Best Zombie Games - The first knowledge sharing application in Vietnam

Zombies being in video games is almost as old as the gaming industry itself, and here we look at the best games with the living dead in them.

Call them what you will, Infected, Walkers, The Undead, zombies are an iconic monster that has shuffled their way into our hearts with how much they’ve bled their way back into video games, movies, and pop culture in general over the years.

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There are a plethora of great games from studios that are triple-A, indie, and everything in between, with each producing their own take on the classic decaying rotting tide. Some takes are better than others, with a handful even redefining the “zombie survival” genre completely and although there is a little bit of over-saturation with how many of these games have been churned out over the years, there are still quite a few worth checking out. Here are the best zombie games that have come out so far.

Updated December 10, 2022 by Matthew Mckeown: Zombies are always going to be popular. Who doesn’t enjoy cathartically mowing down hordes of shambling corpses guilt-free after all? There are a lot of great Zombie games that have come out over the years and it’s a genre that will never get tired, ironically that’s much like the Undead.

To fill out their shuffling ranks some more and to increase our own horde of great games, it’s worth dipping back into what’s going down well with the Zombie-loving gaming crowd. Here are some more of the best zombie games out now.

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The Unliving

A slick Indie that’s been gaining a lot of ground recently, The Unliving by RocketBrush Studio is a pixel artist’s paradise. This slick action game has you take the role of a fearsome Necromancer who’s off to change the current world order and erect his own Undead kingdom using the bodies of the living.

Combat comes with a twist in this fast-paced RPG roguelike. Whilst you can do a lot of damage on your own, the core idea is that the foes you kill can be resurrected and turned against their former friends. There are a lot of unique monsters and ghouls you can create from fallen heroes and there’s some great upgrade trees and enhancements to make them much stronger. With battles that can fill the screen with utterly gigantic hordes, The Unliving is an Early Access gem that’s definitely going places. Which is probably the most densely populated town.

Requisition VR

If you’re looking for some virtual reality anarchy with your friends then take a look at Requisition VR. This Early Access game by Arcadia has been making waves as it’s similar to The Walking Dead: Saints And Sinners, but with multiplayer and a lot more space to explore.

You’re stuck in Nevermont, a rundown town that’s crawling with Undead. There are tons of locations to explore and with a crafting system that has over 500 unique items to build including customized weapons, there are plenty of reasons to get out there. Though it’s a little rough around the edges, there’s a story campaign and a lot of interesting uses for the virtual reality headset during gameplay. With multiple modes of play available including PVP and the ability to bring along friends through VR co-op, Requisition is a great time with a good group.

Darktide

Whilst it’s not strictly a completely zombie-focused game, there are enough rotting hordes of Nurgle around for it to count. Another absolute banger by FatShark, Darktide took the things it refined and worked out in the Vermintide games, gave them a coating of futuristic and grimdark 40K paint, and sent it out the door.

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This multiplayer shooter sets you and a group of three other prisoners turned conscripts in the Astra Militarum (Earths army) with the task of clearing out Chaos worshipper cults that include hordes of Nurgle zombies, big armored behemoths, mutants, and more warp-spawned horrors. There are multiple classes to choose from, including the option to play as a massive Ogryn, and all of the weaponry is right out of the 40K handbook so purists will love the attention to gear detail. There’s a threadbare plot, but the gameplay is what really sells it as it’s a solid Warhammer shooter that’s been long overdue.

Mutant Meltdown

If you like your zombie hordes a little slower paced then Mutant Meltdown by GoldenGod Games might be shambling up your alley. This survival RPG is set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland and your mission is to manage a group of survivors through this ravaged world.

Plaguing the surface are wandering mutants and undead of all shapes and sizes along with bandits and other irradiated threats. Gameplay is turn-based and movement is bound to a 4X grid system, so it’ll hit that button for Civ fans. Tiles have various threats like radiation pockets and obstacles in them so there’s a fair amount of tactical planning required, but your survivors have unlockable skills to make them stronger and all sorts of gear to grab to keep them safe.

