E
very time Project Zomboid loads up, it
tells you, with grim certainty, that this is a
game about how you died. For most, that
death will likely come at the hands of one
of the thousands of zombies shambling
across its version of Kentucky. For others, it might be
starvation or illness – once all that canned food has run
out, how long will it be until you take a gamble on a
mushroom or an uncooked rat?But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if you
could not only survive, but thrive, forsaking the leftovers
of the families lost to the apocalypse and growing your
own food in its place? What if the undead simply need to
be left to their own devices, to live and let (un)live? If
nothing else, the apocalypse offers a chance to start over,
and to help the world be cleansed of the mess that
humanity has made of it.
To take the best possible advantage of this fresh start,
I create a character capable of living up to my new
ideals. The result, Leaf, comes with a proficiency in
farming and foraging to help him live off the fat of the
land. To make up for the positive traits I’ve taken, I have
to choose some negatives too; I cheat slightly, taking the
Pacifist trait which makes me weaker in combat, and the
Sunday Driver trait, which makes me drive very slowly,
and which might prove tricky if I ever planned to get in
a car or fight a zombie. I round things out with
Claustrophobia, which makes me nervous if I go inside.
Since I’m planning a life in the great outdoors, however,
I don’t see that being a problem.
Leaf starts life in the well-to-do town of Riverside.
Things get off to a good start as I find an entire eggplant
in the fridge, but get worse very quickly, as my
claustrophobia is much more serious than I imagined.
Within seconds I am a quivering wreck. I grab a jar of
peanut butter to calm me down and aim to get out of
town as quickly as possible. In doing so I get my first
meeting with the undead, passing a zombie-ridden farm
shop that might have been perfect for my clean-eating
lifestyle if I didn’t have to fight my way to the front door.
Leaving Riverside, I eventually make it to the
countryside. It’s not long until I spot a farmhouse. It’s a
perfect spot – surrounded by woodland on three sides,with plenty of space for farming, and even a barn to store
tools. Inside, there’s plenty of room, and even some food
still in the freezer. Unfortunately, I am still too nervous to
remain indoors for any length of time, so I forgo the beds
upstairs and instead spend my first night on the concrete
floor of the open barn.WILD CAMPING
I wake up feeling more tired than when I went to sleep,
but I have lots of work to do. As the morning progresses
I dig some furrows in the field, but soon remember that
I don’t have any seeds to plant in them. I set off in
search, but quickly become so tired that I need to take anap in the woods. By the time I wake up again, it’s very
dark and I’m utterly lost.
This proves to be the start of a vicious downward
spiral. If I’m lucky enough to find a house, I dash inside as
quickly as I can, grab any food I can eat, and make a run
for it. More often than not, I’m trailing a string of zombies
behind me. My lack of sleep means that I’m usually forced
to pass out for a power nap under a secluded bush,
meaning I wake up even more exhausted than before.
Being tired dulls my senses, and an opportunistic zombie
soon attempts to take a chunk out of me.
It doesn’t get its teeth in, but it does give me a nasty
scratch. I bandage it up as best I can, but whether it’s the
blood loss, the lack of sleep, or a nascent zombie virus, my
condition worsens. Soon, I can barely walk. A poorly
thought-out attempt to hop a fence fails, and Leaf is torn
apart by the zombies on his heels.A NEW LEAF
Thankfully, Project Zomboid lets you continue your
progress, albeit with a new character. Leaf’s freshly-
created son, Branch, appears fully-formed in a bar on the
far side of town. Branch shares his father’s eco-friendly
lifestyle, but I’ve done away with his
claustrophobia. I leave the bar, taking
a few beers with me – alcohol is
definitely a natural product – and
dash inside a nearby grocery store.
Expecting to leave carrying a king’s
bounty, I’m instead met by shelves of
rotting produce. Anything not in a
fridge has gone off, meaning my need
for seeds has grown. Branch is in
luck, however, as the next shop is
filled with useful supplies. Not food,
this time, but clothes, tools, and, most
importantly, seeds. I leave with
bulging pockets.
The journey home isn’t easy, but I
eventually make it back to the farm.
Branch is exhausted, but has
unfortunately attracted the attention
of a few zombies, who have followed
him to the homestead. Were it not for
my new lifestyle, I’d have dispatchedBY THE TIME I WAKE UP AGAIN,
IT’S VERY DARK AND I’M
UTTERLY LOSTEXTRA LIFE
NOW PLAYING I UPDATE I MOD SPOTLIGHT I HOW TO I DIARY (^) I WHY I LOVE I REINSTALL I M U S T P L A Y
The all-seeing eye of the
foraging system is a
frequent companion.
THE RULES
- I can’t use
gas-guzzling cars - No meat, no dairy,
and no canned food - No killing – zombies
were people too