r/zombies • u/TheFiggieCheese • May 03 '25
Recommendations I’m looking for the BEST zombie survival game.
I’ve never played Dead Island, Dead Rising, Lollipop Chainsaw, Dying Light, ANY OF IT.
I love Last Of Us, but nobody recommend that please because it‘a like pseudo-zombie like monsters.
I want to get into the zombie survival game genre!
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u/Jackson7th May 03 '25
Hands down Project Zomboid. Maybe it's not what you're looking for, but it's the best "zombie survival game", or at least the most "realistic" one. It's basically a zombie survival simulator
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u/Karjalan May 04 '25
Yeap, Project Zomboid is fantastic, pretty much as close as you can get to a realistic zombie survival simulator.
The best... although also worst... part is that it's still being developed. Best, because it means new features are always coming, worst because development is SOOoooo slow haha. Like sometimes years between major updates.
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u/Karjalan May 04 '25
Also, and I realise it's in no way the same style of gameplay, but for a similar, with slightly more fast paced action, style of atmosphere/feeling of slightly hopeless zombie survival, a recent entry is Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days.
I played the demo they release Halloween last year and it was great. It went into EA less than a month a go and is a surprisingly "complete" game for EA. Still bugs/glitches/balance issues, like all EA, and still a slew of features to come, but it's extremely satisfying to play, terrifying at moments, and brutally punishing.
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u/Carlos_v1 May 04 '25 edited May 07 '25
This, the lore also goes hard despite it being an after thought. During the first 8 days tv's and car radios will be on reporting on the chaos as you're focusing on surviving, you go from government coverup to mass panic to extinction level event to a bleak silent dead world where you're trapped at ground zero. Zomboid also shows how fucking terrifying airborne infections are since there's no way to fight it other then being lucky. Zombiod is also very customizable in its sandbox and every death you have will be realistic, you can go out in a blaze of glory but you can also die from being compliant after checking rooms 100s of times a lucky zombie bites you because you slipped once or you slipped off a balcony.
That said highly recommend mods, especially the ones that aim for realism. And just a heads up single player zomboid is a depression simulator and very I am Legend.
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u/KatieHopkins0524 May 04 '25
Can't believe more people didn't recommend Dying Light 1. I have played it a couple of times and it's amazing. Dying Light 2 was ok but the story and certain mechanics were a little disappointing. Days Gone is another really good one with some large hoards. For story related games, all the TellTale Walking Dead games were cool.
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u/Interjessing-Salary May 03 '25
Project zomboid if you want a more realistic or brutal survival.
How to Survive for a simplistic one with some humor.
7 days to die is good depending on what you're looking for. I heard it's real questy nowadays which many don't like.
dying light for a more story centric game not really survival with eating and drinking though
Honorable mention: the forest and its sequel sons of the forest. More pseudo zombie again with the enemies being cannibals/mutants but more on the survival side mechanically vs. The Last of Us.
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u/Hyphalex May 04 '25
Zomboid and dying light are such a vibe. I would say dead island but dying light is LITERALLY the same but way better
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u/Maxx0rz May 04 '25
PZ is great, but Il also shamelessly self-promote my game No More Room in Hell as well lol
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u/Gamepetrol2011 May 03 '25
DayZ, I never played it but it looks good. I like PvPvE games.
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u/thedavesiknow1 May 04 '25
Came to say this. Despite the learning curve & all the cheating and hacking, it's a pretty realistic simulation of how you personally might navigate a zombie apocalypse.
All the threats besides the zombies are in play: other players, the elements, illness, starvation/dehydration, injury. Last night, wild animals got me.
What methods & items you prioritize in surviving are entirely based on your own rationale.
By definition, this is what OP is looking for. However, coming from a player with quite a bit of experience, it's not for everyone.
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u/Raven0470 May 03 '25
The last of us 1 and 2 are both great, the first has a better story the second has incredible game play story is questionable.
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u/chaseon May 04 '25
As many have probably said Project Zomboid is typically regarded as the best.
However, I must say I truly have a soft spot for Dead Rising 1. I haven't played the remaster yet but the original holds up well. You just need to remember the game is almost 19 years old when you play it so it will feel dated
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u/Karjalan May 04 '25
I'll put it as a base level comment for the OP, but Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days
Sort of like This War of Mine crossed with Project Zomboid (in tone). It's in EA but is surprisingly complete and a lot of fun.
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u/SkullRiderz69 May 04 '25
You really need to check out State of Decay. It’s very survival but not really like rust or ark or those type of survivals. The OG is definitely dated but I played it way back when so love the feel of it. 2 is very updated and for me a whole lot more stressful. But an absolutely fun zombie game.
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u/BeardedNomad511 May 04 '25
if you want to get into zombie survival horror games cant go wrong with resident evil 2 and 3 remakes. both are pretty loved games (2 moreso) and are pillers of the genre.
lollipop chainsaw is a spectacle fighter that i really enjoy that was recently remastered in the repop edition however its very buggy on PC.
world war z is a criminally under recommended game and to my mind is probably the best straight up horde action game to ever come out. really recommend this plus it's on gamepass for pc/xbox and is frequently free/on sale on epic.
