Project Zomboid

Sadly, the developers have begun to use AI "art".

This is how creative integrity died.

Project Zomboid is a masterpiece of realistic, apocalyptic survival. It is challenging, thoughtful, lonely, immersive, and rewarding as hell. I play it as a roguelike (new save after each death), and it is the best zombie survival experience hands down. Once you've climbed the steep learning curve, it is a goldmine of quality game design that has been lovingly evolved for years.

It's a game that has persistently been updated for over a decade. And while the updates often take years to materialize, each major build is like playing a sequel. The Indie Stone deserves endless goodwill for constantly supporting this single game, listing it under $20 with frequent sales, welcoming the modding community (even hiring modders as developers), and implementing community feedback.

If you vibe with the control scheme and embrace the difficulty, it is the BEST zombie survival experience out there.

This is a the best piece of zombie media... it makes you feel like a survivor 10/10... and after every update it gets better and better

Me and a friend fought a horde getting out of Riverside. He got lacerated by zombies 5 times and was fine. I got scratched by tripping on a fence and got infected and died. 10/10 would drink bleach again

Very good game!
Though, it is difficult to play when you don't have access to a mouse. I use a track pad, but it's impossible to fight well with it. When you move you can't move the track pad at the same time so it's hard to run away from zombies. I know it's an easy fix if I just get a mouse, but I still think it'd be nice to see the accessibility improved.

this game has outdone 80% or even the whole 100% of zombie games, it is even sometimes challenging without the zombies
I NEED A CAN OPENER TO OPEN CANS
I NEED TO SLEEP
I NEED TO ACTUALLY HAVE A REFRIGERATOR OR ANY PLACE TO STORE FOODS SO THEY WOULD NOT GO BAD
I NEED TO HAVE A STABLE HYGIENE SO I WOULD NOT BECOME SICK
Too realistic/10

On my top 10 list for years now and it is still getting content updates. Great modding community.

One of the best zombie games. It has different modes and expect you to play in different styles. The game is very engaging and exciting. Definitely recommend it! It's great on Steam Deck, but you need to zoom in/out a lot, otherwise your vision range is shorter than vision range of the zombies.

This game is super balanced, with highly customizable sandbox options. It remains fun even when you're playing alone, as the zombies will keep you company throughout the game. The game is also quite realistic. I highly recommend playing it with mods.

I got this game about two months ago at the time of this review on suggestions of my friends. Mainly with the intention to play together. I'd never have considered playing this game, it didn't look appealing to me, both visually and the game-play. I've gone from the tutorial straight to a heavily modded multiplayer. The beginning was harsh, getting used to controls and not freak out when there are more than two zombies around :D
I've since started multiple single player saves. Now it's one of my favorite games!
The visual presentation matches the game really good. Game-play is fine and can be customized a lot with mods. By a lot I mean there's a mod for almost anything.

What can you expect from this game?
Obviously a lot of dying, especially when learning the game. There have been saves; I spawned, got out of the house and ran into five zombies just to die. It can be frustrating to get a good save going without experience but once you figure out what works and how zombies react to you the fun begins. The question is not "if" you die but rather "how and when" you die, it's inevitable. I learned the game mostly by playing with friends and them teaching me and then experimenting in single player a lot.
What makes this game so much fun is, realizing you've been surviving longer than your previous run and killed more zombies than ever (maybe cleared an entire neighborhood without realizing). :D
There will always be "Oh, fuck!" situations; distracted for a second and suddenly you get an unpleasant hug with potentially deadly consequences. Run out of stamina in a crowded place. And I wont even get started about using guns in a more crowded place. :P

This game features a lot of depth and has mechanics for almost anyone which are expandable with mods. I haven't seen everything yet despite playing 200+ hours. There is also a multitude ways to play this game, either make a building your base or travel with a modded RV through the world and see how far you get. Take more aggressive approach to playing or go for more stealth. Collect 100 cars and still get attached to a single one and be sad when trees jump in your way :c
And then there's the whole job and trait system that heavily influences how you play to make it more challenging but also more rewarding. It's a game that stays fresh for countless hours depending on how you play and what challenges you're giving to yourself.

