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10 of the best zombie games to play right now
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Epic Games
Zombie video games come in just about every shape, size, and genre imaginable. That makes it hard to wade through the ever-growing mob of fun zombie games or figure out what zombie survival games fit your particular tastes.
We’re here to help with our list of 10 of the best zombie games for PC available for you to play right now on the Epic Games Store. From survival games to narrative adventures and first-person shooters, you’re sure to find a game you’ll want to sink your teeth into.
1. The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series
Taking place in the world of Robert Kirkman’s award-winning The Walking Dead series, this Telltale title separates itself from the shuffling horde of zombie games by focusing on a narrative experience. Players take on the role of Lee Everett as he tries to survive a zombie outbreak while protecting a young orphan named Clementine.
Like most Telltale titles, The Walking Dead is an adventure game where players make decisions that affect the narrative’s outcome. Dialogue options, interactions with NPCs, and direct actions change the course of your experience. Players also have a few quick-time events to overcome.
Telltale’s The Walking Dead is a great option for gamers looking for a more narrative-driven experience with a focus on characters and their development in an evolving story. That’s what sets it apart: Unlike many other titles on this list that are more action-oriented, Telltale’s The Walking Dead gained critical acclaim for its deep and emotional story. And with all the branching paths and dialog options in its storyline, it also lends itself well to multiple playthroughs.
2. The Last of Us Part 1
If you’re looking for a zombie video game with action, suspense, and a gripping storyline, you can’t do much better than Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part 1. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a fungal cordyceps virus that turns humans into flesh-hungry monsters. Players take on the role of Joel Miller, who’s been tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie, for a militia known as the Fireflies. The two set off on a journey across a decaying United States. If they’re successful, their road trip could lead to a cure for the virus.
The Last of Us Part 1's gameplay is a mix of third-person action-adventure and some light puzzling. Players take on not only the infected, but also roving gangs. Firearms, melee weapons, and other improvised weapons like crossbows and molotov cocktails are at the player’s disposal, and Joel can even ask an AI-controlled Ellie for help in certain situations. Stealth also plays a factor in The Last of Us, as successful sneaking can help players gain the advantage on their enemies. Beyond the high-quality gameplay, The Last of Us also features a very powerful and emotional story that helps take this zombie game’s overall experience to the next level.
3. Dead Space
Unlike any other zombie PC game on this list, developer Motive Studio’s Dead Space offers a suspenseful sci-fi survival-horror experience. You play as Isaac Clarke, an engineer trapped on the spaceship Ishimura. Around him is a mysterious and deadly tragedy powered by an ever-growing horde of human mutations known as Necromorphs. Step into Isaac’s boots and survive your journey through the Ishimura using a selection of tools turned into makeshift weapons, dismembering and defeating Necromorphs along the way.
Dead Space is full of suspenseful atmosphere, chilling jump scares, and a hefty dose of body horror and dismemberment. While it has many of the same beats and gameplay mechanics as other zombie games on this list, its setting and eerie plot make it a true modern classic that’s worth your time.
4. Plants vs. Zombies
Plants vs. Zombies is a no-brainer for folks looking for fun zombie games that the whole family can enjoy. This classic tower defense zombie game tasks players with tending to their garden to stave off wave after wave of undead invaders. To defend yourself from becoming the main course at a zombie buffet, you’ll plant items like pea-shooting veggie stalks and zombie-eating flowers.
The cutesy and cartoonish nature of Plants vs. Zombies and its lack of blood and gore creates a family-friendly zombie gaming experience. It’s not a hard game to wrap your head around either, so younger players should have no trouble jumping right in.
5. Back 4 Blood
The spiritual successor to the Left 4 Dead series, Turtle Rock Studios’ Back 4 Blood is a co-op survival-horror FPS that tasks players with getting from point A to point B while fighting off seemingly endless waves of zombies with a variety of firearms and melee weapons.
Beyond the garden variety of undead nightmares, players face off against special classes of zombies like the acid-spitting Hocker, the bloated exploding Retch, and the gigantic armored Breaker. Players can choose from multiple playable characters and customize their loadouts with an ever-growing deck of cards that grant various perks or items. Back 4 Blood is one of the best zombie games for players looking for an intense co-op shooter experience.
