Unturned review

Unturned is the free sandbox for players who want their building to matter. The Steam page describes an open-world zombie survival game where you scavenge, hunt and build shelter, then fortify your base before heading out for airdrops or PvP raids. The creative side is deeper than it looks: Steam lists a level editor and Workshop support for custom maps and mods, and the developer has put the source code and project files on GitHub for anyone who wants to rebuild the game. Smartly Dressed Games says it is truly free to play with only cosmetic items for sale, and the one paid add-on is a $4.99 Permanent Gold Upgrade. Players agree, with 90% of 221,335 English Steam reviews positive. It ranks sixth because building sits inside a survival shooter, the minimum spec is 8 GB of RAM, and it uses BattlEye kernel-level anti-cheat. For PC players who like base building with stakes, it is excellent value.

Who it is for

PC players who want building and crafting inside a survival game, plus custom maps and mods.

Price

Free to play on Steam; the only paid item is a $4.99 Permanent Gold Upgrade.

Unturned - Permanent Gold Upgrade $4.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• Scavenging, hunting and building shelter in a zombie world
• Base fortification and PvP raids
• A level editor plus custom maps and mods through the Steam Workshop
• Source code and project files on GitHub for rebuilding the game
• Single-player plus online and LAN co-op and PvP

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: 90% of 221,335 English Steam reviews are positive
• Strength: Only cosmetic items are sold, with no pay-to-win, per the developer
• Strength: Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux
• Weakness: Steam lists 8 GB of RAM as the minimum
• Weakness: Uses BattlEye kernel-level anti-cheat
• Weakness: A zombie shooter, so building is part of survival rather than the main goal

Key facts

• Developer: Smartly Dressed Games
• Price: Free, $4.99 Gold Upgrade
• Steam reviews: Very Positive, 90% of 221,335
• Released: July 7, 2017
• Minimum RAM: 8 GB

Where it ranks

Unturned is No. 6 in our Best Free Sandbox and Building Games verdict.