Besides the updates taking forever, this game is fantastic. It is faithful to its mission; it creates an unforgiving, believable simulation of the zombie apocalypse. No matter how geared or prepared you are, you are ALWAYS in danger. It's games like this and STALKER that perfectly capture the survival essence of a game. When you're going out on trips or searching for loot, you need to be aware of every single movement you make. Any zombie in the game CAN kill you. And it makes moments like having a secure base so much more enjoyable, because it's the first time you've felt "safe" in the game at all. And even then, there is always the chance for a helicopter event to ruin everything, or one zed to find a gap in the defenses or break down a wall during the night. The game makes you earn your right to live, through combat, tact, and managing human needs.

One of my main gripes has been lack of self-sufficiency options besides simply eating vegetable stew every single day, but Build 42 (which the unstable version will hopefully be out in two weeks, FINALLY) seeks to address this with animal hunting/husbandry, more plants for farming, and a vastly expanded crafting system. If it reaches or exceeds Hydrocraft's features, I don't think I'll be able to put this game down for a LONG time.

At the end of the day, this is possibly the most realistic apocalypse survival game ever made, and for $20 (or $15/person for the 4 pack) it is undoubtedly worth the money. The fantastic modding community and ever-ambitious dev team give this game so much potential, beyond what it has already reached. It'll take a while until they reach their goal for an alpha game, but it is definitely worth the ride.

A solid survival game if that's what you're looking for. Gets pretty boring pretty quickly once you get a feel for the combat and gameplay loop but some friends and a giant modlist can remedy that somewhat. Just don't get too excited for the human NPCs update anytime soon.

If you love zombie game slop then this is the tastiest gruel you can get

"Over 700 Hours In, and Still Loving It"
I've been playing Project Zomboid since its early access days, and with over 700 hours in the game—mostly in single-player—I can confidently say it’s one of the best survival games out there.

At first, the game’s difficulty was a real challenge, but that’s part of what made it so rewarding. The map is massive, with endless places to explore, and the variety of skills and traits ensures that every playthrough feels unique. Whether you’re scavenging for supplies, building a base, or just trying to survive another day, the experience is consistently engaging.

The modding community is phenomenal. They’ve added so much depth and replayability to the game that it always feels fresh, no matter how many times you play. The world can feel vast and isolating, which perfectly captures the post-apocalyptic atmosphere, but that loneliness makes multiplayer all the more fun. While finding the right server and group to play with can be a bit tricky, when you do, it’s an absolute blast.

Project Zomboid combines challenging gameplay, a richly detailed world, and endless customization, making it a must-play for any survival game enthusiast.

10/10 would recommend.

It’s a thrilling survival game. You’re thrown into a zombie-infested world, needing to scavenge for food, water, and weapons. Build shelters to fend off hordes, manage your health and stamina, and make crucial decisions daily. The open-ended gameplay and random events keep every experience unique and challenging.

Very fun and super easy game :-)

Awesome stuff. The difficulty of the game keeps you engaged. The approach to the zombie fantasy in this one just hits the right spot.

12 years and still in early access. Updates basically once every few years. Janky and infuriating. Still I keep comming back to it :D

Waited on this one for a long time, but my son snuck in and purchased it to play solo, so I took the jump as well. Great decision. We've loved every minute playing it and have started a hosted family server that we've been playing on and have been having a blast. Well worth it.

The gift that keeps on giving. Mods and Multipayer open this game up massively: hardcore roleplay servers? done. simple horde night with the boys? done. Nomadic convoys going from city to city looting everything that isnt nailed down? you bet!

Love the amount of things you can do, in between chopping zombies with kitchen knife, just to get access to uncloged toilet just to shit like a civilized survivor.

Ah, Project Zomboid—the game that separates the survivors from the “ran into a gas station and left the door open” crowd. After 1,000 hours in Knox County, I’ve achieved a level of zombie survival mastery most players only dream about. I’m not just surviving—I’m thriving. You? You probably died because you thought the "E" key was for emoting and walked face-first into a zombie party. Amateur hour.

Let’s talk graphics. They’re simple, sure, but it’s like fine art disguised as finger painting. That isometric view? A masterpiece of deception. One moment you’re basking in the soft glow of a sunset, admiring your barricade work like a proud dad. The next, it’s pitch black, you forgot batteries for your flashlight, and you’re getting mobbed by zombies who think your base is Black Friday at Best Buy. But me? Nah. My barricades hold. Always. (Except for the time I nailed a plank to the wrong wall. That doesn’t count.)

