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.

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 January 27, 2024 By Matthew Mckeown: Zombie games will ironically never die, they’re cathartic, a fixture in pop culture and they’re an easy and reliably enjoyable threat to deal with in videogames. Everyone at some point has encountered, watched, or bought a Zombie game and there’s always a new crawling out every few weeks.

However, because the gaming market is so over-saturated with Zombie games at this point it can be a pain trying to find which ones are worth the effort. So if you’re looking to start off the new year with some solid undead slaying games, then here’s an updated look at the best Zombie games out now.

Word Warrior: Zombie Typocalypse

Test your typing speed and creativity with this chaotic and creepy game. Taking inspiration from the campy classic Typing of The Dead, Word Warrior: Zombie Typocalypse is an on-rails shooter that doesn’t just test your dexterity, but also your vocabulary and ability to improv.

This is because whenever an Undead Ghoul creeps over, you’ll have to fend them off with an object conjured purely by you typing it. For example, you could use a gun or grenade, or just chuck a toilet or couch, it’s up to you. The only limit is your imagination.

All of your summoned weapons (including the toilet) can be upgraded and made more deadly.

Thriller Garden

A horde shooter that took some notes from Vampire Survivors and gave it their own Cowboy spin, Thriller Garden from BlackDrop Workshop is a spooky and surprisingly challenging Early Access game that’ll test your skills with its sadistically massive hordes.

However, instead of magic and wild abilities, it’s six-shooters, rifles, and other Western weaponry that you can unleash on the hordes of creatures and undead. There are over 120 unique items to mess around with and plenty of tasks and missions to complete as you blast through those overwhelming hordes of shuffling ghouls.

Rise Of Gun

A post-apocalyptic zombie game with a difference, Rise of Gun from PimpGameStudio has you trying out the role of weapons merchant to passing survivors. Manage your storefront, stop shoplifters, customize your wares and store to maximize profit and help give humanity a fighting chance against the dead.

It’s an Early Access game with a lot of potential and there’s a respectable amount of customization in both the types of weapons you can sell, your storefront, and even the entire neighborhood. It’s a little rough around the edges, but it's got a lot of great ideas and it can be quite a cozy game at times as you get lost in shop management.

The more attachments and extra bits weapons have, the better they sell.

Survivalist: Invisible Strain

If you like a Zombie game that’s got a cute comic book style and a hardcore survival experience, then take a look at Survivalist: Invisible Strain. This unique Early Access game has you building a community of survivors from people you encounter out in the wilds of its procedurally generated world.

What sets it apart from the others is that the people you recruit have their own personalities, needs, and lives. So you’ll need to work on your social skills if you want to develop a strong base. Plus, there’s an interesting multi-camera system that lets you view the dead and your struggling survivor from multiple angles. Great for awareness, and it scratches that micro-management itch.

Golf vs Zombies

Just because it’s a Zombie Apocalypse, it doesn’t mean you can’t work on your backswing. Golf vs Zombies is a mix of Zombie murder and mini-golf that’s wrapped in an arcade coating and is downright ridiculous but very enjoyable to play. The goal of the game is simple, play golf, collect Bottle Caps for upgrades, and kill zombies with balls.

Play by yourself, or take advantage of its local split screen to share the scares with some friends. There are all sorts of traps and zombie types to contend with plus tons of Ghoul-filled courses to putt your way around, plenty of devilishly deadly Golf Balls to launch at Zombie heads, and all sorts of arcade Golf-inspired mayhem to enjoy.

Army Of Ruin

A surprisingly detailed horde shooter that went to the Vampire Survivors school of design, Army Of Ruin from Milkstone Studios has a similar setup. At your disposal are a number of unique heroes, each with their own stats, moves, and passive boons. Whilst in your way is an infinite horde of fantasy monsters.

This surprisingly satisfying auto-shooter can turn into a high-intensity Bull Hell in a short amount of time and the hordes that are thrown against you never stop, slow, or lessen in their number. Hold out for as long as you can, create unique and powerful builds, unlock new characters, and slay those shuffling monster-filled armies of evil.

HumanitZ

An Early Access game that’s been likened to a low-end Project Zomboid, or top-down Day Z, HumanitZ from Yodubzz Studios is an interesting zombie game that’s worth putting on your radar. Set on a massive map, this co-op isometric survival game has you playing as a survivor in a post-apocalyptic Zombie wasteland.

