If you’re looking for a new zombie game, you’ve got a ton of options. A few are absolute must-plays, a bunch are solid if you like the genre, and some are better off left for dead. The key is figuring out which apocalypse matches your style, whether you want gritty survival, co-op chaos, or something more relaxed.
I played each of these 20 games for two hours and judged them on that crucial first impression. The most important question I asked was: when my time was up, did I want to keep playing? If a game is good, it sinks its teeth into you fast.
For a Chill, Loot-Focused Experience
These are the games you play when you don’t want a stressful, realistic struggle—just some simple fun with zombies in the background.
Deadpoly
This game is pure silliness. Survival isn’t really the point; the real goal is to hoard an absurd amount of junk—toys, neon signs, you name it—and decorate your base with it.
Playing by yourself feels a bit empty, but if you have a friend to join you, it becomes a goofy, fun time. Don’t buy it for serious survival, but if you enjoy collecting things and decorating, give it a look.
Dysmantle
Dysmantle feels like a chill, PS2-era adventure game. You start with a crowbar and break stuff to get better, which lets you break even more stuff.
The combat is just okay, but the real hook is the steady progression. You work towards clearing areas of zombies permanently and can eventually unlock farming and base-building.
It’s a very polished “comfort food” kind of game, perfect if you like to always be working towards a clear goal.
For Hardcore Survival Fans
If you want to feel like you’re actually fighting to stay alive, with slow pacing and punishing consequences, these are your best bets.
Surroundead
This one is a hidden gem. Even though it’s still in early access, it gets so much right. The world feels dangerous and quiet, with deep systems for hunger, thirst, and injuries.
The gunplay is excellent—you manually load magazines and need to use stealth to survive.
With safe camps, traders, and other human survivors (both friendly and hostile), the world feels alive. I highly recommend it if you don’t mind an game that’s still being actively developed.
Mist Survival
This is another slow, detailed survival sim. It has some technical quirks, but the core experience is great if you love a challenge. A mysterious mist is tied to the outbreak, zombies hide during the day, and fighting them early on is usually a terrible idea.
I love the injury system—if you hurt your leg, you really feel it, and if you sprint, you can re-open the wound. With deep crafting and the promise of features like recruitable NPCs, this game has massive potential and is already fun if you accept its early-access state.
HumanitZ
Think of this as a slightly more accessible version of Project Zomboid. The pace is calm and immersive, with a focus on building up a homestead over time.
The melee combat can feel a little janky, but the survival systems work well. It also has multiplayer and the developers are actively supporting it. It’s a great middle-ground between ultra-hardcore and arcadey action.
Project Zomboid
This is the king of zombie survival games.
The depth is staggering, with detailed systems for health, crafting, weather, and how the zombies behave. The first couple of hours are tough because there’s so much to learn, but if you push through, you’ll find one of the most immersive experiences in gaming.
It truly makes you wonder, “How would I really survive?” This is the one you should try first if you love the genre.
For Story and Atmosphere
These games are less about endless sandboxes and more about tight, tense experiences with a strong narrative pull.
Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days
This was easily one of my favorites. Even though it’s a side-scroller, it feels incredibly deep. The backgrounds have layers, the sound design is amazing, and you quickly forget you’re mostly moving left and right.
The game is slow, methodical, and brutal. You manage a small group of survivors, assigning them tasks and then personally controlling one of them on tense, stealth-based scavenging runs. If they die, it’s permanent, and you feel that loss.
The level design is clever, making every trip out feel meaningful. If you loved the tension of a game like This War of Mine, you absolutely need to play this.
Dead Island 2
I’ll be honest, this game surprised me. I thought I was over this kind of arcadey zombie brawler, but it’s just so much fun. It doesn’t try to be realistic; instead, it gives you a sunny, gore-soaked playground in LA. The environmental chaos is a blast—you can electrocute zombies in water or set off fuel spills.
Just the drop-kick alone is one of the most satisfying moves I’ve used in any game. With a fun card-based upgrade system, tons of weapons to mod, and full co-op, this is a must-play if you want a polished, over-the-top zombie adventure instead of a stressful simulator.
For Co-Op Mayhem
If you just want to mow down thousands of zombies with friends, this is your pick.
World War Z
This game is exactly what it looks like: a modern version of Left 4 Dead. The sheer number of zombies it throws on screen at once is a technical marvel, and the gunplay feels solid. You get different classes to level up, a bunch of weapon types, and several campaign episodes to play through.
The downside? It’s perfectly fine, but it doesn’t do anything new or special to really make it stand out from the crowd. It’s a good, simple option for co-op carnage, but it’s outshone by more unique games on this list.
Games to Avoid For Now
Some games have good ideas but aren’t quite there yet.
10 Miles to Safety
The premise is strong: fight your way ten miles through a chaotic city to safety, recruiting other survivors along the way. But the fun is undercut by some frustrating design. You’re constantly interrupted by horde challenges that just last too long.
The night mechanic, where you’re trapped in a circle of light fighting off stronger zombies, sounds cool but often just feels unfair.
When my player died, lost my best gear, and found the reward chest empty, I was completely done. It’s not a bad game, but unless you really love this specific style of wave-based survival, your time is better spent elsewhere.
Dread Dawn
This one was a real letdown. It was hyped as the “next Project Zomboid,” but almost every part of it feels like a first draft. The combat, survival mechanics, and building all feel shallow.
It does have some cool ideas, like random world events where NPCs fight each other, but they’re buried under janky animations, annoying UI, and bugs. I can’t recommend it in its current state when there are so many better options.
The Final Verdict
So, which games are actually worth your time? Here’s the breakdown:
Must-Play Zombie Games:
Project Zomboid: The deepest survival sim out there.
Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days: A tense, emotional, and unique narrative experience.
Surroundead: An early-access standout for realistic, open-world survival.
Dead Island 2: Pure, chaotic, and incredibly fun arcade action.
Worth a Look:
Mist Survival & HumanitZ: Great if you love detailed, single-player survival.
Deadpoly: A silly decorating sim with friends.
Dysmantle: A comfy and satisfying progression game.
World War Z: A good, simple horde shooter for co-op.
Skip For Now:
Dread Dawn and 10 Miles to Safety have too many issues to recommend over the stronger games on this list.
If you want to get the most out of your time, start with Project Zomboid for hardcore immersion or Dead Island 2 for pure fun.
Both will grab you right from the start and don’t let go.