Undead Horde 2: Necropolis

Another Necromancer-themed Indie that’s sure to bring out your sinister side, Undead Horde 2: Necropolis is a cutesy action RPG by 10tons Ltd is worth rising from your crypt for. Taking the role of a powerful Necromantic Lord, your task is to ravage the kingdom, raise powerful undead armies and complete a range of quests to make yourself and your necrotic hordes stronger.

At your beck and call is an army of undead souls and at any time you can command over 100 of them to swarm all over the towns and villages in your way. There’s a number of unique minions to summon and it can be pretty satisfying to send them rumbling over a target base in a big ball of zombie fury. As you progress through the game you can level up your Necropolis at home enhance yourself and your armies and there are powerful items to find and lands to burn. So plenty of things for a new Necromancer Ruler to do.

Biters & Bullets

Zombie wave defense games are a dime a dozen, but occasionally you’ll find a little simple gem within the pile. Biters & Bullets by Night Owls is one of those as this slick little roguelike is a super casual zombie shooter that’s surprisingly got quite a bit of entertaining depth to it.

There are some Vampire Survivor-Esque style mechanics of using dropped energy from the undead to level yourself and your weapons up. Hordes of zombies of all shapes and sizes come at you in absolutely massive waves, and there are a lot of weird and creative powerups to send those rotting corpses back where they belong. Throw on some unique boss fights and you’ve got a solid little indie zombie game that’s off to a good start. The prologue is currently available and it’s free to play. So if you’re looking for a simple little arcade indy with hordes of undead and plenty of weird and powerful power-ups, then Biters & Bullets is a fun timesink.

Necro Smith

Dubbed a Necromancer Simulator by the team at Alawar Premium, who also worked on the thrilling Beholder and the challenging space Bounty Hunter game They Always Run. Necro Smith is a simple and cutesy slow-burn strategy game that provides hordes of monsters to slay.

Your goal, to cleanse the land of the “Chosen Ones”, powerful entities that rule a land that’s overrun with monsters. At your disposal are your necromantic abilities which allow you to assemble undead minions and shambling towering zombified monstrosities with unique strengths, weaknesses, and powers. These units are then sent forth from your tower to help you expand your influence, collect stronger body parts and allow you to upgrade your base to become the necromantic ruler of the land.

SurrounDead

A simple little open-world zombie survival game that has a lot of charm. SurrounDead takes place five years after the world has been ravaged by an undead-creating virus that decimated the population of the planet. With the remnants of humanity barely clinging to life in ramshackle survivor camps, your goal is to survive in this infested landscape for as long as you can.

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Though it’s in Early Access, SurrounDead is off to a pretty strong start. Gameplay is reminiscent of Day Z, the map is fairly sprawling and the abandoned cityscapes and foreboding fields of wandering zombies in this desolate wasteland provide plenty of opportunities for scavenging. It’s routinely updated, and though only single-player, the wastelands feel relatively vibrant enough that you won’t feel too lonely for long.

Barricadez

Barricadez by Fly Penguin inc can best be described as Terraria meets Tower Defense. This massively open-world 2D game pits you as a tiny bot defending its base from innumerable hordes of undead that besiege it when the sun goes down.

But all is not lost, as beneath our robotic friend is an entire planet’s worth of resources that can be mined and crafted through intricate supply chains into sturdy defenses and bulwarks. Turrets, traps, and all sorts of barricades can be erected, and with the terrain being randomly generated no adventure into the dark depths below is the same. It’s a challenging and surprisingly dense indie that’s definitely worth your time if you like some mechanically heavy zombie survival games.

Zombieland VR: Headshot Fever

You very rarely find a videogame based on a movie that isn’t a soulless cash-in, but there are exceptions to that rule, and Zombieland VR: Headshot Fever is one of them. This fast-paced VR FPS puts an arcadey spin on what’s already a pretty cartoonish setting and it’s a violence-filled frenzy that will keep you coming back for more.

