The seemingly simplistic zombie survival game Unturned can be surprisingly indepth and complicated. With the world crawling with zombies and predatory players lurking in the shadows its tough making progress let alone making it day to day.
Fortunately there are a number of strategies players can implement to make survival just a bit easier. From increasing efficiency to maximizing resources its important for players to stay sharp and improve their skills. Here are some pro tips players can utilize keep both the living and undead at bay.
10 Lure Zombies In Then Mow Down
When clearing a city it’s important to do it strategically to avoid getting swarming or ambushed by the undead. A common tactic is to determine a kill box and lure all zombies into that space before opening fire.
A great, but risky way to do this is to sneak up on a solitary zombie in the chosen area. Kill them violently and as loudly as possible and then retreat to a safe space. The zombies in the area will shamble over to the source of the noise forming a large cluster. Once enough of them are grouped together the player can blast them to smithereens minimizing ammo loss and efficiently clearing the city.
9 Pine Is The Superior Wood
One thing players may not be aware of is that not all Crates are created equal. Any type of wood will create a crate, but they will have different properties, namely the size of storage space. Maple Crates provide 28 storage slots and Birch is a measly 24. But Pine will have a nice 32 storage slots.
Obviously players should use whatever they have in the beginning. But in the midgame and moving forward Pine should be the default material for crafting storage. Otherwise the player is wasting resources and valuable time so keep this in mind on harvesting runs or choosing a forest to build your base.
8 Bicycles Are King
When traveling the post-apocalypse players will want something big, beefy, and capable of mowing down the hordes. The problem is that gas is a pain to keep a steady supply of and the player will want to spend it on generators. Vehicles also guzzle gas like you wouldn’t believe and force the player to spend half their time and trip replacing the fuel they consume.
Because of this its far more efficient and far less time consuming to just use a bicycle. They don’t take any gas, they’re almost as fast, and go as long as the player has stamina which can be upgraded. If playing with a coordinated team this changes a bit, but even then, Bicycles are still less of a pain in the long run.
7 Guns Are Better Than Melee In The Long Run
Initially the player will be forced to use melee weapons to survive and honestly melee weapons have their niche. But by and large its far more effective and safer to use guns in this survival game. For one they keep the zombies at bay which protects the player’s health and Immunity levels.
The other main reason is that when the hordes arrive the player will want a gun. Yes they make noise, yes they cost ammo, but the first can be planned for and the latter can be stockpiled for. The player will almost always find enough ammo in a city to replace the ammo spent killing the undead residents. Not to mention they’re better against other players, the true threat in this game.
6 Consider Travel Time When Building A Base
A lot of players make the mistake of finding some quant spot with trees, water, and food in the woods far away from town. But then they spend most of their time traveling long distances to perform loot runs and increase the odds of running out of ammo, gas if they’re driving, and encountering other players.
The best spot for player is somewhere near the center of the map between multiple towns. This increases how quickly players can gather supplies and minimizes travel time. It seems counter intuitive to be closer to the action, but it is safer. Traveling long roads out in the open gives other players multiple opportunities to ambush you.
5 Make Sure Your Base Isn't Obvious
After the player starts accumulating masses of resources and gets more secure in their position its common to want a large base. The issue with this is that players make their base more obvious and easier to find, thereby attracting more unwanted attention.
Its important to pick an area in the open world where the base can hide even if its expanded upon. It also pays to keep anything flashy, like vehicles or spotlights, somewhere hidden inside the base. It’ll take some practice and trail and error, but having a better disguised base can minimize raids and ambushes.
4 Counter Raid When Possible
For most players getting raided is annoying at best and a complete reset if the raiders succeed. Professional players that are well prepared see raids as high-tier looting opportunities delivered right to their doorsteps.
Raids are expensive and require some of the most valuable gear in the game like Rocket Launchers, Demolition Charges, and possibly Dragonfangs. Clever players can design their base with mazes, traps, and kill boxes to lure raiders in and relieve them of their gear without ever having to leave home.
3 Singleplayer Skills Vs Multiplayer Skills
Over the course of play the player will want to capitalize on all of the skills as they all provide important advantages for survival. But experienced players know that some are more important depending on whether you’re playing singleplayer or multiplayer.
Generally speaking the Police Officer skillset in the beginning and anything related to movement speed after is paramount for multiplayer matches. Worker and to some degree Fire Fighter are better in Singleplayer. Of course if the player is on a team everyone can focus on roles, but when playing solo it’s important to prioritize the right skills first.
2 Kill Or Run, Hiding Is Usually A Bad Idea
When encountering other players the best strategy is to go full offensive or beat a hasty retreat. Which one the player chooses is usually down to supplies, numbers, and personal preference. But under no circumstances should a player try hiding from the enemy.
The first reason is that it’s downright hard to hide in this game, the character models have big heads that stick out big time. The other reason is that its safe to assume if you can see them they can or have already seen you. Killing ensures you get the drop on them before they get it on you and running gives the player a chance to get out of optimal gun range. Hiding usually is a death sentence for the player sneaking on your flank or when they start searching the area for you.
1 Don’t Trust Anyone
Like in a real-life apocalyptic situation, trust is hard to earn. Everyone is acting in their own self interest and often times that means relieving you of your gear and taking your base from under you. A person wanting to offer or receive help is typically trying to distract you while a friend sneaks up. Occasionally player are trying to perform a long con and find out where your base is and how well defended it is.
Some players may argue this is cynical but let’s put it another way. A player with no knowledge of who you are or if you can be trusted is walking up and wanting to be friends. This is incredibly naïve to do. This same naivety could be a liability if they end up trusting someone else and letting them know where your base is located and even lets them in. The rule of thumb is that if you don’t know them outside of the game you shouldn’t immediately trust them in-game.