The zombie genre in gaming has been a popular trope for the longest time. The concept of an apocalyptic world, run over by a horde of undead creatures that consume everything in their path, is an immaculate concoction if pulled off correctly. This is why games like Resident Evil, The Last of Us, and The Walking Dead continue to remain global hits, despite being released so long ago.

The best zombie games are adrenaline-inducing experiences that get most of their thrill from realistic graphics, complex mechanics, and jump-scares. However, not everyone is an intense, over-the-top gamer (not that there's anything wrong with that). Some people just want to relax and play a simple zombie game without having to deal with intense campaigns that take up a lot of time. This is why 2D zombie games are a perfect alternative for players who are not fond of the full-blown gamer moments that come with their 3D counterparts.

Updated on May 12, 2024, by Fatima Naeem: Zombie games maintain their status as a staple in the gaming sphere, with players going out of their way to look for games specifically catered to eradicating undead creatures, rather than generic "action-adventure" titles. The fun thing is, despite how grim a potential zombie apocalypse scenario sounds, developers keep coming up with interesting ways to keep this particular trope alive—not that it ever showed signs of dying down. 2D zombie games are the perfect example of that. While they may not evoke the severity and morbidity of some other hallmark zombie games, they still manage to provide players with just the right amount of challenge without taking themselves too seriously.

12 Zombie Guard

Ratings on Google PlayStore: 4.1/5

• Released: 2016
• Developer(s): Epace Games LLC
• Platforms: Android

Casualness and cuteness are a recurring theme in a lot of mobile games, regardless of what premise they offer to their players. Zombie Guard is a zombie survival game available on Google PlayStore that negates all the intensity of its storyline with its adorable visuals and surprisingly intense gameplay.

It's a cartooney, arcade-esque game that offers players quite a challenge with its wide range of weapons and upgrades, as well as a collection of different zombie characters, each with distinct quirks to battle against. With the coins obtained from killing zombie hordes, players can buy stronger, more overpowered weapons and, as a result, eradicate a larger number of zombies.

Why Zombie Fans Will Love This One:

• It's a casual, free-to-play, zombie game with an exponential growth curve—what's not to love?

11 Zelter (2020)

Reviews on Steam: Mixed (52%)

• Released: 2020-10-22
• Developer(s): G1 Playground
• Platforms: PC

Zelter is a 2D zombie game that was developed by G1 Playground and was released in 2020. Do not be fooled by its cutesy art, Zelter is as hardcore as zombie games go.

The main objective of the game is to navigate through a zombie-infested town and get rid of enemy mobs along the way, but also scavenge around to find resources when required. It's a survival game that centers a lot more on crafting than fighting. All in all, it's a fun little adventure with just the right amount of intensity that will keep the player immersed without demanding too much energy.

Why Zombie Fans Will Love This One:

• For a game that looks as cute as Zelter does, it sure packs a punch. It's extremely intense with its shooting sequences and, despite being 2D and pixelated, it does a wicked job of mimicking what a 'serious' zombie game looks like.

10 Zombies Ate My Neighbors (1993)

Reviews on Steam: Mixed (59%)

Zombie Ate My Neighbors is a funky, old, run-and-gun game that was developed by LucasArts in 1993 and became a cult classic over the years. The game leans more towards monsters than zombies and is reminiscent of a bad monster movie with horror elements.

The player has to select between two main characters, Zeke or Julie, and attempt to save their neighbors from the onslaught of numerous undead creatures. The catch? The horde of enemy mobs isn't limited to zombies, it spans the entire spectrum of the monster mythology, ranging from aliens and UFOs to mummies and undead demon babies.

Why Zombie Fans Will Love This One:

• Wild weapons, and the charm of becoming a hero after saving innocent people from a zombie apocalypse—what's not to like? Also, for those who love Dead Rising 2, Zombie Ate My Neighbors will be a solid choice.

9 They Are Billions (2019)

Reviews on Steam: Very Positive (85%)

They Are Billions is a steam-punk-themed, real-time strategy game that was developed and initially released in 2017 on Steam Early Access. A full version was released by Numantian Games in 2019. It's a 2D game that has super detailed sprites that make it look almost 3D.

