[Top 15] Best Zombie Survival Games

She will starve in that forest, it always ends like that...


Zombies, zombies, zombies. Players will never get tired of this genre and for good reasons, there’s nothing more satisfying than annihilating hordes of undead coming straight at you until you’re out of ammunition - at that point, you should just run!

So, I don’t think this intro needs any further explaining, we will talk about some of the most incredible zombie games out there, so without further ado, let’s begin, shall we?

15. Unturned

Have you ever played Roblox? Unturned looks kinda similar, although it’s primarily focused on zombies, fighting them off, and trying to stay alive.

But there’s also more than just desperately trying to stay alive - you can make allies with other players, as well as enemies. Make a name for yourself and become hated or loved.

Use a variety of weapons, anything from a sword to a machine gun, magical spells included. Furthermore, you can use explosives against barricades and other players.

Although the graphics might not look appealing, it becomes extremely fun while playing with your friends. Give it a try!

Why this game is dope:

  • Farming and other forms of acquiring food are possible
  • Can drive and customize your cars, fortify them and make them hard to be destroyed
  • If cars are not your thing, you can also use helicopters

Fun rating: 78/100

Clearing a tunnel full of Zeds.

Fun rating: 78/100

14. Rebuild 3: Gangs of Deadsville

Are Sims with zombies good enough for you? Well, this game is most definitely for you, as it will test your strategy in terms of rebuilding a city that has been ravaged by zombies.

Of course, zombies might come back - it’s up to you whether you’ll be able to hold off the hordes or the rival gangs that will fight you for supplies.

Keeping your population healthy, as well as happy is also important - they can’t exist without you and neither can your city without ‘em. Furthermore, they can succumb to illness, as well as get murdered by the previously mentioned gangs - make sure that doesn’t happen!

In summary: be smart, outsmart your foes, take risks, and strategize your every move. You will take losses, it only matters how severe they will be…

Why this game is fantastic:

  • A zombie strategy game, a rare breed to stumble upon
  • Not just zombies but multiple rival gangs will also test your survival
  • Interesting characters with long lists of dialogue

Fun rating: 80/100

It’s almost as if things are returning to normal!

13. SurrounDead

If you want to survive, you’ll have to take risks, which include venturing out into the sinister world filled with zombies and other disturbing creatures, to scavenge what little there is and make it to another day.

Zombies are not the only thing that you have to worry about - keep in mind the weather, which will affect your stats, as well as day cycles - I’ll leave it to your imagination how much more interesting it gets as night time…

Run or die, shoot to kill, trust no one is my motto - this game won’t hold you by the hand too much and you can expect a crappy start if you’re new!

Why I like this game:

  • Shifting day cycles, as well as different types of weather
  • High amounts of findable weapons, plus equipment
  • Unique atmosphere, leaves you with fear of being watched(also Silent Hill vibes…)

Fun rating 82/100

Not a “living” soul in sight.

12. DeadPoly

Hunger and thirst are a thing in this game - fishing or just scavenging for food is a must, although, with enough experience, this whole thing will become relatively easy.

Crafting various recipes will improve the length, as well as the quality of your survival, sometimes even giving you an advantage while fighting off hordes of rabid zombies.

Of course, you can also build your own base - we all have to relax from the never endless stream of zombies every once in a while. A pretty fun game!

Why this game is cool:

  • Cartoonish graphics prevent you from being spooked too much
  • Cool ragdolls physics, didn’t really expect much from this game at first, lol
  • Massive crafting system, can craft over a hundred items

Fun rating: 83/100

Always shoot from the high ground if you have the chance.

11. Night of the Dead

You wanna play as a sexy chick in a world full of zombies? Well, wait no further, as in this game, you’ll be playing as Lucy.

Who is Lucy? She was part of an experiment that went wrong. Sometime later, she woke up in a city full of infected people - this wasn’t exactly a nice surprise for her and she was determined to survive.

Exploration, building, gathering food via hunting or scavenging, item collection, as well as setting up traps are just a few things that Lucy will have to do to stay alive. Good luck, Lucy!

