SurrounDead

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"SurrounDead" is a single-player, open-world zombie survival game with a good story, stunning mechanics, and sensational graphics. The game features a vast, post-apocalyptic landscape with various zombies, human survivors, and vehicles to manage. Despite some grinding and bugs, the unique atmosphere and the promise of future updates, such as improved AI and controller support, make it an intriguing choice for fans of the genre.

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,792 reviews

gameplay99 positive mentions

stability50 negative mentions

Active developer who frequently updates the game and listens to community feedback.
Engaging gameplay that combines elements from popular survival games like DayZ, Tarkov, and State of Decay.
Fun looting and crafting mechanics with a variety of weapons and customization options.

Melee combat feels clunky and inconsistent, making early gameplay frustrating.
Zombies and enemies respawn upon loading a save, which can lead to unexpected deaths.
The game lacks multiplayer features, which many players are eagerly awaiting.

gameplay
319 mentions
31 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Surroundead has been praised for its engaging mechanics, combining elements from popular survival and shooter games like DayZ, Tarkov, and Project Zomboid. Players appreciate the customizable difficulty settings, looting progression, and the balance between challenge and accessibility, although some have noted issues with clunky mechanics, particularly in combat and driving. Overall, while the game shows promise with its solid core gameplay and frequent updates, it still requires refinement in certain areas to enhance the overall experience.
- “The gameplay loop that occupies much of my time is similar to 7 Days to Die's locations and looting, making many locations sort of mini dungeons with somewhat linear paths and plenty of small rewards leading up to a large payoff, RNG permitting, though a couple of locations have seeded rewards which is appreciated.”
- “The most rewarding part of the gameplay for me is looting, which has a nice progression (depending on RNG), and scratches just the right itch for any looter-shooter fan.”
- “The core gameplay and mechanics are solid, smooth, fun, and all around very pleasant.”
- “Unfulfilling gameplay loop and questionable gameplay mechanics.”
- “This game tries to be a single player DayZ experience with all the 'hardcore' (read stupid) survival drag to hand, drag to backpack etc mechanics but it fails.”
- “The gameplay is limited but I see that improving with time.”
graphics
171 mentions
40 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming low-poly aesthetic that appeals to many players, running smoothly even on budget PCs. While some reviewers find the visuals simplistic or reminiscent of older titles, others appreciate the unique art style and effective use of lighting and weather effects, which enhance the overall experience. Overall, the graphics may not be cutting-edge, but they contribute positively to the gameplay and immersion, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
- “The map and graphics are gorgeous and run well on budget PCs.”
- “Graphics and lighting are actually beautiful despite the simplified visual style; I mean, it runs on Unreal Engine 5.”
- “The graphics are amazing, and the art style they went with is awesome due to its own uniqueness.”
- “The graphics are not great, kind of Lego land, but the open world is pretty cool.”
- “The graphics are the same low poly assets from at least 3 other games, and weirdly even putting my graphics up to full does not make them look like the images on Google Images.”
- “The art style might be... difficult to get into, but if you do not mind it and can perfectly live with it, this game will give you a lot of fun.”
story
128 mentions
16 % positive mentions
77 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The game's current story aspect is largely underdeveloped, with many players noting a lack of quests and narrative depth. While there are hints of potential future content, including quests and NPC interactions, the game primarily focuses on survival mechanics at this stage. Players express hope for more robust storytelling elements and mission structures in upcoming updates to enhance the overall experience.
- “The potential for storylines, and more engaging random encounters and so on, is definitely there.”
- “Honestly this game is really fun, my previous complaints of no AI enemies is now fixed, the game has a lot more content to it with additional sneaky lore of the world of Surroundead, there are missions that you can find, lots of points of interest, a skill tree, honestly this game is in a very positive direction.”
- “I'm really looking forward to quests (and possibly a main story?) to really make it feel like a complete game.”
- “Doesn't have much story, that I could see, but it focuses more on the survival factor.”
- “Solid game so far but they have work to do to flesh out the lore, story, etc.”
- “The foundation is good, but it's clearly early access as it's missing some important pieces (skills, missions, etc.) and parts of the map (they are marked 'in development').”
stability
56 mentions
11 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
89 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting a range of bugs and glitches, particularly during the tutorial and in inventory management. While some players find the game enjoyable and relatively stable, others describe it as a "buggy mess" that can be unplayable at times. Overall, it appears that the game is still in early access, requiring further polish and updates to address these issues.
- “The game runs great and despite its art style has some impressive visuals.”
- “This game is going to go places with more polish; it runs great on the Steam Deck with minor tinkering too.”
- “It runs great on my $500 laptop.”
- “It completely freezes even during the tutorial, and in the radiation part of the tutorial the mask you're given doesn't even work to stop the radiation from killing you; and yes I put the filter on the mask.”
- “Buggy beyond belief, unplayable trash at this current state.”
- “Unfortunately I’m 6 hours too late to refund but if you intend on buying this game just know it’s a janky buggy mess, these other reviews gotta be fake cause while the game is fun it’s way buggier of a game than all these other reviews seem to mention.”
grinding
54 mentions
0 % positive mentions
11 % neutral mentions
89 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that grinding in the game can be both tedious and rewarding, with players often feeling overwhelmed by the resource gathering and base building mechanics. While some appreciate the casual exploration and the satisfaction of upgrading their bases, many find the inventory management and crafting processes cumbersome, leading to a repetitive experience. Overall, the game offers a balance of grinding that can keep players engaged, but improvements in farming and crafting systems are desired to enhance the experience.
- “Not too grindy but grindy enough to keep you busy for a while if you want all legendary items in the game and upgrade your base.”
- “I'm hoping to see more mechanics involved around eating and drinking; I would love to see farming being added (according to a roadmap, it's in the works). They also mentioned in a roadmap they plan on adding bandit camps as well as quests from allies, which sounds awesome.”
