Highlights

  • Zombies are a popular addition to various game genres, including survival, RPG, and shooter games.
  • Xbox Game Pass subscribers have access to a variety of zombie games, such as Back 4 Blood, 7 Days To Die, and Dead Space.
  • These games offer challenging gameplay, unique mechanics, and the opportunity to fight off hordes of zombies, providing hours of entertainment for players.

Though the undead are clearly decrepit and stale, the love gamers have for zombie video games is still alive and kicking. People just can’t get enough of fighting the living dead. Whether they are just an annoying hindrance to deal with on the side or an integral component to a narrative, zombies make for fun additions to games.

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And luckily for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, there is a healthy handful of zombie games available in the Game Pass library. Fans of all sorts of genres can contend with these shambling nightmares. Read on if you want to see what are the best zombie games you can play on Xbox Game Pass.

Resident Evil 2

Leon using a knife to escape on a zombie
Resident Evil 2 (2019)

Developer(s)
Capcom
Genre(s)
Horror
How Long To Beat
9 Hours
X|S Enhanced
Yes
File Size Xbox Series
23 GB (January 2024)

Zombies fans are eating well on Xbox Game Pass today, thanks to the addition of Resident Evil 2 to its library of available games. This remake of the original RE2 is not only a master class on how to remake a game, it’s just an overall fantastic zombie game. The zombies shamble toward you with sudden lurches, making it terrifyingly easy to miss a shot. And with limited ammo and resources at your disposal, every missed shot is like a knife in your stomach.

And to top the whole experience off, the Raccoon City Police Station is a veritable zombie-shooting playground. The corridors of the massive building are tight, and some of them are just shrouded in dim lighting. If you love zombies, if you love Resident Evil, and if you love games, Resident Evil 2’s remake should be on your to-play list.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

Darktide - Ogryn Mid Point-Blank Barrage
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

Developer(s)
Fatshark
Genre(s)
FPS
How Long To Beat
30 Hours
X|S Enhanced
Yes
File Size Xbox Series
56 GB (November 2023)

We’ll 100% stand by the notion that Darktide is a zombie game. For one thing, one of the dominant enemy types are Poxwalkers, and these are undead beings that have been brought back to life through the Chaos-damned powers of Nurgle. For another thing, come on, seriously, this game is basically Horde Mode Simulator. You are consistently swarmed by shambling, lurching, gross-looking crowds. If that doesn’t scream zombie, we don’t know what will.

Defining what makes an undead a true zombie aside, Darktide is a fantastic game to dive into if you’re looking for a title to scratch both that zombie-loving and cooperative run itch simultaneously. Up to three other players work alongside your character to complete objectives in various runs in the hive city of Tertium. And if you don’t keep an eye on your compatriots and work together as a unit, you can bet you’ll all be swarmed and torn apart by Chaos scum.

Darkest Dungeon

Darkest Dungeon a look at the combat screen
Darkest Dungeon

Developer(s)
Red Hook Studios
Genre(s)
RPG
How Long To Beat
58 Hours
X|S Enhanced
No
File Size Xbox Series
2 GB (November 2023)

Zombies can appear in all sorts of game genres, and while we mostly associate them with survival games or first-person-shooter extravaganzas, they’re a staple in many a title that eschews stereotypical game mechanics. Enter Darkest Dungeon. These zombies are of an eldritch nature, but plenty of undead haunt the caverns, catacombs and crawl spaces of this turn-based RPG.

Your cobbled-together group of adventurers, tasked with making it to the ultimate “darkest dungeon” to combat the evil within, faces off against hordes of foes while they make successive runs closer and closer to that final fight.

Undead monstrosities and horrific cultists lurk in the Ruins in particular, and though they’re not the toughest enemies you’ll face, they definitely leave an impression. Just pray this impression is not the last one your adventurers get. Darkest Dungeon is one of the most challenging games on this list, with your custom-named characters liable to go mad, betray their compatriots, or die the more you take them delving into the deep dark places of this world.

7 Days To Die

Preparing to defend yourself with a SMG-5 in 7 Days to Die
7 Days to Die

Developer(s)
The Fun Pimps
Genre(s)
Survival , Horror
How Long To Beat
N/A
X|S Enhanced
No
File Size Xbox Series
3 GB (November 2023)

7 Days To Die has a premise we’ve seen a million times before. It’s a survival sandbox game with zombies thrown in. However, there is something about it that has kept a lot of players coming back for more. Often regarded with amusement for still being in early access after so many years, 7 Days To Die is actually a success story.

