Project Zomboid: First Impressions

This isn’t the first time I’ve played Project Zomboid. My first experience with the game was when I downloaded an early demo in . . . 2011? Was it really that long ago? Spin on several years and Project Zomboid is still going strong – in fact, it’s more popular now than it’s ever been, largely thanks to a recent multiplayer update. After watching some videos of the new build and seeing the game go on sale (before an opportunistic price hike – and hey, who can blame them?) I decided to finally pick it up myself.

There’s a tutorial to play but there’s a lot it doesn’t teach you. You’ll learn the basics of movement, interaction and combat, but the rest you’ll have to figure out on your own through trial and error or beginner guide videos. Don’t expect to start your first game and survive for very long at all. It took me a dozen restarts before I finally felt I had a decent grasp of the game and how everything works and even now, 20 hours in, there’s still occasions I have to pause and google something.

I’d also recommend not starting on the default modes but rather, set up your own custom sandbox. The sandbox tool is great because it lets you almost totally customise your experience making the game as easy or as punishing as you like in so many different ways. Right now, I’m playing a more ‘easy’ version of Project Zomboid with weaker zombies, no respawning zombies and no infections. It’s enabled me to enjoy and learn the game at a more relaxed pace.

There is no real ‘goal’ in Project Zomboid beyond survival. This is a game where you really have to set your own goals. There’s a single, massive map to explore with thousands of zombies to kill. There’s no NPC characters (at least not yet) so unless you play in the new MP, you’re going to be very much alone.

Combat is one of the most tricky things to learn as it can be pretty fiddly until you get the hang of it – that’s why turning off infections is recommended until you do because it’s so easy to get bitten or scratched. This is very much a survival sim so that means any wound needs to be properly treated – ideally with disinfectant and sterilised bandages, but some ripped clothing will do in a pinch to prevent blood loss.

Your character needs rest, food and water to stay healthy. You’ll also need to learn various skills such as farming, carpentry and mechanics if you want to survive long term. The water and power will eventually be shut off (although how and when will depend on your sandbox settings) and you’ll need to plan and prepare accordingly.

How you play is really up to you. You can go mobile – travelling the map, scavenging supplies, never staying in one place for very long. Or you can choose to fortify a particular location, hoarding supplies to prepare for the winter. Right now, that’s what I’m focusing on, but I’m also spending a lot of time clearing out zombies from my local area and transporting the bodies to some mass ‘graves’ I’ve set up.

It’s kind of silly that I’m spending so many hours just disposing of zombie bodies so that the streets are free of them but that’s a perfect example of how easy it is to lose countless hours playing Project Zomboid doing the most futile and ultimately pointless tasks. It’s a great time sink, if nothing else.

There’s still a lot about Project Zomboid I’ve not yet learnt or explored – crafting, farming, vehicle mechanics etc. I don’t know for how long I’ll keep playing. I wonder if it might be a game where it’s much more fun at the start when you’re just trying to survive but once you’re ‘secure’ there’s not really much more to do.

But like I said, this is a game where it’s important to set your own goals. No game has to last forever. Achieve what you want and then start over in a new spawn location with a new objective and more challenging sandbox settings.

Overall, I’m quite enjoying my time with Project Zomboid and I’ve not even tried the MP yet. I don’t know if I’ll do a full review or not because I don’t know for how long it will hold my attention. In a week or so, I might have grown bored of it and moved on. Or maybe I’ll have sunk another 20 hours into it. It’s that kind of game.