The goal of the game is to blast through the undead as fast as you can to set the highest score. Challenge friends to top your name on the board, deploy a massive arsenal of ass-kicking weaponry and rack up combos with slow-mo powers that trigger from skillfully aimed headshots. The undead come at you in a variety of flavors and there are plenty of maps to stretch your zombie-killing skills on.

House Of The Dead: Remake

Everyone remembers their first lightgun game. For many, it was House of The Dead, a cult classic cabinet that took up the popular spot in an arcade and blasted anyone that walked past with its signature soundtrack and constant yells of “RELOAD!”. Now you can recapture that nostalgia with House Of The Dead: Remake.

Released at the end of April by MegaPixel Studio, it’s an upscaled remake of the original game that’s been given a fresh coat of paint. So you can blast apart familiar bosses in gristly, gooey new detail. There’s local multiplayer and it’s available on consoles, including the Switch and there’s also a PC port, though the latter has some known stability issues. There are also some new weapons to use such as a crossbow, assault rifle, and a grenade launcher. Plus there are plans to release a remade House Of The Dead 2 in the works by the same team.

Chromosome Evil

Part isometric strategy game, part squad manager with a thick layering of Lovecraft-inspired monstrosities, Chromosome Evil by 16 Bit Nights is an interesting little indie game. You control a squad of soldiers, all of which can be customized to your suiting from their gear, weaponry, and attachments. Each member you bring fulfills a different role and losing one man has the potential to take the whole team down, so keep them safe.

For example, Soldiers at great at mowing down the undead, Engineers can build turrets and barricades, whilst Medics keep everyone patched together. With different locations to explore that are often shrouded in darkness and crawling with creeps, each mission could be your team’s last. Plus, as the story plays out your squad will need to scavenge for supplies along the way as you unearth the mystery of where these monsters are coming from and what happened to your missing brother.

Survive The Hill

An interesting Early Access title from Redivided Studios, survive The Hill is an asymmetrical multiplayer game promising matches of one versus three or two against eight. Think Dead By Daylight or Friday The 13th, where one team controls human players trying to escape and the other a monster of the week. Only the resident spook is supported by hordes of undead that constantly mob those trying to get out alive.

It’s a unique and visually impressive take in a market that’s already a little oversaturated with this type of game. But it’s nice to see something that isn’t just another Dead By Daylight Clone being thrown into the mix. Worth keeping in mind though is for some odd reason you can’t play it single-player against the AI, you need another player there. Still, fans have mentioned this as a sticking point and with updates to the game coming in Seasons, hopefully this is something that changes in the future because Survive The Hill has some potential.

Heaven Dust 2

One Gruel Studio asked the question, what if we turned Resident Evil into a cutesy cartoon? So in a clear love letter to classic Survival Horror, Heaven Dust 2 sets you in the role of Steve, a one-man army who awakes from a Cryogenic Pod to find he’s been locked in a mysterious research center.

The place has become overrun with undead and all sorts of mutants, but you have an assortment of weaponry at your disposal to help you fight your way out. From submachineguns to grenades, there are all sorts of fun toys to find to send the shambling shapes back to the grave where they belong. A stand-alone sequel to the original, Heaven Dust 2 keeps you on your toes and constantly backing up from the hordes of Ghouls it throws your way.

Arizona Sunshine

Despite its spiritual sequel After The Fall catching a lot of flak, Arizona Sunshine is still a solid and competent VR Zombie game. Despite a few rough edges here and there, it can be quite an immersive and challenging adventure. This is especially true on the higher difficulty settings as you try to escape from the infected infested desert planes and forgotten towns of Arizona.

