Picture this: It’s the end of the world, and, beyond all belief, zombies now walk the planet. You’re trapped in rural Kentucky, thrust into the zombie apocalypse. What do you do? That’s the entire premise of Project Zomboid, and for new players, it can come as quite a shock. You have unparalleled freedom, diversity, creativity, and countless ways to die. Here’s what to focus on when you spawn in Project Zomboid!
Surviving Early Game in Project Zomboid
First and foremost, unless you’ve installed mods for Project Zomboid, you’ll begin your post-apocalyptic adventure in a residential home or trailer. You’re likely left with nothing but the clothing on your back, and that’s not enough to withstand a zombie bite.
What do you do first?
Equip a Weapon
If you’ve ever watched a zombie movie, you know that surviving the end of the world without armaments proves fruitless. You need to equip a weapon in Project Zomboid, and for now, melee is your best option.
More often than not, you’ll come up empty-handed when searching your starting spawn for weaponry. If you’re lucky, you might nab a rolling pin. If you’re extremely lucky, you’ll find a baseball bat or frying pan. Either one proves effective against an undead skull.
For now, don’t worry about firearms. They’re too risky, especially for new players.
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Find a Bag
If you want to survive for any extended period of time, you’ll want to loot food, water, skill books, and crafting materials. It’s a lot to carry.
To lighten your load and keep you relatively quick on your feet, finding a bag of some sort should be your second priority.
Ideally, you’ll loot a duffle bag, hiking bag, or big hiking bag. But in a pinch, a school backpack or tote bag will do the job.
If nothing else comes up, raid the garbage can. A garbage bag makes a fine makeshift tote for your precious loot.
Drink Up!
But don’t drink too much all at once! In Project Zomboid, after a certain point, power and water will shut off in the surrounding area. You’ll be left to your own devices to scavenge necessary sustenance.
As such, in the early game of Project Zomboid, you’ll want to cherish water. For that, you can fill canteens and water bottles from nearby sinks or bathtubs. If you cannot find a water bottle, a jar of mayonnaise may be emptied or eaten (ick!) and then refilled with water from one of the aforementioned sources.
These three tasks should be your top priority when you first spawn in Project Zomboid! We’ll continue our beginner’s tips and tricks for the game, so keep coming back to Goblins and Ghouls for more Project Zomboid guides and content!