The developers have proven that over time and with carefully crafted updates, you can make your zombie survival darling stand out from the immense crowd. Whether it’s the terrifying swarms of the Blood Moon or the on-brand clawing through progression that still feels satisfying, 7 Days To Die is just one of those games you can sink hours into like a zombie sinks teeth into flesh.

Dead Space

dead space remake release date fall 2022
Dead Space (2023)

Developer(s)
EA Motive
Genre(s)
Survival Horror
How Long To Beat
12 Hours
X|S Enhanced
Yes
File Size Xbox Series
31 GB (November 2023)

Are the Necromorphs in the Dead Space series really zombies? Well, even though the unfortunate, deceased crew of the USG Ishimura was reanimated thanks to an ancient alien infection brought on by the raising of a Marker, they’re still technically reanimated corpses that have been horribly mutated. Dead Space takes everything we love about zombie games and throws it in space. And the 2023 remake ensures the experience is shiny and new.

The creeping horror of undead things lurching at you, unique mechanics for bringing them down, and blood and gore painting the walls are just a few of these things found in this amazing survival horror title. If you love zombies, you have to love space zombies.

Back 4 Blood

back 4 blood safe room
Back 4 Blood

Developer(s)
Turtle Rock Studios
Genre(s)
FPS
How Long To Beat
12 Hours
X|S Enhanced
Yes
File Size Xbox Series
65 GB (November 2023)

Back 4 Blood is the perfect game for those who enjoy mowing down hordes of zombies with their friends. Up to four players are dropped into runs of varying difficulty in which they ultimately have to complete an objective and make it to a safe house afterward. If this sounds familiar, that’s because it is very much what you would expect from Turtle Rock’s previous work in the Left 4 Dead series. It is fast-paced, challenging, and a fantastic co-op experience. In other words, it’s one of the best zombie games on Xbox Game Pass.

Minecraft

minecraft steve sword feature
Minecraft

Developer(s)
Mojang
Genre(s)
Sandbox , Survival
How Long To Beat
N/A
X|S Enhanced
No
File Size Xbox Series
1 GB (December 2023)

Minecraft certainly wouldn’t strike one as the typical “zombie game” at first blush, lacking the bombast and visceral horror visuals typical of the niche. However, the essential driving mechanic of survival mode is building and fortifying a base before hordes of mostly undead creatures shamble out of their hiding spots and attempt to murder players after nightfall.

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Even before the sun sets, players can band together to plumb the depths of deep, dark caves and abandoned mineshafts for treasure and valuable ores as they dodge or defeat skeletons and literal zombies. All things considered, Minecraft certainly can scratch the itch for fans of zombie survival scenarios.

Minecraft Legends

Minecraft Legends Zombies Hat
Minecraft Legends

Developer(s)
Mojang , Blackbird Interactive
Genre(s)
Action , Strategy
How Long To Beat
9 Hours
X|S Enhanced
Yes
File Size Xbox Series
7 GB (November 2023)

Unlike in standard Minecraft, zombies in Minecraft Legends are your allies. They’re here to help players fight the threat that is the Piglin invasion. As with Golems and Creepers, you eventually gain the ability to spawn zombies as a friendly mob. They have a decent chunk of health, so they’re one of the sturdiest spawns you can throw at a Piglin fort.

Minecraft Dungeons

Minecraft Dungeons fighting zombies
Minecraft Dungeons

Developer(s)
Mojang , Double Eleven
Genre(s)
Dungeon Crawler
How Long To Beat
7 Hours
X|S Enhanced
No
File Size Xbox Series
5 GB (March 2023)

A sight we’re more used to seeing, zombies in Minecraft Dungeons are enemies you’ll have to eliminate as you make your way through the various caverns and castles of the game. They’re your average sort of enemy, with some wearing armor so they’re a bit on the tough side. As long as you and your friends are on top of things, zombies here won’t pose a major threat.