Why this game is dope:

  • The world is large and well-built, with plenty of cool locations to visit
  • First-person is also available, adds to the atmosphere while searching old buildings
  • The game can also be finished, although it’s not an easy task

Fun rating: 85/100

Lucy is not playin’!

10. Dysmantle

Guess what, another zombie game. This one though allows you to destroy most objects that you’ll come across.

Although “zombies” are indeed a thing in this game, there are other creatures that you have to be wary of, infected wolves are one of them. 

While some animals are hostile, there are also those that can be hunted for food, as well as tamed - it’s up to you which one you’ll tame, plus taming has its benefits.

The game also has a plot for you to discover, so it’s not just a sandbox 24/7. A fun game that’s simple, what more can you ask for?

What this game does well:

  • The game has a highly destructive environment
  • You can build and set up outposts, create safe zones for yourself
  • Plenty of zombie-like creatures waiting for you to make a mistake

Fun rating: 86/100

Checking out a gas station for supplies.

9. Colony Survival

A game that looks oddly similar to Minecraft, although it has some strategy elements, as well as the possibility of controlling your population. 

There are groups that you can control in your little colony - farmers feed everyone, while the guards make sure that no threat is in your city. 

Furthermore, some miners are responsible for gathering resources, as well as colonists who improve the state of your colony.

Build and develop your colony - that’s pretty much it but also keep in mind that it can die as easily as it can be built - zombies are a constant threat and they won’t give up.

Why Colony Survival is awesome:

  • Similar to Minecraft in terms of building
  • Your colony grows in power as time flies, giving you the satisfying feeling of progress
  • Zombies come every night and the attacks become harder and harder to deal with

Fun rating 87/100

Glorious.

8. Project Zomboid

You’re hungry and there’s a house a few streets away - you climb through the window but at the same, you trigger an alarm. Your time is now limited, either tuck your tail and run or take your chances and loot the house.

Build a house and stay warm, try to avoid zombies, and don’t forget to turn off your oven. Seriously, it won’t end well for you!

Why I enjoy Project Zomboid:

  • 1 mistake and you’re done for - this game can be very punishing
  • Unpredictable scenarios, sometimes you have to make tough decisions
  • Hordes are so massive that sometimes even your car won’t be able to run them over

Fun rating: 89/100

Oasis of peace.

7. The Forest

Well, I’d say that this game has cannibals and disturbing monsters that are 2 times taller than you but yeah, the cannibals act in a similar way to the zombies - they eat human meat and mostly come at night, mostly.

Besides that, you can also build a massive fortress that should keep the cannibals out. It won’t always work though, as the attacks will become stronger and stronger, with more monsters coming to kill you.

Discovering caves for new items is also crucial, as you’ll need them to actually finish the game. CO-OP is also possible and it’s always more fun to play with your friends.

What else can I say - try your luck with this game. It will test you and break you, digest you, and sh1t you out!

Why The Forest is awesome:

  • Interesting plot of the island, plenty of clues scattered for you to discover
  • Unique foes. I’m not talking about the common cannibals  - the jumping vagina monster and the spider-thingy
  • Plenty of weapons to craft, each one has different stats

Fun rating: 91/100

What is that…

6. No One Survived

Is running around in your boxers your idea of fun? Let’s add zombies to the mix, with a pinch of anger and bloodlust.

You’re either on your own or with your friends in this cruel world, looking for supplies and trying to make ends meet, hoping to survive till the next day…

Seasons and clothing are important, as they will affect the state of your character - neglecting your character will result in your demise, and not investing in a greenhouse will also leave you starving.

Creating weapons, mastering tech skills, as well as combat skills will determine what your class will excel in - if you’re playing with friends, setting a specific role for each player will determine the length of your survival and maybe, just maybe you’ll be able to live a “comfortable” life.

Why this game is awesome:

  • Seasons drastically affect the difficulty of survival, further increasing realism
  • A long list of perks to choose from creates possibilities for various playstyles
  • The game overall has a high replay value, hard to get bored of, although it’ll piss you off a few times…

Fun rating: 92/100

Similar to Silent Hill!

