Summary
- Project Zomboid has seen a rise in popularity with an increase in Let's Plays, tutorials, and fact videos on social media, attracting new players to its realistic and challenging gameplay.
- Players who enjoy Project Zomboid's unique zombie survival experience can find similar games within the genre, such as Sons of the Forest, Dying Light 2 Stay Human, and The Last of Us Part 1, each offering their own unique take on survival and horror.
Project Zomboid was initially released in 2013 on Steam and has experienced a rise in popularity recently. Let's Plays, tutorials, and fact videos have been increasing across social media, and this has convinced some players to pick up the isometric zombie survival game. The game has become popular for its take on realistic gameplay, making for a steep learning curve. The tutorial even tricks players into luring zombies to their location by making a loud noise, showcasing the often brutal nature of survival games.
Project Zomboid: The Best Build
Players looking to find the best build to survive Project Zomboid's brutal apocalyptic Kentucky can find everything they need below.
When the grind becomes too difficult, or if players want a different game with the same feeling, various titles fit within the same genre. After all, survival horror is a pretty broad genre that is full to the brim with some great video games, and even an itch as unique as Project Zomboid can be scratched in just the right way by the following games.
Updated on February 20, 2025, by Mehrdad Khayyat: Project Zomboid is a true example of the saying "Better late than never!" The game has managed to reach amazing success while still being under active development. It's a realistic survival experience that has been around for quite some time, and honestly, a source of inspiration for some new survivors.
Finding an exact match to Project Zomboid is difficult, but some games are similar to this stellar indie project in certain aspects. So, while these games have some unique and distinct gameplay features, players shouldn't feel completely detached from Project Zomboid when playing them.
19 Terraria
An Excellent Survival Crafting Game That Continues To Be Updated To This Day
Terraria
- Released
- May 16, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Re-Logic
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Vita, iOS, Android, macOS, Linux, 3DS, Stadia, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Terraria is one of the most fleshed-out survival games out there and is absolutely jam-packed with content. It's a testament to the amazing work of the developers of this title that it continues to be updated with new features, keeping things fresh and engaging, especially for players who are jumping back into the game after taking a hiatus.
While the ever-present threat of zombies in Project Zomboid is absent in Terraria, there are moments during exploration when Terraria certainly ramps up the tension. Still, it's definitely a far cozier experience, and something worth checking out for fans who want to enjoy a more light-hearted experience.
18 Rust
A Multiplayer Survival Game With Memorable Organic Gameplay Moments
Rust
- Released
- February 8, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Facepunch Studios
- Genre(s)
- Survival
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
If zombies are the major threat in Project Zomboid, then the thing that players need to always be wary of in Rust are other people. Sure, there are other threats in the game that players should watch out for, but the true volatility of Rust comes from the duality of man.
Alliances can crumble at a moment's notice, and players must be wary of other survivors no matter how much progress they've made on a map. These raids and betrayals can be truly soul-crushing, but that's a huge part of what makes Rust such an unforgettable experience. The highs are high and the lows are bottomless.
17 Don't Starve
An Iconic Indie Survival Game Where Light And Darkness Are As Crucial As Food And Water
Don't Starve
- Released
- April 23, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Klei Entertainment
- Platform(s)
- Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PS Vita, Nintendo Wii U, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PC
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Management
A classic survival game with horror elements that fans of the genre are likely quite familiar with, Don't Starve is an indie gem that made a big name for itself in the mid-2010s. It's a safe recommendation for fans of Project Zomboid, with players having to prepare in the morning hours to deal with the threat that comes from the arrival of darkness at the end of the day.
Don't Starve: 6 Hardest Mobs
Don't Starve is full of terrifying creatures, but not all of them are easy to kill or get away from, these are some of the hardest mobs in the game.
As the nights progress, the game gets harder and harder. Each failure in Don't Starve serves as a lesson, compelling the player to do everything in their power to ensure that they can survive for longer the next time around out, and start to solve the mystery at the core of this game.
Those seeking a multiplayer experience should pick up Don't Starve Together.
16 Sons Of The Forest
A Sequel To One Of The Best Survival Horror Games Ever Made
Sons of the Forest
- Released
- February 22, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Endnight Games
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Open-World, Survival Horror
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
The Forest is an excellent survival horror game that sticks players in a forested area where they must struggle to survive while being hounded by a group of cannibals. This makes for a tense gameplay loop as players gather resources and survive grueling combat scenarios.
The sequel to this title is proving to be bigger and better than its predecessor, with Sons of the Forest providing an excellent experience in every way. Fans of Project Zomboid will love how this game forces them to be on their toes as they try to avoid the cannibals trying to tear them apart, all while interacting with the game's many nuanced systems.
