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Zombie video games have been around for a very long time but after a while, the market became oversaturated with them due to how many of them were being made every month.
As a result, the genre became a niche and developers put more time and thought into their products as it could easily fail.
That’s where State of Decay comes in, as the game offers players a long open-world with many different ways to play the game and multiple campaigns to experience. The customization and intensity of the game reminded everyone of what made the genre so much fun, to begin with – and that’s why it has a third game coming out soon.
Waiting for the third game naturally means that you need something in-between to kill time with, and finding good zombie games can be very difficult due to just how many of them exist. That’s why we’ve created a thorough list of the 10 best games like State of Decay that you can begin playing right now.
Best Games Like State Of Decay 2
We have also attached videos for each game so you can easily decide if they are your type. Here are the top similar games to State of Decay to play right now.
1. World War Z
Available On: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch (upcoming).
World War Z is one of the most prominent names in the genre since it originated as a book and was then adapted into a successful movie.
Eventually, it was adapted into a video game and is one of the best zombie-based cooperative video games out there. You can fight in three different real-life cities and pick from 7 playable classes – and then you fight your way towards the extraction points.
The game has multiple modes to spend your time in and one of the best features about it is that it can handle up to a thousand enemies on the screen at the same time – which adds a lot of intensity to the mix.
2. Left 4 Dead 2
Available On: PC, Xbox 360, Mac OS X, Linux.
Left 4 Dead 2 is one of the most iconic zombie-based video games of our time – and for a good reason. It offers extremely fun co-op gameplay that is very customizable based on your preferences.
There are many weapons to pick, many difficulties to play in, the ability to play alone, with friends, with bots, or a mix of all of them. And while the game only allows 4 players at a time, you can use mods to make that number much more.
While the game never got a sequel, it still has one of the most active PC communities and a spiritual sequel coming out by its developers in the near future.
3. Days Gone
Available On: PS4, PC (coming soon).
Days Gone is more of a story-based game than something completely open-ended like State of Decay, but it still allows customization and an open-world full of zombies to play around with. Since it came out much later, the gameplay feels more polished and the characters also have interesting personalities which make the experience more fun.
There’s crafting, a dynamic weather system and the zombies change their behavior often. It knows how to keep itself fresh, and that’s why it’s one of the best games like State of Decay that you can play.
4. Dying Light 2
Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Linux, macOS.
Dying Light is an excellent open-world action game that has many features that make the game very intense.
One of the best things about it is the fact that the zombies are much more aggressive at night and you have to usually hide to survive, whereas the main progression of the story happens in the daytime.
While the sequel is in development hell for many years, the first game is still tons of fun to play in 2024.
5. DayZ
Available On: PC, Xbox One, PS4.
DayZ takes place on an island that is filled with infected creatures at every single turn. You play as one of 60 people on a server and it’s up to you whether you wish to play solo or co-operate with other players.
There’s no story and you have lots of customization and freedom of how you play the game, so it’s one of the best games like State of Decay in that way.
It has a very dedicated community too despite its age, as it started as a mod and became a standalone game through sheer support.
6. Just Survive (Previously H1Z1)
Available On: PC.
Just Survive originally started as a game mode in H1Z1 but since then has become a standalone game due to how successful it was. Set in the zombie apocalypse, the game forces you to survive in a harsh environment where you are in constant danger of being attacked by zombies, wild animals, and other survivors.
There is a lot of crafting and looking for resources in every match, and you can build shelters for yourself if you want to stick around in an area for longer too.
7. Dead Rising (franchise)
The Dead Rising franchise started off a bit small as you could only play in malls in the first two games, but the third and fourth games let you explore a long open-world city that is infested with zombies.
Not only is there a story to follow, but you can also encounter many unique enemies aside from the general boss fights and you can craft many unique weapons to play around with.
The fourth game took the last bit further and lets you try out mechs and unique weapons like Mega Man’s buster, which makes it one of the most unique games like State of Decay.
Available: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC
8. Green Hell
Available On: PC, Nintendo Switch.
Green Hell is like a mixture of The Forest, Dying Light, and State of Decay. You’re on an open-world island that is full of resources that you can gather and craft things with – whether it’s for survival or building a shelter.
But it’s not going to be easy because the island is full of dangers, which are not just limited to enemies.
You get sick, parasites latch onto you, you can catch diseases, and you will have to watch your body’s needs too. So, all of this combines to make an intense experience and it’s much more than just a good game like State of Decay.
9. Dead Frontier 2
Available On: PC.
Dead Frontier 2 focuses on immersion, and that’s something that can be seen in the fact that the game is very graphically intensive. There are the usual gathering resources, learning skills, fighting zombies with ever-changing behavior, and even trading with other players.
The game is limited to 8 people per server but that’s usually more than enough for individual groups. And on top of everything else – it’s free to play despite its polish!
10. 7 Days to Die
Available On: PC, PS4, Xbox One, OS X.
7 Days to Die is filled with content. It has many large locations, unique craft options, 50 different kinds of zombies, over 500 items, and the ability to play both alone and with friends.
You will be defending yourself from zombies and other players and since there is a lot of variety in the items you can use for building – you’ll be able to let your creativity run wild.
It’s still an Early Access game so you can expect new updates very often and the developers will take your feedback into account too.
That’s it for our list of the best games like State of Decay! We hope that you found the game best suited for you in this guide and are here to answer any questions that you might have. And if you’re looking for more games, always make sure to check out some of our other lists.
