Project Zomboid

Game mechanics

We observe the action from isometric perspective. The game provides a lot of freedom in terms of action, and does not suggest any missions to complete. Our only goal is to survive as long as possible. After the death of the character we lose him, along with all the progress, irretrievably and we have to start from the beginning. There are several game modes: Story, Challenge, Sandbox, in which the player sets many parameters of the world and a more difficult variant Last Stand, where the zombies are actively looking for us from the beginning.

We start the game by creating a character. The game begins with the creation of a character - decisions made in this process determine the initial skills. We improve our abilities during the gameplay by performing certain actions or using different types of weapons.

The main threat are zombies, usually moving in large groups - to avoid dangerous bites we can hide, engage in a fight or try to escape. The enemies, when they notice a person or are attracted to e.g. by a loud sound, will move towards him. Once they get close to the victim, they will attack, trying to bite. In addition, extreme weather conditions are also dangerous.

During the game we have to take care of our character's needs. The most basic parameters include hunger, thirst, fatigue and body temperature. We also have to take care of more complex feelings - our character can, for example, panic, get stressed or even just be bored. All of them have an impact on the functioning of the character - they cause illnesses, reduce the speed of movement and attack, increase the time needed to perform many actions and so on.

The game has a very complex crafting system. We can create different types of primitive weapons, everyday items and devices, as well as build shelters and grow plants. Components needed for this can be found all around - in houses and other buildings, on the streets or by fallen zombies.

Game modes

In Project Zomboid you can play solo or in multiplayer mode - either on split screen with up to four friends or online on a server.

Build 41 - new features

In this update, released in December 2021, there are many big changes significantly affecting gameplay. Graphics have been improved - backpacks and bags are now visible, clothes get shredded, dirty and blood stained over time. Flowing water, puddles when it rains, and fog look better. Animations have been improved and new forms of movement have been added, including sneaking, tumbling, jumping over a fence, and climbing.

There is also a new large location - the city of Louisville - and many other changes: additional buildings and decorations, improved roads. A map preview has been released to help you find your way around the huge game world, which is now more convincing. Appropriately looking and equipped zombies appear in specific locations: policemen at the police station, cooks in restaurants etc. While exploring, we can encounter scenes of death of specific infected and learn about their history. Loot is also more suited to the places where we find it.

Significant changes have been made to the combat system and adjustment of the difficulty level. Aiming is made easier with an isometric cursor and a colored target outline. New weapons, reload menus, and quick access slots have been made available.

Multiplayer has been improved to run smoother and with less lag. New gameplay modes have been introduced: Apocalypse (focused on avoiding fights and staying in cover), Survival (emphasizing fighting) and Building (allowing to focus on things like exploration, constructing and farming). We also can check out two new challenges.

Technical aspects

The game has been in development since 2011, which makes its graphics already quite archaic.