Project Zomboid review

Project Zomboid is the deepest survival game on the list. The Indie Stone's Steam page frames it with one question, how will you die, and builds everything around delaying that answer in the Knox Event Exclusion Zone. You loot houses, barricade, farm, fish, cook and build forts, while dealing with hunger, boredom, depression and illness. Hundreds of zombies swarm using sight and hearing, so a gunshot can bring a crowd, and the electricity eventually fails as winter arrives. The map is loosely based on real-world Kentucky and keeps growing. You can play alone, on persistent player-run servers or in local split-screen co-op, and it runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Reviews are strong at 93% of more than 162,000. The catches: Steam still lists it as Early Access, the top-down view and systems take hours to learn, and controller support is only partial. It ranks this high because $24.99 buys almost endless replay.

Who it is for

Survival fans who want a deep, unforgiving sandbox where every run ends in death eventually.

Price

$24.99 one-time purchase on Steam (US store).

All it takes is a bite.. $24.99 Buy on Steam
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• Vast map loosely based on real-world Kentucky
• Online multiplayer with persistent player-run servers and local split-screen co-op
• Hundreds of zombies with swarm, sight and hearing systems
• Farming, fishing, carpentry, cooking, trapping and skills that grow with use
• Open Lua modding and Steam Workshop support

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Very Positive on Steam: 93% of 162,150 English reviews
• Strength: Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux
• Strength: Huge sandbox for $24.99
• Weakness: Still listed as Early Access on Steam
• Weakness: Steep learning curve with a top-down view
• Weakness: Only partial controller support

Key facts

• Developer: The Indie Stone
• Steam release: November 8, 2013 (Early Access)
• Steam reviews: Very Positive, 93% of 162,150 (English)
• Minimum RAM: 8 GB
• Storage: 10 GB

Where it ranks

Project Zomboid is No. 3 in our Best Zombie Games verdict.