The mechanics? Survival porn. Every single button press matters. Crafting, looting, repairing—you’ve gotta know it all. Beginners die because they didn’t realize cooking canned soup can burn the house down (pro tip: don’t walk away). Meanwhile, I’m out here dismantling entire neighborhoods, building fortresses so strong even the horde stops to admire my carpentry. I once survived for a week in a single gas station because I knew how to ration chips, fortify doors, and lure zombies into the greatest conga line the world has ever seen. It’s called strategy, rookies.

But then there’s the difficulty, which is what keeps the noobs crying and the legends (like me) coming back for more. Project Zomboid is less a game and more of a 24/7 roast session. Every bad decision snowballs into disaster. Forgot to disinfect a scratch? Guess what—you’re patient zero now. Tried to “take ‘em all on” with a frying pan? The zombies wrote your obituary. Personally, I’ve mastered the art of not dying stupidly. The rest of you can keep running into open fields and tripping over fences.

And the tension? You’ll never feel safe—unless you’re me. For most players, opening a door feels like flipping a coin between “empty closet” and “zombie rave.” But after 1,000 hours, I’m practically psychic. I know where the zombies are, what they're thinking, and how to handle them. Except for chases, which are still absolute chaos. I once got cornered in a diner, juked my way out, and accidentally led a 50-zombie flash mob straight into my buddy’s base. Best part? I survived. He didn’t. RIP Chad Thundercarpenter IV. And yet, even I’ve felt the crushing dread of realizing my perfectly fortified base wasn’t a sanctuary—it was a tomb waiting for its turn.

Speaking of paranoia, I’ve taken Project Zomboid so seriously I’ve incorporated its lessons into my real life. Grocery shopping? I map the exits. Aisle looks too crowded? Not worth the risk. I practice “sneaking” through parking lots like I’m trying to avoid triggering a car alarm. Last week, I had a full-blown standoff with a shopping cart because it reminded me of a barricade gone wrong. I even tested how long I could survive without power by voluntarily turning off my breaker for three days. Spoiler: I didn’t need to. My survival instincts are that sharp. My neighbors? They think I’m insane, but when the apocalypse comes, they’ll be begging me for canned beans and makeshift spears.

Now, the memes are the true lifeblood of Zomboid. Everyone loves the classics: “Survived 2 days, died because I ate rotten ham.” But let me tell you, nothing tops the sheer comedy of multiplayer. Ever watch someone run to save you, swing a bat, and immediately fall out a second-story window? Because I have. It was art. And let’s not forget the time my friend started a fire to “clear out zombies,” only to burn down half the map, including my stash of canned peaches. I’ve never forgiven him.

Project Zomboid isn’t just a game—it’s a rite of passage. Most players get humbled by its unforgiving systems. Me? I dominate them. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, and I’ve probably assembled more zombie conga lines than any sane person should. Every moment is a story, every mistake a learning experience (for you, obviously). Knox County doesn’t care about you or your feelings, but I? I’ve conquered it.

11/10. “Get in line, rookies—the conga’s just starting.”

This game is absolutely awesome because it really enhances your survival skills. Every decision matters, and it constantly challenges you to think strategically to stay alive.

When I first played, I just wanted to stay in the house because I'm not a fan of horror games like this HAHAH! But over time, I realized how thrilling it is to explore, scavenge, and outsmart the zombie horde.

If you're into survival games or looking for a new challenge, I highly recommend giving this a try. I rate it a solid 10/10!

Best played with friends! May need some mods here and there for quality of life improvements, but is truly a labor of love.

It's a deep and fun game. I love it as a single-player game, treating it like a roguelike with a persistent world. Combat is intense since one scratch can be all it takes to die. My PC Gorbawd may die, but I can create a new Gorebawd in the same world that just has to make it back to base and assume the mantle of his predecessor. Then go out to find and dispatch the previous clone, Highlander-style. If I get bored of that I can create a whole new world and start fresh.

