7 Days to Die

The basic premise of the game is that it is set in the future, in an unnamed year, following a nuclear devastation that has, it is hinted, turned much of the population to vicious zombies, leaving only a few survivors trying to eke out a living in the Nevazgane Desert, in the American south west.

Nevazgane means ‘killer of monsters’ in Apache, and it is into the Nevazgane Desert that the player spawns, naked, alone and (presumably) afraid. The survival theme continues with the laws of physics applying to buildings which will fall down if not properly constructed and to tools and weapons which wear out or degrade over time, thus needing constant replenishment.

This all means that the character is constantly on the lookout for plants, tools and resources which can be found in nature – plants, minerals, building rocks – and in the ruined remnants of cities – tools, clothing and other resources, with which they can restore their inventory and keep on advancing through the game.

Multiplayer games are an option and you can choose whether to team up with buddies – or strangers – as a team for co-operative play, making your way through the hostile landscape and fending off the zombie hordes as a team, or you can play against other players in hostile games when you will have to husband your resources by yourself and try and fend off both zombies and other players at once or in tandem, depending on the difficulty level at which you are playing.

In-Game Hazards

Despite the already arduous conditions in which just trying to stay alive can kill you, there are a number of ways to die or be defeated in the game:

Starve/ Freeze/ Waste Away: This is the sort of day-to-day attrition that requires near constant vigilance to stave off, with gathering resources, finding food, and renewing weaponry that will keep you engrossed and active in the game.

Predators: As you are gathering food and resources, so too are predatory creatures who think that you would be a great addition to their menu and sooner rather than later! Stay vigilant for these creatures and be prepared for a fight to the death: yours or theirs.

Zombies: These undead are your greatest hazard, and will force you into planning excursions with care as they will follow you relentlessly, greatly cramping your style and making you use up your resources more rapidly than you might want to. These creatures slowly become stronger and more aggressive, undermining your defences and causing you a great deal of trouble.

Seven-Day Zombies: If the usual zombies haven’t been enough to see you off, every seven days (and this is from where the title of the whole game comes) an apocalyptic flood of the bloodthirsty creatures are unleashed upon you, all at the same time, flocking to your location, and all bent on taking you out. This is the greatest test of your defences, and you will have to work very hard before and during the attack to stave them off and survive to the next week.