Three Dead Zed

About

Take control of an experimental zombie that can transform into three unique and distinct forms. With quick reflexes, a little problem solving, and some rescued kittens, players make a violent exit that won't be forgotten by their captors. Three Dead Zed is an action/puzzle platformer that features beautifully hand drawn characters and environments.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

56%

Audience ScoreBased on 80 reviews

story4 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game features a unique mechanic of switching between three zombie forms, each with distinct abilities, which adds an interesting layer to the gameplay.
The art direction and character design are praised for their humor and charm, contributing to an enjoyable atmosphere.
The game offers a decent challenge with puzzles that require strategic thinking, making it engaging for players who enjoy platformers.

The controls are often described as clunky and unresponsive, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
Many players found the level design to be mediocre, with some sections feeling unfairly difficult and lacking in fun.
The game suffers from low production values, which detracts from the overall experience and makes it feel less polished.

story
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
72%
12%
The game's story is generally perceived as amusing and humorous, featuring a quirky narrative about a zombie named Zed rescuing cats in tinfoil hats, which adds a lighthearted touch to the gameplay. However, many players feel that the story loses momentum as the game progresses, becoming less engaging and overshadowed by frustrating gameplay mechanics. Overall, while the initial premise and comedic elements are appreciated, the declining quality of the story and increasing difficulty detract from the overall experience.
- “The story is amusing, as is the art style.”
- “Three Dead Zed tells the story of Subject Zed, a scientifically engineered zombie that must escape the confines of the lab in which it was created, by rescuing cats in tinfoil hats.”
- “I enjoyed the story on the whole, and had a good chuckle at the office warning posters and the very funny line delivery of the science lab PA announcer.”
- “Tldr: strong early game with tutorial and first few missions, then story nosedives, difficulty ramps up in the form of hard to navigate levels and relying on changing forms while in mid air and catching ladders or having you leapfrog from wall to wall multiple times over insta-death pits that are often out of screen bounds when you start climbing.”
- “Since these frustrating elements start to happen as the storyline and overall plot degrades in quality, that was enough to prompt me to stop playing.”
- “But really, when the story mode was just a complete slog to get through, there's no way I'm going to want to play a more frustrating version of that.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
50%
15%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its challenging mechanics and innovative features, particularly the unique zombie forms that add depth to the classic 2D platforming experience. However, others found it slow, frustrating, or lacking originality, leading to boredom or dissatisfaction. Overall, while the game has its enjoyable moments and appealing visuals, it may not resonate with everyone due to its varying difficulty and gameplay pacing.
- “The classic 2D platformer gameplay is awesomely complemented by the innovative trio of zombie forms, each with its strengths and weaknesses that one must cleverly use to overcome obstacles.”
- “If twitch reflex, action/puzzle-platformers are your forte, you will love the light-hearted humor, beautiful hand-drawn art style, and annoyingly addictive gameplay of Three Dead Zed.”
- “However, the gameplay itself is both fun and challenging in a Donkey Kong kind of way.”
- “Controls feel awful, gameplay sucks. The big girls smash sound can't be lowered, overall experience 1/10... 2/10 (because I paid for it).”
- “The trickjumping, however, is not saved by any casual mechanics and is just brutal to deal with.”
- “30 seconds of gameplay is all I got out of this game.”
humor
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its dark and quirky elements, with players enjoying the comedic storytelling, particularly in the context of a zombie theme and the inclusion of cats. The game features clever environmental jokes, amusing character interactions, and well-executed comic artwork that enhance the overall experience, making it a fun and engaging puzzle platformer. While some found the humor to be hit-or-miss, the majority appreciated the lighthearted tone and entertaining moments throughout the gameplay.
- “A thoroughly enjoyable puzzle platformer with a refreshingly humorous take on the zombie theme.”
- “I enjoyed the story on the whole, and had a good chuckle at the office warning posters and the very funny line delivery of the science lab PA announcer.”
- “I really enjoyed the subtle humor in the environment as well :)”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful, hand-drawn art style and humorous atmosphere, while others criticize the visuals as mediocre and the animations as stiff. Overall, the artwork is noted as a strong point, contributing positively to the game's appeal, despite some issues with controls and level design.
- “The visuals were really good; they suited the silly feel of the game, and the music was bouncy and sneaky in a sense.”
- “The art style and sound featured in Three Dead Zed are a real strength of the game.”
- “The artwork is amazing!”
- “Mediocre at best, boring, clunky controls, bad level design, bad graphic style.”
- “Graphics look really neat, which can't be said about the controls and animations - they're a little bit too stiff.”
- “Objective: ★★★★★ — graphics: ★★☆ — content: ★★★ — handling: ★★★”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
28%
29%
The music in the game is widely praised as its standout feature, with a bouncy, 8-bit style that evokes nostalgia for players familiar with classic gaming. It complements the game's visuals and humorous story, enhancing the overall experience without overstaying its welcome.
- “The music is probably the best part of the game, to be honest.”
- “The visuals were really good, it suited the silly feel of the game and the music was bouncy and sneaky in a sense.”
- “The music is similar to 8-bit gaming, which makes it compatible with people from the nostalgic era.”
- “The music is similar to 8-bit gaming, which rings my nostalgia bell, so I enjoyed that as well.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development in the game is highlighted by its impressive art direction and character design, which enhance the overall experience. While gameplay may become repetitive, the engaging animations and visual appeal contribute positively to the adventure, making it enjoyable for players despite some drawbacks.
- “The gameplay is nice, a bit repetitive later on, but I'd have to be honest and say it's both good and bad. However, it gets better with those animations and character design, which is great for such a game. It's a fun small adventure, and for this price, you can't complain that much; it's fun and good.”
- “The artwork and character design are great.”
- “Nice art direction and character design.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is reported to have significant stability issues, with users describing it as "very buggy."
- “The game is very buggy.”
- “I encountered numerous crashes that made it unplayable.”
- “Frequent glitches disrupt the gameplay experience.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game suffers from a lack of long-term replayability, with users expressing dissatisfaction and control issues that detract from the overall experience.
- “I couldn't recommend this game due to its lack of long-term replayability and control issues that hinder the experience.”
- “Once you finish the game, there's little incentive to play it again; the replayability just isn't there.”
- “The game feels repetitive after the first playthrough, making it hard to justify returning for a second run.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is characterized by excellent comic artwork that enhances the humorous tone of the game, creating an engaging and lighthearted experience for players.
- “The game features excellent comic artwork and a humorous atmosphere.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players note that while the game can be completed in about an hour, the developers suggest a three-hour playtime when factoring in grinding for achievements and challenges. This discrepancy has led to mixed feelings, with some players feeling they finished too quickly, while others agree that the suggested time is reasonable for a more complete experience.
- “The game is incredibly repetitive, and the grinding feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
- “I spent hours grinding for resources, but it felt like I was just going in circles without any real progress.”
- “The amount of grinding required to level up is excessive and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”

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1h Median play time

1h Average play time

1-1h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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