There’s something timeless about a great zombie game. Whether it’s the chaos or the desperate fight not to become fodder for the undead, the thrill of wandering through a wasteland has captured the imagination of players everywhere. Over time, zombie games are getting increasingly popular, and that’s why we’ve compiled a list of the top zombie games worth diving into in 2026.
If you’re craving a flesh-eating frolick through an open world environment, or if you want to break some skulls in a gory fashion, you won’t want to miss these top ten zombie games.
Best Zombie Games You Can Play Right Now
Here’s the list!
1. Dying Light
Dying Light emerged in 2015 as an open-world, parkour-fuelled zombie romp, and it has become a staple of the post-apocalyptic space. The series was expanded with Dying Light 2: Stay Human in 2022, and in 2025, Dying Light: The Beast emerged. In our review of The Beast, we dubbed it the best game in the series by far, so it’s definitely worth playing!
Related: Dying Light 2 Had So Much Cut Content
2. State of Decay
State of Decay emerged way back in 2013, and the follow-up, State of Decay 2, was released in 2018. We’re still waiting for the third instalment in the franchise, but the two games that exist right now represent some of the best zombie gaming experiences you’ll ever have.
Related: Where is State of Decay 3?
3. Project Zomboid
Project Zomboid is a punishing title and probably the hardest zombie game on this list. It’s one of the best zombie games out there because it’s so granular, and despite the lack of flashy graphics, Project Zomboid will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, wondering where the next attack will come from.
4. Dead Island
Dead Island is a strange franchise – there was a ten-year gap between Dead Island and Dead Island 2, but when that gap had reached its end, one of the best zombie games ever was delivered. Dead Island 2 is a monumental slayer of a title that will have you engaged for hours, and there’s almost nothing wrong with the older games in the series.
Related: Dead Island 2 Hit 1 Million Sales in Three Days
5. Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead was Valve’s stab at a zombie apocalypse title – and what a successful one it was. This four-player bullet-spraying epic took survivors through a series of stages bursting at the seams with zombies – and some well-crafted mutated zombies, too. If you want something newer, you can, of course, rely on Left 4 Dead 2, which came out in 2009.
Related: Left 4 Dead’s Spiritual Successor is Shelved
6. The Last of Us
Technically, they’re not zombies, but the infected in The Last of Us give off those undead vibes for sure. In 2013, The Last of Us was released on PlayStation 3, and it quickly became regarded as one of the best games of all time – and it’s certainly one of the best zombie games to make this list. In 2020, The Last of Us Part II came out, emerging as a masterpiece that expanded the series immeasurably.
7. Resident Evil
It’s hard to recommend one Resident Evil game, given that there are so many. You can’t think ‘zombies’ without thinking ‘Resident Evil’, and whether you play the newer titles like Village or Requiem, or the older titles like Resident Evil 4 or perhaps a more retro title, you’re guaranteed to uncover an incredible experience in 2026.
8. Dead Rising
Dead Rising is one of the most iconic zombie franchises in gaming, and since the first game was released way back in 2006, it has worked to establish itself as a founding father of all modern zombie games. It typically features a race against the clock, crowds of thousands of zombies, and extreme ingenuity when it comes to crafting weapons.
There are four games in the series, and all of them represent unparalleled opportunities to use insane weapons to slay thousands of zombies.
Related: Is a New Dead Rising Coming Soon?
9. Days Gone
Days Gone was a one-shot PlayStation exclusive that featured a zombie-slaying bounty hunter on a bike, Deacon St. John. It was an open-world epic that boasted an engine capable of producing swarms of zombies that numbered in the hundreds, and it never failed to terrify players who weren’t expecting the masses to charge at them.
10. The Walking Dead (The Telltale Series)
The Walking Dead hasn’t had a great track record in gaming – except for when it comes to the Telltale series. This collection of games, which are episodic by nature, offers up a phenomenal experience in The Walking Dead’s universe, bringing a choice and consequence model to the table in some of the best zombie games we’ve ever seen.
Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server what your favorite zombie game is
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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