Project Zomboid: How to Survive Winter

Updated on 6/26/2023 to include new and useful information about surviving winter in Project Zomboid, both in singleplayer and multiplayer.

Chances are, come wintertime, you’re not donning a pair of swim shorts and heading to the sauna for a relaxing jaunt in the warm waters. After all, it’s a zombie apocalypse. And it’s also winter. Bundle up to survive both the cold and the bites! Here’s how to survive winter in Project Zomboid!

Stocking Up on Food

Before you even come close to winter in Project Zomboid, you’ll want to stock up on a lot of canned food and non-perishable food items. A good rule of thumb is to fill at least two cabinets with food in your safe house.

Ideally, you’ll want to save the canned goods for last. They won’t perish nearly as quickly as, say, a bag of chips or fresh fruit and vegetables in the refrigerator.

Storing Water

Finding clean drinking water is tough enough in Project Zomboid without wintertime to contend with, too.

A good tip is to visit the farmhouse with an on-site well. It offers free, readily accessible water.

Sure, you can save up some water in bottles and containers or construct rainwater barrels. But you can’t rely on rain during winter, and your bottles will run dry before long.

Stockpile Firewood

Again, well before winter and the first snowfall, take an axe and chop down plenty of trees to stockpile firewood for later use. If you have the supplies, craft a stone axe to accomplish the job instead of wasting a stronger, more durable fire axe, for instance.

You’ll need to keep warm as temperatures drop; otherwise, the zombies will be the least of your worries.

Keep the Cold Out

Alongside a running fireplace or campfire, you’ll want to take steps to ensure the cold remains outdoors. If your safehouse includes a broken window as part of its decor, board it up from the outside.

For that, you’ll require planks, which require a saw.

Avoid Scavenging

Sure, the primary mechanic in Project Zomboid is scavenging and looting the area for supplies. But during the winter, those rules go straight out the window. You’ll die of hypothermia being outdoors for too long, especially too far away from your home.

Instead, stockpile all you need before winter. Then, during the cold months, ensure you’re building skills by reading, checking to ensure your property is safe, and leveling up carpentry by working with spare wood.

Hunting and Trapping

To successfully survive a Project Zomboid winter—your first or twentieth—you require food. With limited access to scavenged food, hunting and trapping become the two top methods to obtain sustenance. You’ll want to train and learn the basics of setting traps and tracking/hunting small game to supplement any built-up food supplies for the cold months.

That said, be wary of traveling too far from your safehouse during the winter. While zombies are slow in the cold weather, they still pose a danger. Furthermore, the farther you travel, the more likely you are to succumb to hypothermia.

Fortify Your Safehouse

Winter brings about all manner of unique challenges, including hypothermia. You’ll want to prioritize carpentry, alongside cooking and first aid, to better fortify your safehouse. You can strengthen entries by reinforcing each with barricades, either wood or metal sheets, and cover each window with a covering of some type—sheets, blankets, etc.

Furthermore, it’s crucial to maintain light. You need to see anything coming, so keep flashlights, lanterns, or candles to illuminate your base at all hours. If you opt for a flashlight, keep spare batteries nearby.

Note: You may require mods for certain items mentioned throughout this Project Zomboid guide.