The 22 Best Zombie Games on Steam

Zombie games are quite a niche genre, but they became ultra-popular because of all the success the concept had on the big screen (cinema) and in the early 90s. Developers would open their mind and put a unique twist on how a post-apocalyptic scenario can happen with a simple mutation or virus.

There are only a few zombie games to choose from compared to other more popular game genres, but we came up with a handful of games you can try out to satisfy your thirst for the flesh.

Our list of the 22 best zombie games on Steam all vary in gameplay, genres, and costs, so they are not particularly ranked in any order.

Some of the games can be action-packed, terrifying, comedic, or even perplexing. A brief overview of each game will let you see if you’re interested in the game’s core elements or not.

Dying Light

Genre	Zombies, Survival, Horror
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	Techland
Length	17 hours for the main story; 50+ for completionists
Release Date	January 26, 2015
Multiplayer?	Yes

Dying Light is a first-person zombie adventure game set in a post-apocalyptic open world overrun by zombies.

The game is incredibly story-driven for a game that has a ton of action because of its focus on parkour. Playing as the main protagonist, you will venture out of the world trying to survive against Techland‘s unique take on zombies.

The zombies in this game are able to run like crazy, and they usually stick in hordes. They also introduce unique or special zombies that have a unique way of fighting them. The game introduces these zombies with a backstory on how things came about and how they mutated.

Dying Light has one of the best storylines ever, and this is definitely a game you must pick up if you are a fan of zombie games and fast-paced action-adventure games. The combat and movement are very fluid in the game, and it becomes addictive to the point where you want to explore every inch of the post-apocalyptic world.

Dying Light also has a sequel called Dying Light 2: Stay Human. The main story of the sequel is not connected to the main story of the first one; however, there are a few dialogues that mentions the past, but nothing too important. You can start with either game, but I would definitely suggest playing the first title first.

The game is just an instant classic, and if you don’t like the first one, you won’t like the second one anyway.

If you are afraid of playing because it might be too scary, don’t be. Dying Light focuses more on fast-paced gameplay rather than throwing cheap scares into the game. Your heart will definitely start racing once hordes start chasing you.

Resident Evil Franchise

Genre	Action, Horror, Survival
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	CAPCOM Co., LTD.
Multiplayer?	No

You can never have the best zombie list without mentioning the Resident Evil franchise. The Resident Evil franchise put zombies on the map in the video game industry. Depending on which Resident Evil game you are playing, the gameplay can vary.

The old Resident Evil games that have been remade use their classic fixed camera style gameplay, while some of the games are first-person or over-the-shoulder.

The whole story of Resident Evil is continuously growing, but all the games can be played without playing the others.

Aside from the character development of the returning characters like Leon from Resident Evil 2, 4, and 6, every game can be played as a standalone storyline (a story that can stand alone on its own).

The gameplay revolves around a protagonist solving puzzles and fighting zombies that lurk unexpectedly at the same time.

You go through areas and fight bosses while getting enough resources to fight them as they introduce new and stronger enemies or give you more difficult scenarios to overcome.

There are unique weapons you will need to find and help aid you in defeating bosses. The game puts your resource management to the test, especially if you want to play on a harder difficulty level.

I suggest trying Resident Evil 2 Remake, Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 7, and Resident Evil 8 if you want to experience an amazing story with spine-chilling moments in between.

Resident Evil 5 and 6 might have low reviews, but it is only because the game branched out of the core of Resident Evil games and made them more action-packed.

Both games feature co-op mode, which is still fun for those who love the series and want to play it with someone else.

Project Zomboid

Genre	Survival, Zombies, Open world, 2D
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	The Indie Stone
Release Date	November 8, 2013
Multiplayer?	Yes

Project Zomboid is an open-ended zombie sandbox game. Some players might get turned off by the graphics, but games like these usually pump out a ton of content to consume. The game puts you in a random location while playing top-side view on a map, and you will have to try and survive the zombie apocalypse by searching for supplies and making a base.

The game has a deep skill system which makes it feel like an RPG game. You will have a ton of skills to level under six main categories — passive, agility, combat, crafting, firearm, and survivalist. These skills increase as you explore the areas, fight zombies, craft, or even when reading a book.

Project Zomboid also relies on its deep crafting system, which is pretty common in most survival games, but the level of depth is way off the charts. You will definitely be researching most of these online once you start getting hooked on the game.