Survive with friends or go solo and live off the land. Scavenge resources, build your own base and grab the right gear to stay alive in those rough outdoor conditions. With some unique character customization options and a lot of space to explore, HumantiZ is on the right track, and it’s one worth watching at least.

Dysmantle

Another isometric Zombie Survival game, this time from 10tons Ltd. After emerging from your Bunker, you find the world in ruins and the dead roaming the woods and wilds. But they’re not your ordinary zombies, these twisted mutations come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and it’s up to you to make it home alive each day.

Survive, gather resources, craft important gear, set up shop in an abandoned building, or create your own Zombie-Proof home away from home out in the wilderness. The island you’re trapped on is vast, so there’s plenty of ground to cover. Just don’t go out there unprepared as it can all go wrong very quickly.

Terminus: Zombie Survivors

An interesting 2D Turn-Based Zombie Survival game from Korean developer Ingeon Games, Terminus: Zombie Survivors is a unique roguelike worth your attention. A massive procedurally generated world awaits and with over 150 different locations to scavenge, each journey guarantees to be exciting and unique.

There’s a lot of detail put into the nitty-gritty mechanics of the game and it can be as difficult or as simple as you like. Endless waves of zombies await, there’s tons of loot to take and equipment to wear, plus with every action tied to AP, each decision is going to be pretty important. If you’re looking for a slow-burn Zombie Survival experience on a massive scale, then Terminus: Zombie Survivors is for you.

Zombotron

A side-scrolling shooter set in a far-off world, Zombotron from Ant Karlov is a cathartic old-school game that’s chock full of fun references. You play as Blaze Rush, a Mercenary answering a Distress Beacon on the strange planet Zombotron.

What he discovers is an ancient crash site and a planet filled with hostile undead creatures. Zombotron has a mystery to solve at the core of the game, a massive arsenal of weapons, armor, and equipment to keep the biters at bay, and plenty of enemy variety to keep you plunging onwards until the end. Plus, you can get quite creative with your kills.

Swarm Survivor

If you’re looking for some scares that are low on the old game's budget, then Swarm Survivor from MegalOh! Games should take a spot on your Steam Wishlist. This Vampire Survivors-esque Zombie game pits you against swarms of infected across semi-procedurally generated maps.

Better weapons, gadgets, and other survival tools lie out there in the darkness, but you’ll need to go get them if you want a chance at staying alive. Featuring multiple bosses to beat, dozens of perks to power up your character, and a bunch of unique abilities and guns to try out, Swarm Survivors toybox has a surprising amount to dig through. Though it’s put together by a small team of devs, it’s still getting a lot of love and care through updates as the months go on.

Wandering In Space

An Early Access game that’s been making quite a bit of positive noise, Wandering In Space from Moonseer VR is a surprisingly thorough and satisfying virtual reality horror game to play through. You’re a soldier in the far future that has awoken with no memories and has to get to the source of a cataclysmic biological outbreak that has caused an apocalypse that changed Earth for the worst.

Screeching mutants, shambling Zombies, and other twisted creatures prowl the derelict halls of the space station you’re trapped on above the ravaged planet and there are two warring factions vying for power in this post-apocalyptic void. There’s a lot of great sci-fi weaponry to keep you safe and with the ability to dual wield you’ve never felt more of a super soldier bad-ass in VR. There’s also survival inventory management, roguelike runs to keep things fresh, and a ranking system, so there are a lot of unique elements to dig into with Wandering Space.

Stories From The Outbreak

Another Early Access Zombie that does things a little differently, Stories From The Outbreak from Coldwild Games is a narrative-focused turn-based game with a smattering of rogue-like elements. You play as the leader of a group of survivors trying to escape the city of Rita for the safety of the North Sea.

Featuring 15 different enemy types that scale in difficulty the further you get in and an interesting party system that allows you to build a team with very polarizing views, there’s a lot of variety in Stories From The Outbreak. Not every survivor will make it out alive, so each decision and sacrifice matters as it could hinder or help you further down the road.

Private Property

Zombies and VR are always going to work well together and Wenkly Studio were aware of this when they put together Private Property. This gun-slinging, ghoul-blasting game has a simple premise, the Zombies are coming, and you need to defend your property.

Waves of undead scale in difficulty with meaner, bigger, and more mutated monsters crawling out of their lairs as the round drags on. So there’s plenty of challenge. Available to play in solo or with a crew in co-op, it doesn’t take long for things to become incredibly chaotic. But, there’s plenty of classic cowboy weaponry to keep you safe as those huge hordes draw close.

