And luckily for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, there is a healthy handful of zombie games available in the Game Pass library. Fans of all sorts of genres can contend with these shambling nightmares. Read on if you want to see what are the best zombie games you can play on Xbox Game Pass.
7 Days To Die
7 Days To Die has a premise we’ve seen a million times before. It’s a survival sandbox game with zombies thrown in. However, there is something about it that has kept a lot of players coming back for more. Often regarded with amusement for still being in early access after so many years, 7 Days To Die is actually a success story.
The developers have proven that over time and with carefully crafted updates, you can make your zombie survival darling stand out from the immense crowd. Whether it’s the terrifying swarms of the Blood Moon or the on-brand clawing through progression that still feels satisfying, 7 Days To Die is just one of those games you can sink hours into like a zombie sinks teeth into flesh.
Dead Space
Are the Necromorphs in the Dead Space series really zombies? Well, even though the unfortunate, deceased crew of the USG Ishimura was reanimated thanks to an ancient alien infection brought on by the raising of a Marker, they’re still technically reanimated corpses that have been horribly mutated. Dead Space takes everything we love about zombie games and throws it in space. The creeping horror of undead things lurching at you, unique mechanics for bringing them down, and blood and gore painting the walls are just a few of these things found in this amazing survival horror title. If you love zombies, you have to love space zombies.
Back 4 Blood
Back 4 Blood is the perfect game for those who enjoy mowing down hordes of zombies with their friends. Up to four players are dropped into runs of varying difficulty in which they ultimately have to complete an objective and make it to a safe house afterward. If this sounds familiar, that’s because it is very much what you would expect from Turtle Rock’s previous work in the Left 4 Dead series. It is fast-paced, challenging, and a fantastic co-op experience. In other words, it’s one of the best zombie games on Xbox Game Pass.
Minecraft
Minecraft certainly wouldn’t strike one as the typical “zombie game” at first blush, lacking the bombast and visceral horror visuals typical of the niche. However, the essential driving mechanic of survival mode is building and fortifying a base before hordes of mostly undead creatures shamble out of their hiding spots and attempt to murder players after nightfall.
Even before the sun sets, players can band together to plumb the depths of deep, dark caves and abandoned mineshafts for treasure and valuable ores as they dodge or defeat skeletons and literal zombies. All things considered, Minecraft certainly can scratch the itch for fans of zombie survival scenarios.
DayZ
The goal of DayZ is simple: survive. However, the means of reaching that goal can get infinitely complex. Essentially a standalone iteration of the immensely popular Arma 2 mod of the same name, DayZ is a survival sandbox that drops you into the middle of the zombie apocalypse’s aftermath — you’re motivated and compelled to brave zombie-infested ruins in search of food, medical supplies, and weapons to improve your odds of surviving and thriving. However, zombies are arguably not the most pressing adversaries you’re confronted with. DayZ’s servers are inhabited by up to sixty other players wandering its vast open-world environment, and a great many of them are more than happy to either rob, kill, or capture you to their own ends.
Plants Vs. Zombies: Battle For Neighborville
Looking for a more lighthearted take for your zombie needs? Head on down to Neighborville. Offering the latest spin on the ever-popular Plants vs. Zombies formula, Neighborville is a third-person multiplayer shooter that pits… well, plants versus zombies. Both sides of the battle feature a whimsical bevy of beautifully-designed classes, ranging from the zombified 80s Action Hero (complete with a radical Rambo-style bow-and-arrow) to the pun-heavy Snapdragon, a literal fire-breathing plant-dragon. Plants vs. Zombie’s cartoonish aesthetic and low-violence approach render it kid-friendly, so even youngsters can get their fill of zombie carnage.
State Of Decay
It can be rare indeed for a zombie video game experience to focus on other gameplay mechanics rather than just shooting zombies, but State of Decay handles this aspect of the apocalypse in style. Rather than just mowing down hordes of undead, State of Decay tasks players with ensuring the survival of a small community.
You have to build a base, make tough resource management decisions, and maintain a positive attitude if you want your group of survivors to thrive. And what makes all these survival considerations even more entertaining is the fact that they are also accompanied by robust open-world action gameplay. A variety of weapons and vehicles are at your disposal to help ensure your community makes it to the end.
The Walking Dead (All Seasons)
A zombie apocalypse can offer surprising emotional depth when it comes to stories set in its troubled environs. No franchise makes this clearer than The Walking Dead. This episodic narrative tells the tale of Lee Everett as he struggles to survive the sudden outbreak of “Walkers,” all while guiding a young girl through the chaos. Lee and Clementine’s story is one of the most enduring and impactful ever to use the undead as a narrative vehicle. The choices you must make while playing The Walking Dead are the most harrowing to ever grace a Telltale title. And if you make it to the end of the first season with dry eyes, your heart is as unfeeling as the zombies who populate the game.
Zombie Army 4: Dead War
Zombie Army 4: Dead War provides an intense, yet humorous look at what history would be like if Hitler opened a portal to hell and allowed the zombie menace to infect Nazi soldiers. While the story is not by any means a great narrative achievement, the game is fun to play, especially with a friend at your side. Tactically eliminating zombies one by one is a strange delight that can feel more methodical than frenetic at times. Even when a group of undead is shambling towards you, more often than not, you stop and pick your shots. Zombie Army 4: Dead War is a solid game for zombie fans, and if you’re looking for that kind of straightforward experience, you won’t be disappointed.
Next: The Best Games On Xbox Game Pass
