Project Zomboid is a multiplayer zombie survival game that was released on Steam in 2011. The developers, The Indie Stone, have been working on it for a very long time and have plans to continue updating it. It holds a record on Steam for being the longest game still in early access now being over 12 years as of 2024. Many may be skeptical of buying an unfinished game, especially one with a price tag of $25.99, but the game is made with tons of love and care. In 2021, the game received a massive update. According to Luke Plunkett from Kotaku in an article on Project Zomboid published on Dec. 21, 2021, “…it was a wonderful surprise this week to see the game drop an update that its creators say, “feels more a sequel than a patch update.” I personally enjoy Project Zomboid the most when playing with my friends. It always becomes a challenge to see who can survive the longest and kill the most zombies.
TRAILER:
GAMEPLAY:
I was not a fan of the game the first few times I played it. I felt overwhelmed by the number of menus and status bars. With the help of my friends, I was able to learn and come to enjoy the game. It may seem like a lot, but after playing you soon realize it is not as complicated as it seems. You have your standard health, hunger, and thirst bars. On top of that, there are bars for endurance, fatigue, boredom, unhappiness, temperature, and calories. As you play the game, you see how your actions affect them and it becomes a lot simpler. The combat system is also very easy to understand. All it takes is holding down the right mouse button and clicking with the left while aiming towards zombies. There are both melee items like baseball bats, as well as firearms of various kinds. A big aspect of the game is the opening line, “this is how you died.” The narrative wants you to feel weak, as you will eventually die in your playthrough.
GRAPHICS/INSPIRATION:
Project Zomboid is unique with its top-down isometric camera perspective. A good comparison would be The Sims 1, being able to see through walls and doorways when your character is close enough. It has been confirmed that the game started as a mod for The Sims, essentially adding zombie survival to the standard day to day tasks you complete to take care of your Sims. It was such a massive passion project that it expanded to becoming its own game with unique gameplay elements. It was also inspired by XCom and Crusader Kings II which both share similar camera angles and strategy-focused gameplay.
COMMUNITY:
Even after 10 years of Project Zomboid’s release, there is still a committed community to the game. Many creators have made their own custom mods to enhance their experience. Character customization is greatly expanded by adding new hair, clothing, and personality traits that change your play style. You could easily recreate many popular zombie survival characters from video games and movies, such as Leon Kennedy from the Resident Evil series. There are also fan-created maps that help expand the world and add variety to the ones in-game currently. The developers acknowledge and positively promote the creation of these mods as they engage with their community. Many mod creators have been brought on to the team to work on the official game as well.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Going from a game I wish I got a refund on to one where I have a great time playing and trying new strategies, Project Zomboid has become one of my favorite multiplayer games. From its unique early PC styled graphics and skill-based gameplay, it stands out from most zombie survival games while still maintaining a lot of the standard apocalyptic movie tropes. My personal rating on the game would be 4 out of 5 stars.
Written by Kari McCay, Lethbridge College