When Project Zomboid got released, they didn’t have multiplayer yet, but now, you can play Project Zomboid in local or online multiplayer and try to survive with your friends. Everything gets easier once you play as a team as progression becomes faster.

DayZ

Genre	Survival, Zombies, Open world
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	Bohemia Interactive
Release Date	December 14, 2018
Multiplayer?	Yes

DayZ is an open-world survival game. The game gets randomly mistaken for being a battle royale because it mirrors some of its gameplay.

DayZ puts players against each other in a server where anyone can enter until it is full. It does not matter what time they go inside, but once you are playing, your body will stay inside the game even if you leave.

The goal is to find items to survive. You will find resources like food and weapons to stock up on, and you will encounter other players trying to do the same thing.

Managing your hunger and thirst is a factor when fighting other players, and it adds a whole different experience to your typical battle royale games.

You will also need to manage your resources, such as weapons, ammo, and equipment. The whole goal of the game is to survive and try to play the way you want and immerse yourself in the post-apocalyptic scenario.

Zombies will be roaming around the map while you try to scavenge for resources. These zombies do not pose any significant trouble, but it adds to the immersion the game hopes to give.

7 Days to Die

Genre	Survival, Zombies, Open world
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	The Fun Pimps
Release Date	December 14, 2013
Multiplayer?	Yes

7 Days to Die is another open-world survival game like DayZ, but it also adds RPG elements and crafting to add more depth to the game. You will also choose servers to host or play on, and you can bring some friends with you.

The game forces you to find resources and progress quickly because a zombie horde will attack you every 7 days. It gets stronger each time, and you will need to prepare as fast as possible for each attack. You will need to build your own base and set up defenses while scavenging for resources at the same time.

Each action you do affects your skill progression as well. For example, you can increase your combat abilities by fighting and earn better perks to help you deal with the zombies.

Resources are always the key to survival, and you can either scavenge for weapons and ammo or gather materials to craft the weapons and ammo yourself.

The best part about 7 Days to Die is that everyone can be your enemy. If you think fighting the zombie horde is tough, try fighting against it while being attacked by another player online.

If you enter public servers, you can battle it out with other players and fight for resources. You can destroy other players’ bases or steal their resources as a way of progression.

The game has enough content to keep you progressing for over 100+ hours, even without PvP (Player vs. Player). You can also spend more time playing if you are into base building and experimenting with the game’s physics.

Hunt: Showdown

Genre	Open world, Tactical, Extraction, Perma Death
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	Crytek
Release Date	August 27, 2019
Multiplayer?	Yes

The Hunt: Showdown is a unique PvPvE (Player vs. Player vs. Environment) battle royale game. It is unique because the game adds objectives, such as killing bosses or doing specific tasks while playing the game against other players.

You are placed in an open-world environment with zombies lurking around the map. Enemy players will have different spawn areas in the same game, and you will have to figure out which way they are going to go so you can either hunt them down or avoid them to focus on an objective.

If your goal is to finish objectives such as killing bosses, you can go to them, but it would be dangerous as some enemy player might disrupt the party.

You can strategize with your squad on how you want to approach an objective because your success will be highly dependent on how you take advantage during fights.

Once you finish a goal, you can head to the extraction located somewhere on the map. Again, you will have to be careful navigating your way around, as you can still get killed by roaming players.

Left 4 Dead

Genre	Zombies, Co-op, FPS, Action
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	Valve
Release Date	November 17, 2008
Multiplayer?	Yes

Left 4 Dead is one of Valve’s best games and is probably on everyone’s best co-op games list. Even if the game was released way back in 2008, players still play it decades after because of its addicting combination of action and horror. While the modding community did a lot for its longevity, the game was absolutely perfect.

You start the game playing with three other players. Your team’s goal is to finish the stage while fighting through hordes of zombies and surviving unfortunate scenarios (fighting Tanks and Witches). While fighting through everything mentioned, you still have to deal with enemy players using special zombies to disrupt your team’s progress.

You will pick up resources like medkits, propane tanks, ammunition, and equipment randomly spawned on each map to help you get through.

Left 4 Dead offers a ton of different maps or stages to play, and each one puts you in a different scenario against the horde. The enemies are all randomly generated, so the game should have infinite replayability as long as you don’t get bored with the gameplay or playing with your friends.

Left 4 Dead 2 is also a more polished sequel to the first title. You don’t have to play the first one to play the sequel. They both offer the same core elements. If you haven’t played this game, I bet you can find a friend who has played this before and show you the game.