Yet Another Zombie Survivors

If you’re looking for a low-cost Early Access game filled with a lot of Undead then Yet Another Zombie Survivors from Awesome Games Studios should be at the top of your list. Jumping on the popular horde style of Vampire Survivors, YAZS takes that tried and trusted gameplay loop and gave it their own unique spin.

You take control of a team of unique hunters that all come with their own unique abilities and attacks that can be upgraded as you slay those cannibalistic corpses. There are tons of creative ways to evolve your squad's Zombie stomping abilities and you can bring in one or even three characters at once to maximize the mayhem. Rounds are cathartic and challenging, plus there are some powerful permanent upgrades to unlock that will supercharge your soldiers. An enjoyable Indie that’s had a lot of polish and positivity from the Community, Yet Another Zombie Survivors has definitely stood out from the rest.

Dead Island 2

The game everyone thought would never see the light of day, Dead Island 2 finally dropped after an eternity in development hell and released the zombie-filled streets of LA onto our screens in a visceral deluge. Sticking close to the tried and tested formula of the original but with a next-gen facelift, the sequel brought out a colorful cast of new characters as well as a few familiar faces to spice things up and keep the nostalgia train running.

Featuring a large map filled with luxury houses and iconic attractions of the Los Angeles coastline, unlockable skill trees with powerful abilities, and a semi-sufficient weapon customization system, DI2 has a lot going for it despite its late appearance. With colorful set-pieces and a not-too-serious approach to storytelling, it's entertaining enough to keep you pushing through the main plot and side-quests. Plus there's the option for multiplayer, so you can bring a couple of friends into the corpse curb-stomping chaos with you

Zelter

Zelter by G1 Playground brings all the terror of a Zombie Apocalypse and packages it into a cute pixelated form. Left alone in a ruined city full of ravenous undead, your only options are to scavenge what you can whilst rescuing whatever survivors you can to get a helping hand in the long run.

Going in guns blazing against the hordes is not recommended, instead the emphasis is on survival, hunting and gathering what you can. NPCs can be recruited to your cause and it won't take long to go from a solitary campsite to a sprawling, busy and well-armed base of operations. With a challenge mode to test your survival skills against a six-day time limit, there's a lot on offer from this Early Access gem.

They Are Coming

Though it has garnered a slightly mixed reception, don't let its simple mobile game-esque aesthetics fool you, there's quite the challenge lurking just underneath the surface. Though instead of surviving against the horde, you're guiding those swarms of undead around yourself. Humanity is on the menu and it's up to you to ensure your rotting followers are given a full-course meal.

The game itself is split into several stages that stretch from the French Ardennes in World War Two and beyond. But the human race isn't going down without a fight and they have plenty of powerful weaponry to put your horde down for good before that ball of hungry-hungry zombies can get going. Tactics are required as mistakes are brutally punished, getting the ball rolling on the Zombie Apocalypse is a little harder than it seems, so put yourself to the test and see if your hellish hordes can end it all in They Are Coming.

Zed Zone

An Early Access apocalypse survival game that will stress your skills to the max Zed Zone by Leven Liu sets you the task of staying alive in a ruined world filled with Zombies, mutants, and large hostile mechs. Scavenge what you can and try to stay alive in this surprisingly in-depth little indie game.

The world has been ruined by a catastrophe, those that weren't wiped out either scrape by or were turned into roaming undead and mutants of all shapes and sizes. Build a shelter to keep them at bay, find and upgrade a range of big guns and useful gear, or just jump in an abandoned car and cruise around the ruined cityscape in comfort. There's a ton to do and it doesn't take a lot to end up just another statistic, so if you're in need of a solid survival game, try Zed Zone.

Undeadly

If you've ever faced off against The Lost in XCOM 2: WOTC, then you'll feel right at home in Undeadly. This turn-based zombie survival game puts you in control of a team of survivors trying to make their way in an infected-filled world alongside other bizarre and equally deadly phenomena lurking out there in the wilds and abandoned suburbia.

Gameplay is divided into two separate time zones. The Day, when things are relatively safe and your team can scavenge for supplies, and the evening when the undead shuffle out of their hidden holes and lairs to bother the living still wandering around. So balancing prepping with risky missions for big rewards will be your bread and butter game loop. There's a bucketload of customization options available with everything open to tweaking from clothes to weapon attachments, right down to the type of ammo and traps being brought into the fray. Each Survivor can also be equipped with a number of powerful perks and skills to turn each team member into a Zombie slaying god. If a turn-based survival sim is what you need, then take a swing at Undeadly.