DayZ

dayz australia ban reversal
DayZ

Developer(s)
Bohemia Interactive
Genre(s)
Survival
How Long To Beat
N/A
X|S Enhanced
No
File Size Xbox Series
10 GB (January 2022)

The goal of DayZ is simple: survive. However, the means of reaching that goal can get infinitely complex. Essentially a standalone iteration of the immensely popular Arma 2 mod of the same name, DayZ is a survival sandbox that drops you into the middle of the zombie apocalypse’s aftermath — you’re motivated and compelled to brave zombie-infested ruins in search of food, medical supplies, and weapons to improve your odds of surviving and thriving. However, zombies are arguably not the most pressing adversaries you’re confronted with. DayZ’s servers are inhabited by up to sixty other players wandering its vast open-world environment, and a great many of them are more than happy to either rob, kill, or capture you to their own ends.

Plants Vs. Zombies: Battle For Neighborville

plants vs. zombies battle for neighborville surprise launched
Plants Vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville

Developer(s)
PopCap
Genre(s)
Third-Person Shooter
How Long To Beat
5 Hours
X|S Enhanced
No
File Size Xbox Series
30 GB (January 2022)

Looking for a more lighthearted take for your zombie needs? Head on down to Neighborville. Offering the latest spin on the ever-popular Plants vs. Zombies formula, Neighborville is a third-person multiplayer shooter that pits… well, plants versus zombies. Both sides of the battle feature a whimsical bevy of beautifully-designed classes, ranging from the zombified 80s Action Hero (complete with a radical Rambo-style bow-and-arrow) to the pun-heavy Snapdragon, a literal fire-breathing plant-dragon. Plants vs. Zombie’s cartoonish aesthetic and low-violence approach render it kid-friendly, so even youngsters can get their fill of zombie carnage.

State Of Decay

State of Decay image
State of Decay

Developer(s)
Undead Labs
Genre(s)
Action , Adventure , Survival Horror
How Long To Beat
16 Hours
X|S Enhanced
No
File Size Xbox Series
3 GB (January 2022)

It can be rare indeed for a zombie video game experience to focus on other gameplay mechanics rather than just shooting zombies, but State of Decay handles this aspect of the apocalypse in style. Rather than just mowing down hordes of undead, State of Decay tasks players with ensuring the survival of a small community.

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You have to build a base, make tough resource management decisions, and maintain a positive attitude if you want your group of survivors to thrive. And what makes all these survival considerations even more entertaining is the fact that they are also accompanied by robust open-world action gameplay. A variety of weapons and vehicles are at your disposal to help ensure your community makes it to the end.

The Walking Dead (All Seasons)

Telltales The Walking Dead season 2 clementine evading a walker
The Walking Dead The Game

Developer(s)
Telltale Games
Genre(s)
Adventure , Horror
How Long To Beat
15 Hours
X|S Enhanced
No
File Size Xbox Series
4 GB (December 2023)

A zombie apocalypse can offer surprising emotional depth when it comes to stories set in its troubled environs. No franchise makes this clearer than The Walking Dead. This episodic narrative tells the tale of Lee Everett as he struggles to survive the sudden outbreak of “Walkers,” all while guiding a young girl through the chaos. Lee and Clementine’s story is one of the most enduring and impactful ever to use the undead as a narrative vehicle. The choices you must make while playing The Walking Dead are the most harrowing to ever grace a Telltale title. And if you make it to the end of the first season with dry eyes, your heart is as unfeeling as the zombies who populate the game.

Zombie Army 4: Dead War

Split image Zombie Army 4 player facing oncoming horde of enemies and player looking over fence at boats in water
Zombie Army 4: Dead War

Developer(s)
Rebellion Developments
Genre(s)
Third-Person Shooter , Survival Horror
How Long To Beat
12 Hours
X|S Enhanced
Yes
File Size Xbox Series
36 GB (January 2022)

Zombie Army 4: Dead War provides an intense, yet humorous look at what history would be like if Hitler opened a portal to hell and allowed the zombie menace to infect Nazi soldiers. While the story is not by any means a great narrative achievement, the game is fun to play, especially with a friend at your side. Tactically eliminating zombies one by one is a strange delight that can feel more methodical than frenetic at times. Even when a group of undead is shambling towards you, more often than not, you stop and pick your shots. Zombie Army 4: Dead War is a solid game for zombie fans, and if you’re looking for that kind of straightforward experience, you won’t be disappointed.

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