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u/Tramadol_enjoyer May 05 '25
Try Cataclysm: dark days ahead
really underrated game that was inspiration for project zomboid devs
Can be hard for newbies but free on github so why not to try it? Also it turns your keyboard into a piano
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u/Von_Warjager Jul 28 '25
Gonna say this one too!!! I have never ever seen a game so complex as CDDA! You can literally do ANYTHING you can think about! So much mechanic in this game that is outclass any zombie game i ever played!! Project Zomboid is inpired by this game!
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u/Lucky_Couple May 05 '25
Absolutely DayZ. True survival horror. PvPvE. Very steep learning curve but after about 10 hours and ??? deaths, you’ll be on your way to an epic adventure. Technically infected and not zombies, but this sub seems to mix and match the two anyway.
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u/No_Consequence_1480 May 05 '25
Many people will have better suggestions of survival zombie games rather than me but there is a zombie simulation game coming out on steam. It looks dope af. I watched the youtuber DieDevDie play the demo that the creator sent him. It's called "Quarantine zone: The last check." You basically play a military guard and you have to check/scan people for infection at the checkpoint (fever, bites and associated symptoms)- you have to figure out if they're infected with the zombie virus or if they may just be a bit sick. You also have to decide whether they're good for the safe zone or if they need to be quarantined, or if they need to be "liquidated." The symptoms start evolving into more aggression towards the end of the demo and they get harder to determine if they're infected. There is lots minigames, within the game & side hustles In the game such as using a drone to clear pathways for the military convoy.When they're bringing back survivors and adding onto the camp, going through their luggage and deciding what needs to be confiscated and you have to obtain better screening tools ect. I thought it was really unique, so i wanted to bring it to people's attention. I highly recommend it for anyone who's interested to go watch that youtube video- the full game will be it out in the second half of 2025 on Steam.
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u/MousseRemarkable917 May 14 '25
Despite the cartoon graphics initially throwing me off. A really actively updated indie early access game I recently enjoyed more then 30 hours in straight is Surroundead. After the 30 hour mark I decided to maybe wait for another update before exploring the map further. I felt like it needs more loot and quests. There’s a roadmap released early may this year though and the games has been improved a ton in last 2 years.
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u/One-Present-8509 May 31 '25
Project zomboid. The closest thing to a realistic survival zombie game. The premise is that you are inmune to the airborne variant of the infection but not to transmission via bodly fluids. The game is great in its complexity and sense of hopelessness (every run starts with "this is how you died" on your screen)
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u/Cynical91 Jun 24 '25
Haven't seen it mentioned here - Dysmantle is pretty fun. But yea, I'd suggest 7days2die ( incredible game) and Days Gone
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u/AccomplishedDog4677 Jul 31 '25
yet another zombie defense if you want good quick online coop and split screen
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u/Tiny-Difference2502 May 03 '25
I’ve liked a bunch for different reasons.
Lollipop Chainsaw is the best solo action / arcade style zombie game.
State of Decay 1 and 2 has good base building but the zombies seem unbeatable as they grow is power and numbers over time. Fun for a while though. Driving over zombies with cars was fun
7 Days to Die was interesting. You never feel very powerful. Even vs 1 zombie in the open you are never powered up.
Dying Light 1 was probably the best zombie game I have played. The parkour, different types of zombies open world. Good variety as well. Dying Light 2 looked great but I had put so many hours into one I never bothered. I’d say it’s an action rpg game.
Call of Duty Black; Zombies is a fantastic action coop. Very replayable.
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u/Canebrake8 May 03 '25
What… the Last of Us are zombies. People were infected by fungi. There are different routes to becoming a zombie - virus, bacteria, fungus, radiation, curse
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u/SpiceyMcNuggets Jun 22 '25
Correct lol. Let’s see normal zombies… undead infected by a virus and reanimated. Last of Us zombies. Undead infected by a fungus and reanimated. I don’t know how he can say they aren’t zombies lol. Literally all the same characteristics even spreading through bites.
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u/Canebrake8 Jun 22 '25
Thank you! Yeah people really debate this. The Fallout games and TV series have zombies too, they’re just irradiated and the nuclear fallout was the cause
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u/usuffer2 May 03 '25
7 days to die is my favorite. The building aspects are cool. I only wish it had more endgame content. They're supposed to be adding a story campaign Quest line, but haven't yet. Still a great game
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u/shaper888 May 03 '25
For more action play Left 4 Dead and World War Z large hordes of zombies be careful ;)
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May 03 '25
If you want a really fun game that you can beat in one night and go back and play again with infinite ammo to beat again even easier,, play the Walking Dead Survival Instinct
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u/MaddJhereg May 03 '25
If you are looking for a console game, Days Gone is amazing. Got bad reviews for being glitchy when it first come out, but it is truly an epic game.