Upcoming Zombie Survival Games: 6 to Watch, 6 Recently Out

The best upcoming zombie survival games share one promise: the world has ended, the dead outnumber you, and every trip outside is a gamble. If you love scavenging a half-looted pharmacy, nailing boards over a window before dark, or watching a horde turn the corner because you fired one shot too many, this list is built around that feeling.

Right now the most interesting games in this space are in Early Access, which means they are on sale while still in development, with the full version still ahead. So the picks below pair six of those works in progress with six recent releases from 2025 and 2026, all checked on Steam.

What counts as an upcoming zombie survival game on Steam?

A zombie survival game is less about killing zombies and more about lasting. Food, water, injuries, noise and shelter all matter, and the undead are a pressure that never fully goes away. Many of these games are sandboxes, meaning there is no fixed story path: you set your own goals, like fortifying a house or reaching the next town.

On Steam, upcoming zombie survival games come in two flavours. A few are announced but unreleased. Far more are in Early Access, already playable and still growing toward a full launch. Every game in this list is playable today, so nothing here requires waiting on a date. The six Early Access picks are the ones to watch for future updates, and the six recent releases are the newest finished games in the genre.

For the wider picture beyond zombies, see our roundup of upcoming survival games of 2026 and our list of upcoming survival horror games.

Upcoming zombie survival games still growing in Early Access

These four are open-world sandboxes in the classic mould: scavenge, craft, build and try not to get bitten. If you want upcoming zombie survival games with room to grow over the next year, start here.

Project Zomboid

Watch trailer

If one game defines the slow, dread-filled side of zombie survival, it is this one. Project Zomboid drops you into towns inside the Knox Event Exclusion Zone, on a huge map loosely based on real-world Kentucky, and asks a simple question: how will you die? No help is coming.

Day to day you loot houses, barricade windows, chop trees and saw wood for defences, cook, farm, fish and drive physics-based vehicles. Zombies hear gunfire and see you through windows, so noise and line of sight shape every decision. On top of hunger, thirst and illness, you deal with boredom and depression, which makes long survival runs feel personal.

It suits patient players who enjoy planning and do not mind a steep learning curve. Steam lists single-player, online co-op, shared or split-screen co-op, online PvP, cross-platform multiplayer, Steam Workshop mods and Remote Play Together, on Windows, macOS and Linux. It has been in Early Access since November 8, 2013, and its store page describes the map as still growing.

Dead Matter

Watch trailer

Dead Matter is for players who want a grounded wilderness setting rather than a city. A virus has collapsed society, and you are trapped in the Kananaskis area of the Canadian Rockies alongside tens of thousands of infected and other desperate survivors.

You scavenge, stretch dwindling supplies and decide how much to trust the people you meet, since rival survivors are as much a threat as the dead. The developers describe it as an open-world, multiplayer zombie survival project shaped closely with its community, and they run a Nightly testing branch where the newest changes appear before they reach the main version.

That makes it a good fit if you enjoy following a game’s development and testing new builds. Steam lists single-player, online co-op and online PvP (player versus player) on Windows. Early Access began September 15, 2023.

SurrounDead

Watch trailer

Set five years after civilization lost its fight against the virus, SurrounDead is a solo open-world survival game where the world has settled into a grim new normal. If you like the roaming, gear-hunting side of the genre, it fits well.

You travel a devastated landscape, fight zombies and hostile humans, maintain vehicles that double as portable storage, and trade with survivors in hideouts and safe zones. Weather and day-night cycles change how risky a trip is, and a skill tree improves the things you do often. You can also customise difficulty and mechanics.

The store page lists a quest and bounty system and a story system as planned features, so this one is very much “to watch.” Steam lists it as single-player on Windows, in Early Access since June 24, 2022.

The Infected

Watch trailer

The Infected leans hardest into survival crafting. It is a first-person sandbox where base building goes deep, with power and water systems, farming, animal husbandry, hunting, mining and refining ores, all through changing seasons and weather.

The twist is that its hybrid enemies, called “Vambies,” are optional. Turn them on for a threat that keeps you on edge, or switch them off for a calmer building game. That flexibility makes it a good pick if you love the homesteading part of zombie games more than the combat. If that sounds like you, our guide to games like Minecraft but realistic has more in this vein.

The developers say the world’s lore is still being written and that the current focus is on survival systems. Steam lists single-player with full controller support on Windows, in Early Access since August 6, 2020.

