Project Zomboid: Beginner Guide To Surviving The Apocalypse

Project Zomboid: Beginner Guide To Surviving The Apocalypse

I’ve been reading the Steam forums recently for Project Zomboid and there are a lot of complaints that this game is too hard and how the developers need to make it easier. I recently asked my friend to play the game, and they too couldn’t survive more than five to ten minutes when playing for the first time. I don’t think the game is too hard, I think most players just need a few tips on how to survive, so I decided to write a guide to help beginners out. If you are the type where you learn better by actually visually seeing, scroll down a bit and watch the video attached to this article that I made where I demonstrate in a live video how to survive the Project Zomboid Apocalypse in real time.

Basic Tips
For this first guide, we’re just going to focus on getting through the first few days without dying. Not sure how to do something? Normally if you right click your mouse on the item in question, a drop down menu will appear, such as, right clicking the kitchen sink to drink water. Almost every action in the game can be performed by right clicking. As for staying alive, there are three major rules you need to keep in mind when playing Project Zomboid.

1. If you wouldn’t do it in real life, don’t do it in game. Don’t jump out of high windows and expect to survive without breaking a few bones. Don’t climb through a window full of broken glass because you’ll get cut up and will bleed. Don’t stand on your camp fire and expect for it to not burn your legs off. All of the above will only get you hurt. And for goodness sake, don’t run into a hoard of zombies and let them munch on your forehead!

2. Don’t panic! Panicking will only make the situation worse and most people make poor decisions while under stress. Remember that it is just a game, so try to keep a cool head and plan out what you’re going to do next. Don’t worry about dying a few times when you start the game, play around to see how the game works just for fun before seriously trying to survive, this will help you stay calm when you start a real long term game.

3. Don’t run everywhere. Zombies pick up on movement, so running around will only draw attention to yourself. Unless you are fleeing for your life or you need to get some place specific very fast, it is better to walk or sneak around to stay undetected. But if you do need to run, you can do so by holding down the “SHIFT” key on your keyboard.

You can break broken glass out from a window if you have a weapon equipped. Just right click the smashed window and choose the option to remove the broken glass, but keep in mind it makes a bit of noise and attracts zombies. That way, you can climb through the window without cutting yourself. You can open doors and windows by pressing the “E” key on your keyboard. You can also quickly climb in and out of windows if you hold the “E” key down while facing an open window.

Basic Food Tips
Next, is actually surviving. Try to find a can opener as soon as possible, it is probably the number one most important item in the game because as it stands now, it is the only way to open cans. Canned goods will probably be your main source of food since it can’t spoil, so try to collect as much as you can and store it in a safe place. If the power is still on, you can use microwaves and ovens by placing food inside and clicking the “ON” button located at the top of the oven’s menu. Wait for the “Cooking” bar to appear on the food and wait for it to finish cooking. Try to remove the food as fast as you can before it burns. Eating burnt food will make your character depressed and won’t heal them as much, nor will it cure your hunger. You can also cook food over a camp fire.

Drinking Water
Keep as much water on you as possible so that you don’t dehydrate, bottled water is the best because you can store it for long periods of time. Whatever is in your main box (or your hands) are the items your character has easy access to. If you place your water there, your character will automatically sip from it and drink water when needed. If you happen to find a backpack, any water in there will be held as reserve and won’t be touched until you move it to your main inventory. Don’t drink water straight from the river or rain water, it is tainted and you will get sick. You will need to find a pot and boil the water to purify it. Boiling water is exactly like cooking food.

Using Extra Bags
Speaking of storing items in bags, you can hold a total of three of them. One in your primary hand, one in your secondary hand, and one on your back. I recommend only having two for weight reduction, one in your secondary and one on your back, this leaves your primary hand to carry a weapon. If you like using two handed weapons like a baseball bat, golf club, or the Axe, you will not be able to carry a bag in your secondary hand.

Bags are handy for reducing the weight limit of items you hold in your hands. Carry too much, and you will be slowed down and forced to walk.

Healing Wounds
As for healing, you can heal yourself in Project Zomboid by getting lots of rest, eating a lot of food, and drinking lots and lots of water. I have actually cured infections this way without disinfectant. If you happen to find a bottle of whiskey or disinfectant, that’s even better, because you can use it to quickly cure infections. Rip sheets and clothing often, try to carry at least 20 ripped sheets at a time for emergency bandages. You can open your health menu by pressing the “H” key on your keyboard. If you are injured you can either open your health menu and right click the injured body part to heal yourself, or click on the bottle of disinfectant or bandages in your inventory to heal yourself. But remember, lots of food and rest is key. If you can stay in the “Very Well Fed” status for a couple of days, you will most likely have a full recovery. Change your bandages regularly to avoid infection, dirty bandages means infection. As soon as it gets dirty, put a fresh bandage on.

Sneaking And Combat
In Project Zomboid, you aim by holding down the “CTRL” key, while in this mode you will also walk around slowly to sneak passed enemies. Standing still will have you aim your weapon, the longer you aim, the more likely you will hit your target. Moving and attacking will decrease your accuracy. For melee blunt weapons like a hammer, you want a bit of distance so that the hammer’s head connects straight with your target’s head, if done correctly you can get an instant kill, or at least knock a large chunk of their life down. As for knives, if you let the zombie get close, you can do a well placed jab to their chin to get an instant kill. Butter knives break easily, so carry a lot of them if you can’t find a more durable weapon.

But what if you are out of luck and you can’t find a weapon? Well, you can use forks, spoons, or your bare fists to fight. You can’t actually punch a zombie, but you can push them around. If done correctly, they will stumble back and fall. Once the zombie is on the ground you can walk over and stomp on the zombie’s head to kill them. But to be honest, avoiding combat is probably the best way to survive in this game. So if you see a zombie, it is best to hold “CTRL” and sneak passed them undetected instead of engaging them in combat. Only fight zombies if you really have to.

Final Tips and Tricks
If you run too much you will get fatigued, so try to walk as much as possible. Getting severe fatigue CAN kill you if you push your body too hard. This can be cured by sitting down on a chair to rest for awhile or going to sleep. Avoid major cities and cluttered environments where a large group of zombies reside, it is better to find another way around and sneak through. You can use the “CTRL” key to aim the mouse to look in the distance to see farther ahead to scout the area. Stay cautious, keep your head on a swivel, and don’t panic. If you keep these tips in mind, you should be able to survive just fine.

If you would like me to write more advanced guides for cooking, camping out in the woods, scavenging for specific items, Farming, carpentry, and surviving in the busy zombie filled city, comment below and let me know, I’ll make a video and cover the topic in more detail.