Days Gone

Genre	Open world, Zombies, Survival
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	Bend Studio
Length	35+ hours for the main story; 65+ hours for completionists
Release Date	May 18, 2021
Multiplayer?	No

Days Gone is an open-world action-adventure story-driven game. This post-apocalyptic world, it started with a pandemic that almost wiped out all of humanity. Just like Dying Light, Days Gone focuses on its riveting story about love and perseverance.

The game pushes you to the end, trying to survive while you look for resources and fight at the same time. The zombies in the game are ferocious and come in hordes.

If you are familiar with games like World War Z or Dying Light, it is more similar to their version of zombies than Resident Evil’s slow and terrifying zombies.

The game has a great game design, and you will feel as if you are living the fantasy of their version of a zombie apocalypse.

The pacing is great, where there is a good balance between being grindy and not just throwing you out there. Days Gone is definitely worth trying, even for an AAA game price tag.

GTFO

Genre	Online Co-op, FPS, Horror
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	10 Chambers
Release Date	December 10, 2021
Multiplayer?	Yes

GTFO is a hardcore co-op first-person shooter game. Hardcore does not even describe the game well enough. It is almost as if the game is an impossible game because you would need extreme cooperation with your squad to finish a level.

You will play as a 4-player squad, and you will need to work together to explore the Rundown and complete the work orders issued by the Warden. You will descend farther down the levels, and it will exponentially get harder each time.

Each game starts after you finish equipping all the weapons and tools you need for the specific level. You need to communicate with your team about how you want to choose the tools you are using. Each tool is different and plays a significant role in the game. You don’t want to duplicate some of them because you will need every advantage you can get.

The gameplay forces you to either clear the rooms or sneak through the creatures to avoid wasting ammo. Resource management is extremely tight in GTFO and is one of the keys to finishing a level. Going stealth is frequently the right choice, but things can quickly turn bad in a second.

The game is one of the best hardcore co-op games out there on Steam, so I highly suggest playing this game with friends who want to experience stress and extreme satisfaction (upon completion).

The game’s replayability highly depends on how frequent the updates are. Each Rundown changes at every level, so it is a new experience each time.

Back 4 Blood

Genre	Zombies, Shooter, Online Co-op
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	Turtle Rock Studios
Release Date	October 12, 2021
Multiplayer?	Yes

Back 4 Blood is the unofficial sequel of the Left 4 Dead series. The creators of the Left 4 Dead series developed Back 4 Blood under Turtle Rock Studios and implemented the same core elements that made Left 4 Dead a huge success.

If you have read the Left 4 Dead description on top, it should essentially be the same. They added new enemies, new weapons, and a brand new and intrinsic card system. Playstyle will be more customized because of this whole avenue of builds you can experiment with.

However, the biggest flaw of Back 4 Blood is that player-controlled special Riddens (zombies) are not implemented with the campaign runs.

Instead, they added a whole new versus mode for players to play PvP. The PvP concept is unique, but it would’ve been great if it was also available for the campaign.

Other than that, the game is still incredibly fun to play, especially with friends. Back 4 Blood is an AAA game, so if you have played Left 4 Dead and didn’t enjoy it as much, I suggest looking for another game.

Dead Rising

Genre	Zombies, Action, Adventure
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	Capcom
Length	12 hours for the main story; 70+ hours for completionists
Release Date	September 13, 2016
Multiplayer?	No

Dead Rising has an interesting take on the zombie genre. It is a third-person action-adventure game where you are stuck in a mall swarming with zombies. Playing as the iconic Frank West, you will be investigating what happened inside the mall.

You can utilize almost everything inside the mall to dispose of these zombies, and the game rewards you for exploring the huge environment. The real-time system gives more immersion as key story elements happen at specific times when Frank West is in a certain location in the mall.

The level system also adds more fun to the gameplay as it incentivizes players to roam around and whack zombies around freely. The game is more quirky than scary, and it completely redefined zombie games. There are multiple sequels to the series, and you have to start with the first one as the stories are connected. It is not mandatory, though, especially if you are in it for the fun gameplay.

State of Decay

Genre	Zombies, Survival, Open world, RPG
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	Undead Labs
Release Date	November 6, 2013
Multiplayer?	No

State of Decay is another typical story-driven zombie survival game. The game offers a wide variety of things to do while playing, and it feels like it has enough content to be even considered a role-playing game.

The game feels incredibly fluid for a non-AAA title, and it also has more content than most zombie games out there as well. After finishing the campaign, you can also play breakdown or lifeline modes.