Zombie base builders and survivor managers

Not every zombie survival game puts you in one survivor’s shoes. These three have you managing a group or a whole settlement, and the horde attacks at night like a tower defense game (where you build defences to hold off waves of enemies).

Infection Free Zone

Watch trailer

Infection Free Zone has the most memorable hook of any game here: you type in the name of any real city or town, and it builds the map from real-world OpenStreetMap data. Your hometown, your street, the supermarket you actually shop at, all become part of your survival plan.

You pick a base, adapt existing buildings into shelters and workshops, add farms and power houses, and raise walls, gates and towers. Scouting old buildings for food, medicine and weapons is risky, and each night large hordes may hit your settlement.

It suits strategy fans and anyone who has ever wondered how their own neighbourhood would hold up. Steam lists single-player, Steam Workshop support and a level editor on Windows. It has been in Early Access since April 11, 2024.

Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days

Watch trailer

It is 1980 in Walton City, Texas, a coastal city in a heatwave and an economic crisis when the outbreak hits. Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days is a side-scrolling shelter survival game about guiding a group of ordinary people out of the city.

You scavenge, craft weapons, balance your survivors’ needs and upgrade shelters, but no barricade holds forever. Each night the dead attack, and if they get through, your people pay for it. The answer is to keep moving from refuge to refuge.

If you like caring for a small cast and making hard calls about who goes out to scavenge, this fits. Steam lists single-player with full controller support on Windows and macOS, in Early Access since April 9, 2025.

Zombie Cure Lab

Watch trailer

Zombie Cure Lab flips the usual premise: instead of only surviving, you fight back with science. Scientists have found an antidote that turns zombies into human-zombie hybrids called humbies, and you build the lab that does it.

You raise walls, set up production lines and power, assign four types of workers across day and night shifts, and research over 200 technologies. Freeze guns capture zombies for treatment, and cured humbies join your workforce, though neglected ones can rampage through the lab.

It suits management and colony-builder fans who want a lighter take on the apocalypse. Steam lists it as single-player on Windows, released May 27, 2025.

New open-world and story zombie games from 2025 and 2026

These finished releases are the freshest full games in the genre, and good company while you wait on the Early Access titles above.

HumanitZ

Watch trailer

HumanitZ is an isometric (viewed from above at an angle) open-world sandbox where the dead, called “zeeks,” have become the world’s top predator. Its big choice is where to live: gamble on loot-rich cities where hordes lurk, or survive off the land in the countryside through hunting, fishing and farming.

You scavenge, craft and build, cross dangerous ground in drivable vehicles that haul supplies and companions, and watch out for infected wildlife and hostile survivors. If Project Zomboid’s systems appeal but you want something you can share with friends at launch, this is the closest fit among recent releases.

Steam lists single-player, online co-op and online PvP on Windows. It released February 6, 2026.

Dying Light: The Beast

Watch trailer

Dying Light: The Beast brings back Kyle Crane in Castor Woods, a vast wilderness overrun by a deadly evolution of the infected. Crane is also learning to control beastly powers awakening inside him, which gives fights a different edge.

The series’ signatures are all here: first-person melee combat, grounded parkour for climbing and running across the environment, and a day-night cycle where night is far more dangerous. Techland describes more than 40 hours of survival adventure, playable solo or in co-op with shared progression, and pitches it as a good starting point for newcomers.

It suits players who want action-heavy zombie survival with a story. Steam lists single-player and online co-op on Windows, released September 18, 2025.

Resident Evil Requiem

Watch trailer

If your idea of survival is scarce resources and dread rather than base building, Resident Evil Requiem is the story-led option. It returns to Raccoon City, the site of the 1998 outbreak and the covered-up missile strike that followed.

You play as FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft, investigating her mother’s death at an abandoned hotel, and as series veteran Leon S. Kennedy. Capcom describes the two as having distinct styles, with Grace’s chapters leaning into survival horror and Leon’s into action, and their stories intertwine.

It is a solo, narrative experience rather than a sandbox. Steam lists single-player with full controller support on Windows, released February 26, 2026. For more in this mould, see our list of the best horror games on Steam.

Co-op zombie shooters for squads

These two are about surviving together through missions rather than building a long-term home.

No More Room in Hell 2

Watch trailer

No More Room in Hell 2 is the most survival-minded co-op game here. Up to eight players deploy as emergency Responders into dark, zombie-infested locations, using proximity voice chat (you hear teammates only when they are nearby) to find each other and coordinate.

