Choosing between the best zombie games PC often boils down to picking the right flavor of Resident Evil to play at a given time. And, to be fair, Capcom definitely made its mark on the genre! From first-person action adventures all the way to isometric puzzle games in a zombie apocalypse, the expert in survival horror, Resident Evil, has it all.

But.

What if you wanted something different? Different, but, of course, still zombie-themed. That's precisely where this article comes in! If you're keen on a neat new zed-themed game with the walking dead but don't have the patience to learn about Project Zomboid, this is the shortlist for you!

READ MORE: Resident Evil 4 Remake Preparations: Are You Ready?

The Best Zombie Games PC (You Probably Ignored)

Down below, we've assembled a shortlist of zombie survival games we believe are a must-play, but often end up getting foregone in lieu of other options. For example, take the highest-profile game on this list: World War Z. Having initially launched as an Epic Store exclusive, its Steam launch got overshadowed by Back 4 Blood. Yet, it's still a rather phenomenal zombie game that brings its own novelties to the table.

Other titles on this list go from niche to uber-niche, but each is special in its own way. See which fits the bill for your particular tastes, and who knows, maybe it's bound to be your next favorite weird title and your best zombie game!

World War Z: Aftermath

As we said, the most mainstream choice on this list is also the one you're likely to be most familiar with! World War Z: Aftermath has one big thing going for it, and that's the sheer scope of the game. This objective-based third-person shooter (with an optional FPS mode!) pits players against thousands of zombies all at once. These tidal waves of aptly-named Zeke climb over one another to get a bite in, and mowing through them is quite unlike anything else in this genre.

State of Decay - Year One Survival Edition

While most will agree that State of Decay 2 is the superior game in most ways that matter, the original - though upgraded - edition of State of Decay has a few things going for it still. Notably, whereas its successor went on to set up a more free-form, sandbox survival experience, the first title is way more tightly knit together. It's a smooth, streamlined ride from one point to another. Sure, there are open-world elements, but if you're in the market for a more contained and focused walking dead game, this is the one.

Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse

An artifact of the late 2000s' game design, Stubbs is an action-adventure where players become the zombie. Set in the late 1960s, Stubbs is all about converting the entire populace of the golden-age Americana town of Punchbowl, PA. This is accomplished through a variety of means, not least of which is the infamous head-toss (pictured above). Now, Stubbs doesn't necessarily break any records or set new genre tropes, but it is fun, and it's 100% not what a newcomer expects out of it.

ZOMBI

Ubisoft's strangely forgotten one-off was, in fact, initially a Nintendo Wii U exclusive. Then-titled ZombiU eventually made the jump over to PC, where it was promptly forgotten about. It's a shame, too, because it's an incredibly grim and immersive take on the tired old trope of a UK-based zombie apocalypse. Guns are scarce, zombies are common, and your failures will inevitably come back to haunt you. Give it a shot!

Dead Rising 2 / Dead Rising 2: Off The Record

Another example of a franchise reaching its pinnacle early on is Dead Rising. Specifically, it was during its Dead Rising 2 era, which includes the standalone Off The Record DLC, that this IP reached its absolute pinnacle. Pinnacle of absurdity, mind. This is a game all about killing huge hordes of zombies in the most ridiculous way possible. Whether that means relying on wheelchair-mounted assault carbines or attaching a pair of chainsaws to a boat paddle... well, we'll leave that for you to decide.

The Typing of the Dead: Overkill

Arguably the pinnacle of weirdness when it comes to zombie games, The Typing of the Dead is essentially a converted lightgun shooter. And, look, you can certainly play the game using a mouse, and that's fine. Loaded with crass humor and questionable storytelling, it's still a pretty fun experience overall. We invite you to forego your mouse and use a keyboard instead, however. Damage is dealt by typing out the words that appear on the screen, and it's way more fun than it sounds at first!

There Are The Obvious Choices, Too!

As you're bound to have noticed, we deliberately avoided going with the mainstream options for this particular article on the best zombie PC games. Obviously, we're extremely excited about the prospect of playing a proper Resident Evil 4 Remake at last, but it's every bit as important to be able to take a step back and appreciate all the other survival horror goodies, too.

It does go without saying, naturally, that not all of the above will be up-to-spec for everyone. There's no shame in choosing to play one of the best Resident Evil games from the franchise over titles featured in this article, of course. Yet, as our long-time readers will know, we've got a soft spot for the weird and the overlooked PC games here at 2Game!

So, not only are all of the games featured above very reasonably priced, but you can rest assured that they're pretty darn neat in their own respective ways. Have fun!

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