The gameplay centers around survival and strategy. Players are required to create a base and tactfully protect it from massive groups of zombies. And like every multifaceted real-time strategy game, they have to simultaneously focus on managing resources such as gold, stone food, and wood. It's like a whole Age of Empires game set in a zombie apocalypse.

Why Zombie Fans Will Love This One:

• They Are Billions isn't just an average RTS—it's one of the rarer zombie-themed RTSes for those zombie lovers who prefer strategizing more and shooting less.

8 Rebuild 3: Gangs of Deadsville (2015)

Reviews on Steam: Very Positive (86%)

• Released: 2015-05-30
• Developer(s): Northway Games
• Platforms: Android, PC, iOS, Classic Mac OS

Rebuild 3: Gangs of Deadsville is a sim strategy game that was developed and released in 2015 by Northway Games as the third installment of a trilogy. Compared to its 2 prequels, Rebuild 3 has considerably improved graphics, more diverse storylines, and a bigger overall map. And good news for the mobile gamers out there, it has a mobile version too.

The game itself is a typical strategy game that involves building a base, scavenging for resources, managing workers, and defending the base from intruders (zombies, in this case, of course).

Why Zombie Fans Will Love This One:

• Rebuild 3 is another zombie-themed survival game that requires consistent strategizing and spamming. It gives the full scope of what life would truly be like for survivors in a real zombie apocalypse. And no one likes getting bullied by a bunch of brainless creatures, do they?

7 The Last Stand

Reviews on Steam: Very Positive (89%)

• Released: 2007-04-26
• Developer(s): Con Artist Games
• Platforms: PC

The first three installments of the popular Con Artist Studio franchise, The Last Stand, are fully 2D. Available on Steam as a legacy bundle, all three games revolve around the central theme of surviving a zombie outbreak. Nevertheless, it's the original game that laid the foundation for the franchise and remains the best entry.

The Last Stand follows a man known as Jack, seemingly a lone survivor of a zombie apocalypse, who is barricaded in his sturdy bunker with all the survival essentials. The player's job as Jack is to look for weapons to fend off zombies, rally any remaining survivors, and rebuild the constantly declining stronghold they're residing in.

Why Zombie Fans Will Love This One:

• The Last Stand (the entire franchise, honestly) epitomizes the most fundamental aspect of a zombie apocalypse. The entire premise of the game revolves around rebuilding a dying wall and killing hordes over hordes of zombies. It's the simplest, rawest form of survival in a possible apocalypse scenario.

6 Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead (2013)

Reviews on Steam: Very Positive (93%)

Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead is a free, open-source, rogue-like survival game that debuted almost a decade ago, in 2013. Later on, in 2023, developers released a stable version of it. It may not look like much, but CDDA is a highly intricate game that starts in a randomly generated world that essentially goes on forever. It has a considerably steep learning curve that includes very complex and nuanced mechanics. Come on, it has drug addiction and mutation effects as part of the gameplay!

Players begin by building their character by selecting a profession. Each profession comes with its own set of skills and traits that help with the character's survival. The game technically has no end goal, allowing players to do whatever they want. This primarily involves hunting, crafting, building, farming, exploring, and, of course, fighting undead zombies.

Why Zombie Fans Will Love This One:

• Casual gamers might want to sit CDDA out. With this game, the possibilities are endless—combat, survival, tools, weapons—everything catered to a new, completely unforeseen situation. The game is as realistic as realism goes in a zombie apocalypse (apart from, of course, its graphics). The players cannot survive without 3 weeks of food, 3 days of water, and 3 hours of shelter. It can't get more realistic than that. Oh and weapons? it's like a virtual armory in there.

5 Project Zomboid (2011)

Reviews on Steam: Very Positive (94%)

Project Zomboid is an open-world, isometric, survival game developed and initially released by The Indie Stone in 2011 as a tech demo. This game is an almost perfect example of what a good open-world zombie game should be like. Think of it as a Sims game set in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.

The game is set in the heavily infected Louisville metropolitan area, in the towns of Muldraugh and West Point. The objective of the game is to survive and avoid infection for as long as possible using multiple tactics, such as looting, farming, crafting, and even resting. No seriously, there’s an option in the game that lets players keep an eye on their character’s mental well-being and health.

Why Zombie Fans Will Love This One:

• Project Zomboid is a perfect blend of surviving, zombie-ridding, exploring, and personal care. It may not be as profound and all-encompassing as CDDA, but maybe that's exactly what the casual zombie-loving gamers need.

