If you enjoy open-world zombie survival games where you can explore at your own pace, gather supplies and slowly build yourself up from almost nothing, SurrounDead might be one worth checking out.
Developed by Zurvivor, SurrounDead drops players into a post-apocalyptic open world five years after a virus devastated civilisation. Zombies now roam freely across the landscape, while the few remaining survivors are doing whatever they can to stay alive.
The game combines exploration, looting, combat and survival with a large world filled with abandoned locations to search. Players can scavenge firearms, melee weapons, clothing and equipment while fighting both zombies and hostile human survivors.
Vehicles also play an important role. Rather than simply acting as a faster way of getting around, vehicles need to be maintained and can be used as portable storage, making them useful during longer scavenging trips.
Players can establish somewhere to live by barricading existing buildings or finding a more remote location in the wilderness. Safe zones and trader hideouts can also be discovered, allowing survivors to trade for equipment they haven’t managed to find themselves.
There’s also character progression, with players improving their abilities by performing different activities and unlocking additional skills over time.
SurrounDead has been available through Steam Early Access since June 2022 and has built up a sizeable following. At the time of writing, 90% of more than 16,000 English-language Steam reviews are positive.
Development is also continuing on the game’s long-awaited 0.8 update. The developer recently confirmed another experimental version is planned for the end of September, primarily bringing fixes for previous experimental issues alongside some additional changes.
Beyond that, the developer has teased several features planned for the future, including farming, craftable firearms, extremely rare special weapons, new locations and improvements to existing areas of the map.
Other features listed on the game’s roadmap include additional map updates, an archery system, controller support, more difficulty options and further improvements to the first-person camera.
SurrounDead is currently a single-player experience, although online multiplayer with player-run servers remains listed as a planned feature rather than something currently available.
For players who enjoy games built around scavenging abandoned locations, building up an arsenal, maintaining vehicles and surviving in a zombie-filled sandbox, SurrounDead already offers an interesting take on the genre with considerably more still planned.