The learning curve is pretty steep, with lots of dense menus and idiosyncracies that really can only be understood by playing; things like why you're allowed to clip through certain furniture and not others (So there's a walkable path to a window over a countertop), and how helpful/useless certain perks are. It makes the game a bit ugly and obtuse; I was turned off by that when I first tried playing a year or so ago. Tried again recently, and once I got in the rhythm of the game, hoo boy, it's fun!

One of the most mechanically deep Zombie games ever created. The graphics may not be impressive, but the insane amount of freedom you have to do anything you could ever think of doing during a zombie apocalypse, is an incredibly unique experience.

Big plus for mod support and a crazy amount of base game customization for EVERYTHING.

Fun with friends, fun with mods. Base game is really REALLY IFFY but still fun regardless. Any type of mod that adds more weapons, guns, armor, cars, features etc etc are a MUST.

What I have learned playing this game so far!

- Expect to die! it's inevitable accept it!
- MAKE A JOURNAL AND KEEP IT STASHED SOMEWHERE SAFE!! I can't stress this enough. If you learn skills write in it and when you die you can make a new character and read your journal. This will give you most of your skills back to where you were before your inevitable death.
- Learn carpentry and auto mechanics early.
- don't forget sleep
- You are your own enemy. The zombies are just a small obstacle. your own weaknesses will be your downfall.
- Read lots of skill books to boost your levels for a multiplier
- rage quitting is a feature in this game. but you'll be back..... you always come back
- give up your social life and a consistent sleep schedule, this is your life now
- this game is meth, multiplayer is a whole new level of addiction with friends.
- you have been warned.

updates are painstakingly slow and devs clearly allow the modders to do all the work, buy it and download a TON of mods so you can have some fun, DO NOT expect an update tho, you'll die of old age before that happens.

one of my current set of favourite games, haven't sunk the most time into it ,but all in all, its rather relaxing when i do get to it, haven't encountered many bugs, and the ones I have encountered haven't gotten in the way of anything. I do like how the zombies act too, although getting chased by zombies that just refuse to yield gets a bit boring after it happens time and time again, hardly a hindrance though, especially as you play the game more, all-round a good game.

don't forget about the workshop too, adds a lot of great content, try it out.

No UI, text, DPI scaling or accessibility for 2160p, 1440p, or 1080p.
Unplayable.

One of the best zombie and survival games out there, it is very feature complete and the mod base is very extensive, this game is a blast to play alone or with friends. 10/10

Seemed like quite a lot of effort required to find the right custom settings for the game to be fun. Not really my jam.

I've recreated me and my friends inside the game to see which would survive the longer.
With that possibility alone this game deserves praise.

If you are willing to put up with the skill-curve, the possibilities of this game are endless, and with mods it simply becomes a perfect game, period. Its also easy to mod and runs extremely good in Linux.

wow! this game's great. if you're really keen on open world games, this game's your muse. the excitement of planning how you'll survive and the methods you'll use to do so, are really exhilarating.

So much fun to play with a group of friends. Be prepared to die many times in order to figure the game out. All of the skills and the huge sandbox of the world give this game nearly endless playtime potential.

---{ Graphics }---
☐ You forget what reality is
☐ Beautiful
☐ Good
☑ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS

---{ Gameplay }---
☑ Very good
☐ Good
☐ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't

---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☑ Very good
☐ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf

---{ Audience }---
☐ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☐ Grandma

---{ PC Requirements }---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☑ Decent
☐ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

---{ Game Size }---
☐ Floppy Disk
☑ Old Fashioned
☐ Workable
☐ Big
☐ Will eat 10% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data

---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☐ Easy
☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☑ Dark Souls

---{ Grind }---
☐ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☐ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☑ You'll need a second life for grinding

---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☑ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☐ Lovely
☐ It'll replace your life

---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☐ Short
☐ Average
☐ Long
☑ To infinity and beyond

---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☑ Worth the price
☐ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money

---{ Bugs }---
☑ Never heard of
☐ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs

---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☐ 8
☐ 9
☑ 10

Only 16 hours in and I can imagine the hundreds of hours i could play this. was very skeptical at first since i don't really like games with this type of gameplay- but man it is a lot of fun and extremely immersive. Would highly recommend, especially with friends.

very fun but hard game and with mods make it way better if you want a real zombie game with your buds or alone

Great game with copious amounts of mods to change flavors for every run

I first looked at this game from a friend and thought that it was just another third-person Zombie Apocalypse game, and i was pleasantly surprised after i bought and played it. Project Zomboid is a charming game with realistic attributes and is decently difficult to play until you really get to know what to do in certain situations. Overall an amazing game that i would recommend to anyone, and for a relatively expensive price, sales are often and well-priced.