5. SCUM

I’ve mentioned SCUM before in a previous article but I believe that this game is good enough for a second mention - for those who don’t know, this is an open-world game filled with zombies, as well as players who are friendly or less friendly.

The world is massive, with different types of environments, such as forests, beaches, as well as abandoned buildings, and military buildings filled with plenty of goodies.

Although that pretty much everything out there wants to kill you, you can always build yourself a cozy base and invite your friends to come over. Or enemies…

Why SCUM is worth getting:

  • A high amount of weaponry, with plenty of attachments per weapon
  • Voice chat is possible between players, trashtalk as well!
  • Possible to get food from hunting, fishing or just looting

Fun rating: 94/100

Chick on a raft, perhaps she was fishing.

4. 7 Days To Die

One thing that stayed the same though is the zombies. They are kinda slow when it’s bright and extremely hostile when it’s night. It’s best advised to find a house to stay in, although you might still get overwhelmed.

To survive, you need to gather materials for a base, as well as more advanced weapons. Set up traps and barricades and try to survive the night!

Why 7DTD is awesome:

  • A massive map with unique locations for your base
  • High amounts of findable/craftable weapons
  • Many zombie variants, and each one of them has a special ability

Fun rating: 97/100

Some of the zombies that you’ll encounter.

3. State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition

 The world has gone to poop and you with it. Human beings are no longer human but animalistic beasts that are out there to get you, highly dangerous and vicious. 

It’s up to you whether you’ll be able to build a community and successfully look after your people or watch them perish. Taking risks is necessary for your survival(looking for food, making friends or enemies, etc). 

Defend your outpost and your people, gather supplies, and hope that you can make it till the next day. Play smart and you’ll survive!

Why State of Decay 2 is great:

  • Each character has their own statistics, leaving everyone special in specific fields
  • You can develop your own outpost and add plenty of cool stuff to it
  • Possible CO-OP and multiple outposts, helping each other will improve your chances of survival

Fun rating: 98/100

An armless lady charging at a survivor.

2. The Last Stand: Aftermath

 This game doesn’t offer anything that’s related to sunshine and rainbows - you are a desperate, lost soul that’s infected and with nothing to lose, you venture out on a crusade, trying to find hope.

The whole world is pretty much a desolate hellhole, filled with creatures trying to kill you. Burn them alive, shoot them, hit them, and do whatever you can to stop them from brutally killing you.

This gore fiesta of a game is also not short, for some people it takes over 100 hours to finish it, not to mention the replayability of this game, which will convince some players to reexperience it once more.

What else can I say, the odds are stacked against you and the whole world is literally against you. Don’t give up and keep moving forward.

Why this game is fantastic:

  • Very long play time, +100 hours 
  • Challenging gameplay, will require a lot of patience in order to finish this game
  • Excellent graphics, they get prettier from level to level

Fun rating 99/100

Lovely house, don’t go inside.

1. DayZ

Welcome to DayZ, a place where you’ll spawn on the beach and most likely get sniped by some jerk. No one lives forever, especially in a game like DayZ.

Zombies are obviously everywhere and footsteps, as well as gunshots, will attract them to your location. They are relentless and fast, thus avoiding them should be your key priority.

But you know what’s also dangerous? Other players. You can expect them in cities, as well as airports - some players are going to camp with their sniper rifles. Most of the time, they’ll be hostile.

Vehicles, such as cars, planes, and helicopters are present on some servers, although they might be hard to find, let alone fix. Incredibly difficult but fun to play!

Why DayZ is the best game:

  • Nothing ever happens for 95% of the time, then the 5% hits and you’ll have the biggest adrenaline rush in the world
  • Takes a long time to gather items and weapons, which fills you with accomplishment
  • You’re totally free in this game, there is no specific objective, just pure sandbox

Fun rating: 100/100

Last stand against the zombies.

You may also be interested in:

 

More on this topic:


No-life from a cold land, been playing video games since the age of 7, from FPS to MOBA's, Spent thousands of hours on PC/Console video games. No regrets.
Gamer Since: 2007
Favorite Genre: MOBA
Currently Playing: Dota 2
Top 3 Favorite Games:DOTA 2, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Dead Space


More Top Stories