reference; Turned uses its own rules.
As the human, keep the forecourt in view and move before enemies surround you. Each kill can switch your weapon, so account for the draw animation instead of waiting for another shot from the old gun. Sprint to create space during a reload; a zombie only needs to reach you once.
As a zombie, use your speed and the human’s visible outline to approach from a side while another zombie pressures the front. Attack during reloads or weapon changes. Running straight down the same sightline repeatedly gives the human easy kills and more time scoring.

Reverse Gun Game and power-ups

The normal weapon cycle is Executioner → M1216 → M27 → Chicom CQB → KAP-40 → M1911. A kill advances the weapon. The final pistol is much weaker: use headshots, space and an Insta-Kill pickup if one appears. A private lobby’s alternate weapon settings can change the experience.
A Cymbal Monkey creates a decoy and masks the real human while it is active. Throw it where pursuing zombies will reach its blast, then reposition. A successful monkey kill can leave another monkey pickup; collecting that replacement is the chained-monkey mechanic.

Side Quests

All three Diner achievements

Polyarmory: get a kill with each of the six primary weapons in a Public Match. Work through the displayed weapon cycle. Save an Insta-Kill opportunity for the M1911 if possible; merely reaching the pistol is not the required pistol kill.
Monkey See, Monkey Doom: obtain a Cymbal Monkey, use it to kill a zombie, then pick up the chained replacement it drops. The pickup is the trigger; simply throwing a monkey is insufficient. Keep away from approaching zombies while waiting for the blast.
I See Live People: as a zombie, kill the real human while their decoy is active. Follow the human’s last position and movement rather than attacking the decoy. The real player can still shoot you while hidden, so use a flank and strike promptly.

Sources and review

Written for the original Black Ops II release, on Original difficulty unless a mode is specified. Instructions were cross-checked against the linked community sources on 3 October 2026. Gameplay: Activision / Treyarch; photographs and charts: COD Zombies Guides, its credited contributors, mmmrkennedy and other sources named below. Shared-layout images may show another edition; follow the BO2 instructions. Source review and website checks are not an in-game playthrough.

Select any reference image to enlarge it. Screenshot and symbol sources are credited in the linked walkthroughs; this guide uses local copies for reliable access.