I've played this game for a very long time and it never gets old. With friends it's even better because it can add a lot of variety to the game especially if they're roleplaying.

This is a great game the has been in development for god knows how long. The devs have added an incomparable amount of depth to the game and is a joy to play.

Please for the love of god sell your game to a different company.

You get so close to hitting the mark but instead decide to fuck with lighting instead of actually working on the game for real.

Its amazing that a couple of modders can create months worth of content compared to your measly basement update in a matter of months.

Sell your game to a company that would actually make content for the game. Thank

Its been years since I have sunk 10 hours in a game in 1 sitting, This is everything I have been waiting for. I am totally stoked about them improving this game but I just really hope they don't overthink it and ruin it. One of the best times I have had playing a game in a long time!

The most accurate hardcore survival zombie game, definitely do the tutorial.. its a confusing game at first and is very hard but its VERY fun once you get the hang of it! 10/10

I've been playing Project Zomboid since the old build in 2011 with npcs and I’m pissed with how slow the game’s development has been. This game came out back in 2011 and we’re still waiting on major features like NPCs that the devs have been promising forever when they literally had those features in the old build.

As a paying customer especially I feel it’s fair to expect real progress after all this time. But every time I or anyone else brings up these concerns, we’re attacked by a bunch of dev bootlickers who’ve been berating people like me for years. They act like it's wrong to expect anything and go after anyone who dares to call out the delays or broken promises. It’s honestly infuriating how they just blindly defend every delay as if the devs can do no wrong and anyone wanting accountability is somehow the problem. Who the f##k are you to tell me I’m wrong for wanting what was promised?

Oh great now the devs are probably going to go on another emotional tirade about their depression lmao.

I'm not the target audience. I thought I'd give it a shot.

It's basically a menu simulator and clicker game. It's very deep and works well. But the majority of tasks involve navigating windows and holding 2 buttons to smash a zombies head. 99% of the game is experienced in the tutorial and it's not very fun.

I do recommend this game for anyone that doesn't want action combat and wants a life sim. It's like The Sims with zombies.

Solid idea. Just not for me. It's like baseball. It's fun to watch for some people, just not to me.

9 innings out of /10 but I'd rather play another sport.

if you are not playing a custom sandbox mode, it's almost impossible to fully experience what game offers. because you'll lose all the skills you gain when you die and they take god damn long to build again from scratch. some people say it's not a game about skills but experience. but the experience repeats itself on every turn. you loot, cook, organize, try to kill or avoid zombies without getting bitten, and desperately hope to build some skills again to create more sophisticated things. creators think this is a real survivor experience but for a normal human being (not a psychopath) you'll not achieve what you plan. psychopaths will spend 100s of hours of gameplay just to think that they achieve something but in fact, game mechanics tried to stop you from progressing. i believe that's a very easy cheap way of making game challenging and realistic. Making you exhausted doesn't mean a real experience of a zombie apocalypse.

This is a very good game. It really is. It's not as good as it can become through mods; quite a bit visually and technically outdated, but still.

But man, taking literally years to update this game is insane. Problems, bugs, or even compatibility issues with larger displays that existed years ago are still present today. Some of those problems, as I understand it, have already been fixed in build 42, but they won't release these to the public until all promised features, like crafting, are ready. I can't think of another "early access" game that does this.

Other developers either release features and fixes as they become ready or commit to releasing a set number of smaller builds per year. To keep issues to a minimum.

I can't recommend the game right now, even if the gameplay is quite good. I might definitely recommend it once those issues are gone and updating / dictator-like moderators practices change.

Boyfriend started playing it first, I thought it looked like Sims and really enjoyed the survival/base building elements. Basically a perfect couples game. 3 days in my survivor was covered head-to-toe in bandages and struggling. 3 weeks in she was beating in a zombies head with a baseball bat so she could collect a nice painting to take back to her base with her boyfriend. 10/10 game.