Project Zomboid is an open-world zombie survival game that is gaining attention after the addition of a multiplayer mode. When playing Project Zomboid, gamers will have to find a way to survive in a zombie pandemic with brutal realistic elements. Even when the player dies, he will have to play another character or the character he played but in the form of a zombie.
However, for new players, the interface of Project Zomboid can be quite complicated and take hours because of not knowing where to start. If you are confused when entering this game, read on and learn post-apocalyptic survival tips in Project Zomboid.
Survival tips when playing Project Zomboid
Always crouch when moving
When entering the game for the first time, the player will stay in a certain house. The land can be a house on an ordinary street or a convoy of trucks in a trailer parking lot.
No matter where they appear, players need to start looking around and looking for loot scattered everywhere. However, before moving even one step, make the character bow by pressing the . key OLD.
Crouching is key when playing Project Zomboid. If you do not lower people when moving, the character will make a lot of noise. Noise attracts zombies, and zombies almost always bring death in the early stages of the game.
Even if you feel safe inside, zombies will quickly hear characters walking and start banging on windows and doors. Crouching is considerably quieter, so if you want to survive the first few minutes, stay on the move and act stealthily.
Take only the necessary items
When going to loot, only bring what is really necessary because it is easy for people to get caught up in a frenzy about the apocalypse and equip too much. If excessive gear is carried, the character will struggle to return to base without breaking their back, which can result in serious injury and death. Then all that precious loot is worthless.
When looting for the first few days of the apocalypse, everyone should bring only the items on the following list of useful goods:
- Weapons (frying pan, baseball bat, …)
- Food
- Drinking water
- Medical supplies
- Bag
- Carpentry
- Book
- Farming tools
That’s a pretty extensive list, but it helps to prioritize which items to get. People can always mark buildings that contain loot to return to later, when there is already a strong base in the game.
Tear clothes to make bandages
Medical supplies are few and far between in the world of Project Zomboid, especially when unprepared to plan a mission, strategize loot at a nearby pharmacy or hospital.
When starting out, everyone needs to improvise. Bandages may not be universal, but clothes are everywhere. While you don’t have to take every piece of clothing you find, consider tearing some into sheets. Do this by right-clicking on the garment you want to tear and selecting the pieces to be ripped manually.
They would make a great dressing to use. While they don’t have any healing properties, the cloths will stop the bleeding and that’s enough to save your life. Just check the health panel (show it by tapping the heart icon on the left side of the screen) regularly to see if the bandage is dirty, as this can cause wound infection. If the bandages become dirty, simply remove them and apply a new bandage to continue treating the wound.
Find a suitable base to hide in
Not long after starting the game, the character will find it tiring and hard to carry all the collected items around. Players need to quickly find a base to hide in, a safe space where they can calm down and draw up a survival plan.
When looking for a facility, there are several key points that gamers need to consider. First, the site needs multiple entrances. Whether it’s windows or doors, there must be multiple ways to get in and out of the facility. If zombies start flooding through the front door, the character can go to the back exit and lure them away, instead of being pinned in a corner and eaten by the undead.
Next, choose a building with an upper floor. A popular Project Zomboid survival tactic is to use the upper floor as the main base and completely block the stairs so zombies can’t go up.
Finally, the hideout needs to have lots of containers, like cabinets, bookshelves, and more to store stuff. This is essential if you want to stock up on food and water. As they continue to loot more items, everyone will be grateful that they have enough storage space in their base.
Watch programs on TV
For the first nine days of Project Zomboid, life in the apocalypse won’t change too much. Mostly, it will still revolve around getting home in time to watch your favorite shows. Some TV shows even help improve your playing skills, so try to get the most out of watching TV.
After the 9th day, the TV show will end and the player is really alone. Gamers can still improve their skills by reading books, but TV is much easier and focuses on specific skills needed for survival, such as carpentry, cooking, and farming.
Read skill books
Although it is a survival game against zombies, in Project Zomboid, reading is an important factor. Books are how players upgrade their experience in a certain skill, including crafting wood or foraging. Each skill book has a different level out of 5 levels in total.
Reading a certain skill book multiplies the actions performed with that skill. If you read a book on wood crafting Beginner and then sawing the wood, the player will earn 3 times the normal XP. Book Intermediate will increase XP 5 times, Advanced is 8 times, Expert is 12 times and Mastery 16 times increase.
Water hoarding
Hoarding is the right thing to do when the unfortunate situation occurs when the apocalypse comes in Project Zomboid. Water is a basic need for human survival and in the game too, players need to stock up on some water whenever possible.
Whether it’s in a bottle, bowl or cup, gamers need to stock up every time they encounter any source of water. It certainly won’t be an unlimited supply of water, but stocking up on a regular basis will save people from having to worry about whether or not they will have water tomorrow.
Looking for a car
Cars are amazingly safe and secure modes of transportation. Sadly, the characters have lost the key, and the player has to find a new car. Many cars have keys in the glove compartment or inside the house they’re parked outside. If you lure zombies near the car, they also have a chance to drop the corresponding key. However, make sure to drive carefully as car accidents can be fatal.
Don’t use guns
Once you have a base, stocked up on enough items and food, still surviving the zombie hordes, players begin to feel confident. Gamers can find a gun, the weapon that is often said to be the most powerful in every game.
However, stay away from the guns when playing Project Zomboid. With each shot, it also sends out a signal that attracts every zombie in the vicinity. Before long, the character will drown in the hordes of zombies that are biting. In addition, they are also very heavy and carrying guns only makes the character heavier.
Use the map
If you’ve found a safe base and are wondering what happens next, use the map. The player realizes that Louisville, the largest city in Project Zomboid, is quite far away but has a lot of interesting things to investigate and discover.
Looking at the map also helps local stores and warehouses, which stock the food needed to survive the first few days. The police stations and pharmacies are also worth exploring, as they contain new weapons and vital medical supplies.
Gamers can find maps of different towns in the game, but they seem pretty rare. Fortunately, it’s much easier to get on the internet and find maps.
Build a second base
While it’s important to grab a single base beforehand, it’s equally important to make sure there’s always a backup. Surviving means preparing a plan B or even a plan C, and the same is true of Project Zomboid.
While it is possible to stick to their original base, zombies can drive the player out of town at any time. The last and scariest thing no one wants is to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with nowhere to hide. Finding a second base will ensure there’s always a place to go if the first is overrun with zombies.
Loot as much as possible
While this may seem understandable, looting all the zombies can quickly become overwhelming when attacked by a particularly large mob. Looting can be a hassle and getting out of a situation quickly can be more difficult.
But it’s still important to make sure to loot all the zombies as supplies can be hard to come by, such as nails and sheets. The zombie body is where the player can find those important items, especially when stuck in a difficult situation.
Facing death
The most important lesson of Project Zomboid is learning to accept the inevitable. Although the game emphasizes death, it is still a difficult thing to handle when a player is just starting out or when a lot of time has been invested. Dying after trying to build a base or simply surviving can be frustrating for gamers.
But that’s the fun challenge of Project Zomboid, by starting a whole new adventure. And every reboot, players will survive longer and longer with improved survival skills.