15 Dying Light 2
Combines Hectic Survival In A Zombie Apocalypse With Extreme Parkour And Breakneck Action
Dying Light 2 Stay Human
- Released
- February 4, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Techland
- Franchise
- Dying Light
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Dying Light was a nice surprise, letting players enjoy a fun zombie-killing title with engaging parkour and decent crafting mechanics. Techland was more than impressed by the success of this title and wasted no time in the development and release of a sequel.
With meaningful choices and better gameplay mechanics than before, Dying Light 2 certainly was a step up in some departments. The uninteresting story and bloated open world took away a bit from this experience, but players who want to kill zombies in creative ways and take out their frustration at the undead after failing in Project Zomboid time and time again will be more than happy with what this title achieved.
14 The Last Of Us Part 1
A Game Set In A Zombified Wasteland Where Humans Are The Real Monsters
The Last of Us Part I
- Released
- September 2, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Franchise
- The Last of Us
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
A legendary video game that needs no introduction, The Last of Us was a huge step forward for Naughty Dog. The game spawned a massive fanbase, a divisive sequel, and one of the greatest TV adaptations a video game has ever received.
The Last Of Us Part 1: The 17 Most Harrowing & Memorable Quotes
These quotes from the Last of Us Part 1 remake will be remembered by fans due to their hard-hitting impact on the game's storyline.
In a game where the threat of the Infected is ever-present, the fact that humans are the real threat is a testament to the evils of mankind and how the collapse of society can bring out the worst side in people. Players who have been betrayed during multiplayer sessions of Project Zomboid can testify to the truth present in this statement.
13 7 Days To Die
A High-Stakes Survival Game That Ups The Danger Every In-Game Week
7 Days to Die
- Released
- June 28, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- The Fun Pimps
- Platform(s)
- Linux, macOS, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One
- OpenCritic Rating
- Weak
At a glance, 7 Days to Die doesn't seem to bring anything new to the survival genre. The age-old combination of scavenging for resources and dealing with the zombie apocalypse has been done in many titles. However, there are many things that fans of the game will slowly come to appreciate as they play through this title.
Easily the most notable mechanic is the weekly assault that the zombies stage on players. This makes each week a grueling exercise as players try to reinforce their defenses and stock up on weapons to tackle the threat of the aggressive undead each and every week. Unlike the ever-present threat of the zombies in Project Zomboid, the threat posed by zombies in 7 Days to Die is relatively less until the seventh day, when things get truly chaotic.
12 RimWorld
A Tough But Rewarding Simulation Game
RimWorld
- Released
- October 17, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Players who want to see how engaging procedural generation can be should look no further than RimWorld. For a game where everything is randomized, most people will have a deeper attachment to the colonists they have to manage than most other single-player experiences out there.
The learning curve for RimWorld is extremely steep, and the title is not for players looking to relax from the get-go. However, once players master the gameplay systems of the game, there's something oddly cathartic about building a huge base and slowly populating it with new members. Fans of Project Zomboid will be familiar with this feeling, especially since this title comes packaged with its own complicated gameplay systems that take a while to wrap one's head around.
11 Valheim
One Of The Most Promising Survival Games In Early Access
Valheim
- Released
- February 2, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Iron Gate AB
- Platform(s)
- Linux, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
In most survival games, eating food is important to ensure that players don't end up starving at inopportune moments. Despite the importance of food in these games, many people will resort to eating the same cost-efficient food over and over again instead of trying to experiment with this mechanic. It's this particular mechanic that Valheim has perfected, rewarding players for diversifying their intake of meat, vegetables, and everything else along the same lines.
10 Best Side-Scrolling Survival Games
Survival games come in many forms, and these side-scrolling titles are among the genre's best efforts.
Of course, this is just a small part of what makes Valheim such a magical experience. The game's mix of exploration, survival, and combat is truly magical and will keep players invested for hours on end, especially if they love Project Zomboid for the same reasons. With this title currently in Early Access, fans can't wait to see what the full experience will have in store for them.
10 NEO Scavenger
A Tough Survival RPG Made By A Former BioWare Employee
Neo Scavenger
- Released
- December 15, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
NEO Scavenger is one of the hardest and most challenging games out there, with players suffering death after death as they realize the wealth of mistakes they can make in this chilling experience. Players wake up with little to nothing on their person and have to explore a harsh world where raiders and monsters are constant threats that the scavenger will need to manage at every step of the way. Think of Project Zomboid, but the threat of zombies is replaced by more varied encounters instead.
While this title may seem a bit too unforgiving at times, players who decide to give this game the time it deserves will love what it brings to the table. Combat is a stressful affair that players should always avoid if they don't have enough resources, and every corner of the map should be looted if players want to make the most of what this game has to offer.