Featuring co-op mode for up to three players, a solid horde wave defense mode, and collectible masks to wear for your characters, Arizona Sunshine has a lot going for it. Plus there are tons of guns and gear to get your hands on to blast apart the undead or just dual wield like a badass as you explore the ruins of the old world with your friends.

Dying Light 2

After six years in development, Techland came roaring back to our screens with another installment to their hugely popular Dying Light. Similar to its predecessor, there’s Parkour aplenty in the zombie-infested city of Harran. Now 20 years later, you’re tasked with getting the city back on its feet and solving the power struggle between warring factions surviving in this now ruin-filled wasteland.

Bringing a map that’s significantly bigger than the original, Dying Light 2 has some absolutely massive areas to explore. There are towering skyscrapers to climb, Parkour puzzles to solve, Zombies to slice, and new dizzying heights to reach thanks to the introduction of some slick new traversal tech like the Glider. Combat is still a little clunky and there are some pacing issues in the story, but the Parkour and Zombie variety, especially at night is a huge improvement over the original. If you enjoyed Dying Light and wanted more space to sprint over the undead then the sequel is worth checking out.

The Last Stand: Aftermath

Developed by Con Artist Games, The Last Stand: Aftermath is a significant upgrade to those that have played their previous installment Last Stand: Union City. Whilst the previous game was Zombie wave defense, this time instead of fending off the undead hordes in a bunker you’re out exploring the ravaged post-apocalyptic world.

This surprisingly in-depth single-player roguelike game tasks you with finding resources and helping others in a massive and constantly changing corpse-filled playground. Gameplay is tough but fair, and you can even the odds by unlocking special skills, crafting powerful gear, and making sure you have the best equipment when you set out. It’s a gorgeously designed isometric Zombie game that’s tense and suitably challenging.

Look Alive

Though not technically out yet, Look Alive is set to release this year and it’s one that’s worth making a note of when it does. Similar to The Last Stand: Aftermath but with a cutesy, cartoon approach, Look Alive comes from developers Wabby’s Land and this open-world survival game looks to be filled with all sorts of undead carnage.

Featuring huge maps littered with loot and vehicles to mow down the undead, Look Alive tasks you with surviving the Zombie Apocalypse in any way you can. This is managed by scavenging materials and resources from abandoned houses, burnt-out buildings, and whatever’s left behind. All the while fending off Zombies on a persistent world map that features a day-night cycle, other survivor camps to aid, and bosses to fight.

Swarm The City: Zombie Evolved

Plenty of games let you fight the uncountable undead hordes, but not many let you play as them. That’s where Swarm The City: Zombie Evolved shambles in as this real-time strategy game has you dominating the globe as the powerful King Zombie, controlling vast waves of groaning monstrosities as they tear apart the strongest human defenses. Think of it like They Are Billions, but reversed.

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As you make your way across the world from city to city in a globe-trotting mission system you’ll unlock upgrades and powers for your minions and yourself that let you use all sorts of powerful abilities to plow through everything in your way. Though the game is still in Early Access, it’s got some great ideas and with time and a little polish, it looks to be a pretty solid Zombie RTS.

Undying

Undying is worth mentioning because whilst it’s in Early Access, it’s got a lot more going on than just being another game with Zombies in it. Undying’s core focus is on a relationship between a Mother and Son in what’s possibly the most hellish situation anyone can find themselves in. Developed by Vanimals, Undying puts you in the role of Angling, a single mother trying to keep her son Cody alive through the Zombie Apocalypse. But there’s a catch, she’s been bitten by the undead and it’s only a matter of time until she turns.

This inspiring roguelike is part open-world survival meets escort quest as your son’s survival depends on how good a parent you are. Cody can learn from your actions, so you’re encouraged to craft, cook and fight in front of him to teach him how to survive. What follows is a tough and emotional Survival game, where the more you get attached to your young ward, the harder it becomes to accept the inevitable. It’s a heart-breaking and challenging game that is sure to make a big splash when it’s fully released. If you like Zombie games with a good story, Undying is highly recommended.