Latest Zombie Games Round-Up for PCs, Xbox, and PS4

The current crop of zombie games

Zombie games are now more popular than ever. Whatever your play style, there’s sure to be something to satisfy your desire to survive the undead apocalypse. With games from both indie and mainstream developers either out right now or available soon, you’ll have plenty of choices regardless of whether you play on a Windows PC, Xbox, or PlayStation (even Mac users get a look-in). Let’s kick things off with the first game on our list >

DayZ

There’s been no shortage of zombie games over the years, but it’s fair to say that DayZ (initially a mod for the ARMA 2 game) transformed the genre. Eschewing traditional game play mechanics, DayZ puts the emphasis on sheer survival with no story line or quests. Perhaps the biggest threat to you are not the zombies themselves but other players. DayZ is not for the fainthearted. Be prepared to die early and die often, especially if you’re new to the game. A glitchy game engine might turn off more casual players, but DayZ has an unparalleled intense atmosphere of paranoia and isolation.

Those looking for more traditional – rampage style – zombie killing should look elsewhere. For those prepared to put time and effort into learning how to survive in this harsh and extremely large sandbox world, DayZ provides gameplay that some consider to be the most realistic. Despite the ARMA engine’s age, DayZ can still produce some astoundingly beautiful graphics, but you need a powerful rig to run it at high resolutions.

Ideal for: Those that like hardcore survival, including realistic gun physics and a range of vehicles.

Available: Free mod for Windows PC (requires full ARMA 2 game) or early access alpha stand-alone. Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions are planned.

State of Decay

Originally released on the Xbox 360, State of Decay is a single-player game focused on resource collection, teamwork and base building, as well as killing the odd zombie or two. The game play here focuses on quests and keeping your team together and alive, while progressing through the story line. There’s additional downloadable content available, with the latest release – Lifeline – available since June 2014. While State of Decay is not as heavy on the pure survival aspects as the other games in this list, it has a great mix of gameplay elements. The franchise will get a a reboot with an improved Xbox One edition coming out soon.

Ideal for: It’s single player, so it suits those who don’t want PvP. People who enjoy quest-like missions and more storytelling.

Available: Xbox 360, Windows PC. Xbox One Year One Survival edition coming early 2015.

H1Z1

Currently in early access alpha from Steam, H1Z1 is Sony Online Entertainment’s first foray into the zombie massively multiplayer genre. Based on the engine that powers PlanetSide 2, H1Z1 features many of the game play mechanics popularized by DayZ. Although H1Z1 is far from finished, the results so far are promising and it’s being updated and improved at a rapid rate. H1Z1 is intended to be free-to-play (like PlanetSide 2), but if you want to get your toes wet right now and access the alpha release, you have to cough up some coin.

Ideal for: Those who like survival style games, in a more friendly mode. But it’s too early to call just yet.

Available: Alpha early access through Steam for Windows PC. A PlayStation 4 version is planned.

7 Days to Die

As with other zombie games in this list, there’s a strong emphasis on survival and gathering in 7 Days to Die. The big difference is that the sandbox world is fully destructible. There’s also a greater emphasis on crafting, mining and fort-building. 7 Days to Die has a day-night cycle and you must ensure that you’re protected when night falls. If you’re not, the rampaging hordes of zombies will quickly overwhelm your defenses. And things only get harder and harder as each night passes.

There’s a good mixture of game play here, and those who love to craft and build will feel most at home. It’s very reasonably priced too, but be warned, it’s still in alpha and is being frequently updated.

Ideal for: Crafters and builders, as well as those who enjoy shooting.

Available: Alpha (version 9) early access through Steam for Windows PC and Mac.

Dying light

Recently released, Dying Light is the latest zombie game from Techland, who were responsible for both Dead Island and Dead Island: Riptide. Dead Island polarized a lot of gamers: the plot and dialog were terrible and the game itself was quite buggy. But overall it was an enjoyable hack and slash experience. Dying Light is almost more of the same, however the graphics are much improved and there’s the added freedom of the parkour-styled game play. You can scale, jump and run along just about anything. The emphasis here is firmly on zombie killing action, with a lot of melee action, with over 100 unique weapons to help you with your killing spree. Like other games in this list, there’s a day and night cycle, with the zombies’ strength, speed and aggressiveness really ramping up once the sun sets.

With the freerunning style of game play, this is a fast moving game and the environment is beautiful to behold. 4 player co-op is also available for some extra fun with your buddies.

Ideal for: Melee and parkour enthusiasts. Those who prefer straight out action over stealthy survival.

Available: Out now for Windows PC, Xbox One, Playstation 4 and Mac.

Project Zomboid

Bucking the trend of the other games on this list, Project Zomboid has a retro-styled isometric pixel look. With beautiful and charming (for a zombie game) hand-drawn graphics, you have a full town and surrounds to explore. You’ll also need to do more than just kill zombies; keep an eye on your hunger, pain and even sanity to survive for as long as possible.

Project Zomboid was originally single-player, but the multiplayer version has just been released. With a very reasonable price tag, you should help support indie developers and give this one a shot.

Ideal for: 8-bit and retro fans, people who remember when a lot more games were of this style.

Available: Beta release for Windows PC, Mac and Linux.

So, plenty of zombie killing options here… but which game are you either interested in or currently playing now? Let us know!