Overall, you will be playing the State of Decay mostly for the campaign, and you will unlock new and unique characters to be played in the other game modes.

The vehicles are a nice touch to open-world exploration because it saves you more time getting around faster. If you loved this game, they also have a sequel you can try out.

They Are Billions

Genre	Base Building, Zombies, Strategy, Colony Sim
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	Numantian Games
Release Date	June 19, 2019
Multiplayer?	No

They Are Billions is a zombie RTS game where you will try to survive an insane amount of zombie invasions. You will build your base, collect resources, ramp up production, and try to survive the threat of infection.

It is called “They Are Billions” because it highly exaggerates the insane number of infected going against your human colony. You will learn the basic elements of any tower defense game while completely managing your resources, upgrades, and unit production at the same time.

There are a ton of things to look into, and it could be hard to master, but that is what makes it addicting. You will constantly find things to experiment with while trying to play the survival mode. The game also features a campaign with over 48 missions that are already 60 hours worth of gameplay.

The game is quite cheap and is definitely one of the most underrated zombie games on Steam. As long as you enjoy RTS games on an immaculate scale, They Are Billions will have hundreds of hours of gameplay.

Plants vs. Zombies

Genre	Tower Defense, Zombies, Strategy
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	PopCap Games, Inc.
Release Date	May 6, 2009
Multiplayer?	No

Plants vs. Zombies is one of the most iconic tower defense games ever made. The game is very simple. You will defend your lawn against an incoming zombie wave. These zombies will have unique armor and even abilities. The zombies will be shown on the top of your screen when they will try to attack your lawn.

To defend your house from the impending zombie attack, you will place all kinds of plants on your lawn that can either attack, defend, or offer you some utility. The gameplay runs in real-time, so you will have to be quick with your decisions.

There are a ton of stages to finish, and each one is unique. As you progress through the campaign, you will earn currency for upgrades to power up your plants. You can also unlock different plants to put on your plant list.

Experimenting with all these upgrades and plants makes the game insanely addicting. With the game’s cheap price tag, it is worth every penny, especially for those who love tower defense games.

Killing Floor

Genre	FPS, Zombies, Survival, Horror
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	Tripwire Interactive
Release Date	May 14, 2009
Multiplayer?	Yes, cross-platform multiplayer

Killing Floor is essentially another Left 4 Dead clone, but this one is more arcadey. Your goal is to survive as long as you can until you cannot anymore. The first few rounds will be easy at the start, but you will have to capitalize on getting stronger faster.

The next rounds will exponentially make the game harder each time. You can play in a group of 6 and explore the fixed and semi-open environment you are given. Zombies will come from all angles, and the number of zombies will increase as you survive more rounds.

It is essentially the same concept as Call of Duty’s version of zombies but with a few extra steps. There are a ton of classes available in the game, and each of them will have a unique ability or build that separates their playstyle from each other. The game also has a unique perk system where you will need to play a ton of games to level up.

Combine these two features, and you have one hell of a grind to do. While it may take countless hours to level up a certain class fully, it adds a whole level of content to consume.

You would definitely want to experience playing each of the classes and see how they fit your playstyle. You can even experiment with a few perk builds combined with different weapons.

Killing Floor also features a versus mode, where other players can play as unique Zeds (unique zombies) and fight against a team of survivors.

The series has two titles, Killing Floor and Killing Floor 2. Both games are great, and none of them are connected. I suggest playing Killing Floor 2 since there might be more remaining players there if you cannot find anyone to play with.

Night of the Dead

Genre	Zombies, Survival, Base Building
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	jacktostudios
Release Date	August 28, 2020
Multiplayer?	Yes

Night of the Dead is another open-world survival crafting zombie game with more emphasis on base building. Your goal is to survive while exploring the vast island for resources. You will use these resources to build and upgrade bases and eventually sustain yourself with proper buildings to survive the zombie attacks.

You will also have to get your own food through hunting, but you have to manage your time perfectly because your base might need some reinforcement.

The game mostly mirrors a previous game on the list, 7 Days to Die. However, you will encounter many unique zombies in Night of the Dead compared to 7 Days to Die.

The Walking Dead: Telltale Games

Genre	Story Rich, Horror, Comic Book
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	Skyhound Games
Release Date	October 30, 2020
Multiplayer?	No

The Walking Dead by Telltale Games is a story-rich comic book game that introduced a whole new trend in gaming when it was released. The game is all about watching the cutscenes and making decisions through dialogue choices, and checking how it will all play out.