4 Planescape: Torment (1999)

Reviews on Steam: Very Positive (94%)

Set in the Dungeons & Dragons multiverse, Planescape: Torment is an isometric RPG that was developed by Black Isle Studios and was released in 1999. Although the game did not gain much traction initially, its popularity started to gain momentum slowly because of its profound storyline and philosophical elements, eventually turning it into a cult classic. An enhanced version of the game was released in 2017.

Players assume the role of "The Nameless One", an immortal being who does not remember who he is. In his quest to uncover the truth about his origins, he embarks on a journey that involves various quests, combats, objectives, and NPC interactions.

Why Zombie Fans Will Love This One:

• Planescape: Torment, unlike the other games on this list, is not strictly a zombie game. But the main character does encounter them on plenty of occasions, mainly at Sigil's Mortuary. And, despite their minimal presence in the game, these zombies are very well-designed and animated. It's something zombie fans will definitely appreciate.

3 Charlie Murder (2013)

Reviews on Steam: Overwhelmingly Positive (95%)

• Released: 2013-08-14
• Developer(s): Ska Studios
• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Linux, Xbox 360, macOS

For a situation as deadly as—well, a zombie outbreak, Charlie Murder's take is surprisingly funny and refreshing. Charlie Murder is a punk-rock-themed, beat-em-up game that was developed and released by Ska Studios in 2013 for Xbox 360, and later for other platforms in 2017.

The premise of the game is so absurd that it practically promises a good time. Players get to select one of the 5 main characters (including Charlie Murder) to compete with a number of enemy mobs that have been unleashed on the world by Charlie's nemesis punk rock band, Gore Quaffer. Players get to fight against zombies, rats, witches, ninjas, and—drumroll please—sharks.

Why Zombie Fans Will Love This One:

• Charlie Murder is a beat-em-up game, so the hand-to-hand combat against massive hordes of zombies is extremely appealing, especially to zombie lovers who enjoy that kind of chaos.

2 Deadbolt (2016)

Reviews on Steam: Overwhelmingly Positive (96%)

• Released: 2016-03-14
• Developer(s): Hopoo Games
• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Linux, OS X, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch

Deadbolt is a 2D stealth-action game that was developed and released by Hopoo Games in 2016. Although the game isn't explicitly categorized as a zombie game, it has major zombie elements in it in addition to almost every other undead mob that exists (even hellhounds).

Deadbolt is centered around a grim reaper who has to put a stop to an undead uprising. The player takes control of the reaper and navigates him around the map across 3 different sets of levels. Each set of levels has its own undead mob that the reaper has to shoot with a tiny gun. Assassinating enemy mobs and completing a level awards players with souls as the game’s primary currency—which they can trade for better arsenal and skill sets.

Why Zombie Fans Will Love This One:

• While Deadbolt doesn't primarily revolve around zombies either, the first set of levels has a variety of zombies as its main enemy mobs (Bully being the nastiest one). Players have to be very smart about annihilating them and have to use a blend of stealth and fast-paced action—there's also an array of arsenal to choose from.

1 Plants Vs. Zombies

Reviews on Steam: Overwhelmingly Positive (97%)

To not have Plants vs. Zombies on a zombie game list would be unfair. Understandably so, considering how it is one of the most iconic mobile games to ever come out of the gaming industry. Plants vs. Zombies was released in 2009 by PopCap Games and instantly became a hit. The game was so well-received by the public, that it prompted the developers to turn it into a franchise with multiple installments. Despite that, the first installment is and will continue to be, the absolute best one.

It’s a tower defense game with a very straightforward premise; protecting the base from a zombie invasion. The player plays as a homeowner whose house is about to get invaded by zombies. They have to protect their home by strategically placing plants with different abilities to delay the zombie waves from reaching the front door. While it may sound fun and simple, it's a game that shouldn't be underestimated. The intricacies and small details in it make it just as good, if not better, than the best tower defense games in the industry. Plants Vs. Zombies is available on every platform but is primarily played on mobile.

Why Zombie Fans Will Love This One:

• Plants vs. Zombies keeps it chill with a laid-back and funny spin on the whole zombie vibe. Come on, defending towers from zombie hordes with sunflowers and cherry bombs? The Walking Dead could never.