- “It's tedious and breaks immersion.”
- “Incredibly frustrating after grinding out a base for it to disappear, then to have to do it again sucks hard.”
- “Inventory/loot systems are tedious to the point it ruins the game.”
music
27 mentions
30 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its chill and immersive quality, enhancing the overall atmosphere and encouraging extended gameplay. While some players find it repetitive or lacking in variety, many appreciate the soundtracks for their ability to complement different environments, from relaxing looting sessions to tense zombie encounters. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's experience, though some users express a desire for more background tracks to fill the silence.
- “For a zombie game, it's surprisingly chill, beautiful environment, music that vibes.”
- “Great atmosphere, great music, solid sound design.”
- “Despite being an early access game, there's still enough work cut out for you to stay occupied for a good several hours that's complimented with a very nice soundtrack.”
- “The only thing I think that lets this down is the lack of background music; it feels empty without it.”
- “Oh and the music, goddamn.”
- “I am currently enjoying the game, just the slow pace makes it very relaxing, but the only part where I feel uneasy is when I pass an ice cream truck and the music is playing very creepily.”
atmosphere
25 mentions
56 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, with many reviewers highlighting its strong art style, effective sound design, and dynamic weather system that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the tension created by sparse enemy spawns and the feeling of danger in the environment, although some note that empty buildings can detract from the sense of immersion. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “But what sucked me in was its very, very well-made atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is amazing.”
- “What I'm most impressed by is the weather system, as it doesn't just add some annoying rain but instead it changes the whole atmosphere and game feel.”
- “Bringing alongside the idea of extraction shooters, the towns themselves feel empty, not lootwise I enjoy the looting, but perhaps there should be scavengers, military or coyote instances where you feel the sense of danger every time you enter a town, a deterrent for the weak and a challenge for the veterans with varying levels of difficulties, similar to the extraction shooter in an open world atmosphere it should feel like there is someone else here around the corner waiting to kill me only to confirm my worries by gunshots.”
- “Played for an hour and buildings are unpopulated, completely empty, which kills the atmosphere.”
- “If this has the graphics and atmosphere of Stalker it would be in my top games.”
optimization
23 mentions
35 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report smooth performance and minimal bugs, others experience significant frame rate drops and performance issues, particularly with large structures and certain map areas. Many users acknowledge that the game is still in early access and express hope for future optimizations, noting that the developers have made progress with updates. Despite the optimization concerns, the core gameplay remains enjoyable for many, with some players achieving high frame rates on capable hardware.
- “The game feels very smooth, it's well optimized, and there's a big sense of 'turn off my brain and have fun' while I play it.”
- “For a game this early in development, the core gameplay works well and it's surprisingly well optimized, getting around 120 fps on high settings.”
- “Dev has updated the game two more times since my review, adding some new mechanics and performance fixes.”
- “Game mechanics and world needs to be optimized.”
- “This game could be lots of fun someday, but right now it's just an un-optimized mess.”
- “Hardware optimization (RTX 3090 was only getting 57 FPS with maxed or ultra settings. This should not be a demanding game).”
replayability
12 mentions
25 % positive mentions
75 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it offers significant replay value through sandbox elements, difficulty adjustments, and ongoing updates, others feel it lacks depth and variety for long-term engagement. The potential for fun challenges and varied gameplay exists, but many users express a desire for additional content and features, such as a cooperative mode, to enhance replayability further.
- “It's a fun sandbox game with tons of replayability.”
- “Has good replayability as you can change the difficulty and loot variability in new games.”
- “It's a quick and fun game, you can kinda 'finish' it in 20 hours or less, but there is some replay value, as you can change difficulty sliders and create your own challenges.”
- “It's quick fun, but the replayability is kinda bad.”
- “It definitely needs more to do/replayability, though.”
- “This game needs a coop mode; it would make it infinitely more replayable for silly shenanigans with friends.”
humor
9 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and absurdity, featuring amusing elements like funny frog men, quirky zombies, and comical driving mechanics. Players appreciate the blend of punny jokes and unexpected moments, such as a scuba diver zombie and humorous tutorial instructions, which contribute to an overall entertaining experience. Despite some developmental quirks, the game's comedic depth adds to its fun factor.
- “On the other hand, the driving mechanics are hilarious and add a sense of absurdity to the game.”
- “The zombies are funny too; there is even a scuba diver zombie roaming around at times, miles away from any real body of water.”
- “What I found funny was in the tutorial where it first shows you how to stab a zombie; it says, 'Don't worry, this one won't attack yet.'”
monetization
7 mentions
14 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
57 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the game's monetization, feeling it lacks essential mechanics like aiming down sights (ADS) despite having optics, which diminishes gameplay quality. Additionally, there are concerns about the game's prolonged early access status, leading to perceptions of it being a cash grab due to a lack of transparency regarding updates and development progress.
- “This game has been 'early access' for far too long, just feels like a cash grab at this point.”
- “I've seen it enough, but that only matters if there's absolutely zero transparency about what's being worked on, or hell, if the game is even being worked on in the first place or if it was just a cash grab.”
- “Kind of seems like a cash grab if so...”
emotional
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed, with some players feeling intense moments during combat, particularly against bandits, which evokes a sense of survival. However, frustrations with gameplay mechanics, such as inconsistent melee combat and vehicle navigation, detract from the overall emotional experience, leading to a lack of engagement for some players.
- “Fighting the bandits made me feel like a scavenger in Escape from Tarkov, and since I'll have to make my bullets count, this made the gunfight with them much more intense.”