Project Zomboid

Project Zomboid begins with an epidemic that wipes out almost everyone in Knox County, Kentucky. The survivors are hiding in their homes, and the first thing to do is find housing and close the windows. It all starts with the choice of profession and appearance, and starting skills significantly influence the first days of survival. Development comes through journals and practice, so the character only learns what he does. Survival here is slow and difficult: you have to store food, collect water in advance, and bandage wounds with clean bandages. Light, noise and smell influence who comes to visit, and one careless shot can gather a whole crowd under the windows. Clothing makes sense: in winter you need a warm jacket, but a wet shirt leads to a cold. The character develops through experience: he learns to cook, build, shoot or understand medicine, and depending on his activities, he acquires useful skills. Errors accumulate: the character gets tired, gets sick, loses shape, and the entire future life of the base suffers from this. Books and television help to study, but require time and a safe place, and electricity and water eventually run out. The world lives without a player: hordes move through the streets, abandoned cars stall, and other survivors sometimes come with bad intentions. Co-op and modifications have long turned the project into a platform for a variety of scenarios. The construction of ceilings and barricades turns into engineering: windows are boarded up, ladders are removed, and cars are repaired in the yard. For those players who enjoy gritty, long-range survival, there's enough here to last you months.