6. Dead Island 2
A zombie-infested Los Angeles serves as the backdrop for Dambuster Studio’s Dead Island 2, which puts players in the shoes of one of six zombie slayers. Each character has a particular set of abilities and skills, but each has the same goal: hack and slash their way through the cultural elite turned undead.
This zombie PC game lets players explore the City of Angels as an open-world environment, filled with iconic locations. This first-person action role-playing game’s characters collect and modify weapons, level up, and, in lieu of a skill tree, augment their skills with an ever-expanding deck of cards. As you discover the cause of the outbreak and attempt to escape the quarantine zone, you can take on the roving zombies solo or team up with co-op friends in this action-packed horror adventure.
Dead Island 2’s visceral combat reacts realistically to your choice of weapon, damaging, dismembering, breaking bones, severing limbs, and tearing through flesh. The roving hordes of zombies can also be massive and overwhelming, meaning it may be better to run for your life instead of trying to hack your way through. Dead Island 2 is a zombie game that combines a colorful, creative environment and satisfying combat, which makes it a great choice if you’re looking for a fun, action-filled zombie game.
7. Days Gone
Days Gone, developer Bend Studios’ open-world action zombie game, is set in the lush forests of the post-apocalyptic Pacific Northwest. Players take on the role of Deacon St. John—biker, bounty hunter, and survivor—as he overcomes infected Freakers and aggressive human factions. As you search for your missing wife, you’ll make alliances with survivor camps, collect supplies, and upgrade your arsenal. In the scarce and decaying world of Days Gone, managing ammo and weapon conditions are as important as fueling up and tooling up your motorcycle.
Days Gone is a great option if you’re looking for a fun zombie survival single-player, story-driven experience. The environment is massive and full of stunning vistas spanning lush forests, arid deserts, and snowy plains. The dark, brooding presence of Freakers could be waiting around any corner, and the lack of available resources adds an interesting twist to the zombie formula in Days Gone.
8. State of Decay 2
Developer Undead Labs’ State of Decay 2 is a third-person zombie survival game that tasks up to four co-op players with rescuing zombie apocalypse survivors, rebuilding civilization, and protecting the survivors by expanding their resources and exploiting the game's open-world environment.
Scavenging for resources and balancing them to make sure you and your NPCs have access to things like medicine, ammo, and food are key to expanding your safe havens, along with taking on various missions for survivors. State of Decay 2’s zombies are an omnipresent danger, and you can quickly find yourself overwhelmed. If you enjoy traditional survival games and doing things like building bases and managing resources, State of Decay 2 may be the zombie video game for you.
9. World War Z: Aftermath
Developer Saber Interactive’s third-person co-op zombie shooter World War Z: Aftermath stands apart with some of the largest, fastest undead hordes in video games. Inspired by the film of the same name, players choose from among eight classes—Dronemaster, Exterminator, Fixer, Gunslinger, Hellraiser, Medic, Slasher, and Vanguard—as they shoot and melee attack their way through brutal zombie waves.
The adventure unfolds in a series of story missions that span the globe from Russia to Rome and Vatican City. World War Z: Aftermath supports four-player co-op, but it also provides AI fighters if you don’t have a full party. Players looking for an intense shooter experience that’s full of fast-paced action and brain-hungry zombies should look no further than World War Z: Aftermath.
10. Dying Light
Developer Techland’s Dying Light is a parkour-focused zombie action game that sets itself apart with a strong emphasis on traversal. The game’s open-world environment becomes your jungle gym as you climb buildings and zip-line from rooftop to rooftop, avoiding zombie hordes, discovering remote areas, and staying alive.
Dying Light’s day and night cycle constantly changes the game. During the day, zombies are lethargic and appear in smaller groups. After sundown, they become stronger, more aggressive, and they appear in much larger numbers. Players need to set traps and find shelter in the evening to avoid getting overwhelmed.
Unlike other zombie video games, Dying Light focuses on movement and dexterity over firepower. It makes for a faster-paced gaming experience than many other zombie survival games and first-person shooters.
Find more zombie games to play on the Epic Games Store
These are just a handful of some of the best zombie games for PC available on the Epic Game Store, but there are even more available if you’re still hungry for more. Explore all the zombie games available on the Epic Games Store for more titles featuring hungry hordes of the undead.