Resources are scarce enough that sharing matters, and every encounter risks infection or even permadeath, meaning your Responder and their individual progress are lost. Scenario Mode sends you deep into the outbreak to arm up, complete objectives and extract supplies.

It suits friend groups who like tension and communication over run-and-gun. Steam lists online co-op and cross-platform multiplayer on Windows, with no single-player mode listed. It released August 11, 2026, making it one of the newest games on this page.

John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando

Watch trailer

Toxic Commando is the loud, funny end of the spectrum. A four-player squad takes on the Sludge God and thousands of infected pouring in waves, powered by the same Swarm Engine used in World War Z.

You revive teammates, share ammo, use grenades and special powers, and hunt for vehicles across semi-open maps, some armed and some with tools like winches, to plough through the horde. It is less about lasting through hunger and more about surviving the next wave.

Steam lists single-player, online co-op and cross-platform multiplayer on Windows, released March 12, 2026. Our list of upcoming co-op games has more to play as a group.

How to choose, and mistakes to avoid

The fastest way to narrow down upcoming zombie survival games is to decide what “survival” means to you:

• Deep systems and long runs: Project Zomboid, HumanitZ or Dead Matter.
• Building and farming first: The Infected, with zombies switched off if you like.
• Running a group or town: Infection Free Zone, Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days or Zombie Cure Lab.
• A story with scares: Resident Evil Requiem or Dying Light: The Beast.
• A night with friends: No More Room in Hell 2 or Toxic Commando.

A worked example: say you and two friends want a long-term zombie sandbox you can return to every weekend. Project Zomboid, Dead Matter and HumanitZ all list online co-op. If one friend plays on the same couch, only Project Zomboid lists split-screen co-op. If you prefer finished over in-progress, HumanitZ is the fully released option of the three.

Common mistakes with Early Access zombie games:

• Buying for planned features. Judge a game by what its store page says exists today, not by its roadmap. SurrounDead, for example, lists quests and a story system as planned, not current.
• Assuming co-op. Several picks here are single-player only on Steam, including SurrounDead, The Infected and Infection Free Zone. Check the features list before buying for a group.
• Expecting a polished experience. Developers warn about bugs and balance changes during Early Access. Updates can also reset progress, so treat early saves as practice.
• Skipping the settings. Games like Project Zomboid and SurrounDead let you tune difficulty and mechanics, which can turn a punishing first run into a playable one.

Where to follow new zombie releases

Upcoming zombie survival games change status often, as Early Access games approach full launches and new projects appear on Steam. Our upcoming games and release dates pages track what is next, and our best survival games on Steam covers the wider genre if you want proven picks beyond zombies. Each game above has a card with its Steam screenshots, trailer and store link, so you can watch a few minutes of each before deciding which apocalypse to move into.

Questions and answers

Are there any new zombie survival games coming out?

Yes, though the most active ones on Steam are Early Access games still heading toward a full release. Project Zomboid, Dead Matter, SurrounDead, The Infected, Infection Free Zone and Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days are all still in development. Recent full releases include HumanitZ and Resident Evil Requiem in February 2026, John Carpenter's Toxic Commando in March 2026 and No More Room in Hell 2 in August 2026.

What does Early Access mean for a zombie survival game?

Early Access means the game is on sale while the developer is still building it. You can play now, but features, balance and content can change between updates, and you may run into bugs. For zombie sandboxes this often means the map grows, new systems arrive and saves sometimes need restarting. Read the store page's current and planned features before buying so you know what exists today.

Which upcoming zombie survival game is best to play with friends?

For a long-running survival sandbox with friends, Project Zomboid is the strongest pick, with online co-op, split-screen co-op and Remote Play Together listed on Steam. Dead Matter and HumanitZ also offer online co-op. If you want a mission-based shooter instead, No More Room in Hell 2 supports eight-player online co-op and Toxic Commando supports four-player squads.

Is Project Zomboid still in Early Access?

Yes. Steam still lists Project Zomboid under Early Access, even though it first appeared on the store on November 8, 2013. Its store page describes a vast map loosely based on Kentucky that is still growing, along with deep crafting, farming, base building and online multiplayer on player-run servers. It is very playable today, but development is ongoing.

Are these zombie survival games on PS5 or Xbox?

This list covers Steam only. Steam lists every game here for Windows, and some also for macOS and Linux, such as Project Zomboid. Some of these series also appear on consoles, but console versions, dates and features are outside what this article covers, so check each platform's own store before buying for PS5 or Xbox.