Each decision made will have a minor or heavy impact on the outcome of the story, and you will want to play it multiple times if you want to see different scenarios.

The game is literally all about the stories, and the dialogue choices add a level of immersion to this classic zombie comic book story. You can replay all the scenarios until you have experienced all of the grueling moments. The definitive edition of the game contains all four seasons inside one game with over 50 hours of gameplay in 23 episodes.

Dead by Daylight

Genre	Horror, Survival, Multiplayer
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	Behaviour Interactive Inc.
Release Date	June 14, 2016
Multiplayer?	Yes

Dead by Daylight isn’t technically a zombie game, and I do admit that it is a bit of a reach to put the game on the list. The game is a PvP game where four survivors try to escape the area against one killer. There are a lot of character choices when it comes to playing a survivor or the killer.

The only thing that involves zombies in the game is when you encounter a killer who uses Nemesis. The game collaborated with the Resident Evil franchise to bring the iconic Nemesis as a unique tyrant killer.

Once you face a Nemesis, there will be zombies spawning around the area that the survivors need to avoid at all costs. The survivors need to fix at least five generators around the map and open the exit gates to escape and win. The killer’s only job is to hunt down each survivor or at least prevent the majority of the survivors from escaping.

While Dead by Daylight is technically not a zombie game, you can play it if you want some casual and thrilling game. The mechanics are all simple but hard to master. You can even play as the killer all the time and play Nemesis so that each game is a zombie game.

Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army

Genre	Zombies, Action, Co-op, Sniper
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	Rebellion
Release Date	March 1, 2013
Multiplayer?	Yes, co-op campaign

Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army is a co-op zombie game based on the studio’s popular series, Sniper Elite. The zombie mode could’ve been a DLC or an added feature to their future Sniper Elite games, but they decided to release it as a standalone expansion.

The game offers up to 4 players in co-op mode, where you will go through the campaign and experience the story while tearing through zombies left and right. You can also play the game solo, but they developed the campaign specifically for co-op.

Since the game is named “Sniper: Elite,” this standalone expansion mirrors the unique sniping mechanics that made their games popular in the first place.

You can continue to see that in this game, but through bone-shattering kills with slow-motion kill cams against zombies instead of soldiers.

The Typing of the Dead: Overkill

Genre	Typing, Zombies, Comedy
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	Modern Dream
Release Date	October 30, 2013
Multiplayer?	No

If you have played all those zombie games that you see in arcades, then you will definitely love this next title.

The Typing of the Dead: Overkill puts you in an automated simulation where zombies attack you, but you have to shoot them before they get to you.

However, instead of shooting them, you will need to type out words, phrases, or even Shakespearean language to defeat the zombies.

You will need to type the ones that are closest to attacking you so that it can get a little bit chaotic. These are your typical on-rails shooters, anyway.

The game adds some hilarious words to the game, making you wonder if the kill words are really randomized. You can play the game in a two-player co-op, and it feels like you are playing in the arcade with your buddy, but you don’t have to buy credits to play the game.

Dead Island

Genre	Zombies, Co-op, Open world, Gore
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	Techland
Release Date	May 31, 2016
Multiplayer?	Yes

Dead Island is a zombie apocalypse on a paradise island. You will go through the story and slice up zombies along the way while exploring the open world with up to 3 other players on co-op. You get to choose from 4 different characters for the campaign, and each one offers a different gameplay.

These characters possess a unique skill tree that makes them different from each other. You can experiment with them until you find the right combination for your playstyle. It is definitely one of the most underrated zombie games out there. Dead Island was developed by Techland, who also developed the Dying Light series. You can see how well they improved, and Dead Island was the catalyst for their success.

Arizona Sunshine – VR

Genre	Action, VR, Zombies, Horror
Where to Buy?	Steam
Developer	Vertigo Games, Jaywalkers Interactive
Release Date	December 7, 2016
Multiplayer?	Yes

Arizona Sunshine is exclusively built for VR. If you do not have the right equipment or specifications to play VR, you cannot play this game. Arizona Sunshine is set in a post-apocalyptic southwestern America that got overrun by zombies. You can play the campaign with three other players on your journey.

The only problem with Arizona Sunshine is that the game is too short. You can finish the game in a couple of hours, but the game is still a well-polished zombie VR game. The game has an incredible twist at the end to make it all worth it.