Zombie Cure Lab

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In "Zombie Cure Lab," players build and manage a laboratory to create a cure for a zombie apocalypse. They set up production lines, gather resources, assign jobs to workers, and defend the lab from nightly zombie attacks. The game features technology research, upgrades, and a citizen science project in cooperation with the University of Erlangen for fighting cancer.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 318 reviews

gameplay18 positive mentions

optimization8 negative mentions

The game has a unique and original concept of curing zombies instead of killing them, which is refreshing and engaging.
The graphics and art style are cute and contribute to an enjoyable overall experience.
The gameplay offers a mix of tower defense, base building, and resource management, providing a fun and challenging experience.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs and performance issues, making it frustrating and often unplayable.
The tutorial is poorly designed, leading to confusion and difficulty in understanding game mechanics.
There is a lack of communication from the developers regarding updates, leading to concerns about the game's future and potential abandonment.

gameplay
56 mentions
32 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a unique blend of strategy, base management, and zombie modification, offering a fresh take on traditional mechanics with a charming graphical style. While players appreciate the intricate systems and rewarding gameplay, some mechanics are currently unpolished, leading to frustrations with certain features like the pacification mechanic and worker management. Overall, the game provides an engaging experience, especially in its early stages, but requires further refinement to fully realize its ambitious concepts.
- “Extremely fun and considerate gameplay, large scale options and freedom.”
- “The gameplay is fun and rewarding and mostly straightforward.”
- “The unusual mix of mechanics (clever worker management where some of the workers are ticking time bombs, production lines, survival, tower defense) makes this a very unique game and even the pre-release had me hooked.”
- “The end result is gameplay that just feels like increasing levels of busy-ness and micro to stay in the same place.”
- “These guards will attack your zombies that are 'enraged', but since the pacification mechanic does not work (nor do these zombies get picked up to put on perma ice), what happens is they thaw, attack, get frozen, repeat.”
- “It is not just broken with the pacification mechanic, but the hauler minions, for the love of god and everything holy, refuse to pick them up.”
optimization
46 mentions
9 % positive mentions
74 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The game currently suffers from significant optimization issues, particularly in the mid to late game, where players report drastic drops in framerate, making it nearly unplayable. While it is still in early access and has potential, many users express frustration over performance problems, bugs, and a lack of key features, urging developers to prioritize optimization in future updates. Overall, the game's execution is hindered by these technical shortcomings, impacting the overall experience.
- “However, there are some bugs as well as optimization issues... but it's only an early access!”
- “I could be wrong, but regardless, I hope that performance and balance issues are addressed soon because I want to continue playing the game and having a great time.”
- “Game is cool, but you guys need to do some improvements about performance optimization.”
- “Performance and pacing are major problems for the game, with surprise difficult spikes, as well as a very serious game-ending bug that suddenly prevents the passage of time on day xx, effectively ending your game.”
- “Sadly, it suffers from poor optimization in mid-late game.”
- “As of writing (Jan 29, 2023), the game lacks key features/capabilities which are common in other games of this genre (zoning, scheduling, etc). There are still a plentiful amount of bugs, mostly cosmetic in my experience, and most importantly, it suffers from a lack of performance optimization, which I encountered upon reaching mid-game.”
graphics
38 mentions
32 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the cute and quirky art style that enhances the gameplay experience. However, some users express concerns about the overall quality and performance requirements, suggesting that the graphics could be improved or optimized for better accessibility. Overall, the game's unique visual presentation is appreciated, but technical issues may detract from enjoyment for some players.
- “The graphics are amazing, and the gameplay is challenging yet rewarding.”
- “Love the concept and the graphics are very cute.”
- “Graphics and animations are pretty cute and contribute to an enjoyable overall impression and gameplay.”
- “The graphics are severely lacking in quality and there just are not enough options to make the game enjoyable.”
- “Please lower the graphic or RAM requirement.”
- “I have a 2080 Super and given the fidelity of the game, it definitely felt more like an AI issue than a graphical issue.”
stability
22 mentions
9 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
91 % negative mentions
The game's stability is currently a major concern, with numerous users reporting it as extremely buggy and often unplayable in its early access state. While some acknowledge the potential for improvement, the prevalence of glitches—ranging from audio issues to unrecoverable game states—has led many to recommend avoiding the game until it is fully released and more stable.
- “Currently stay away, very far as the game is extremely buggy.”
- “Extremely buggy, barely even playable in the current version.”
- “Completely unplayable due to numerous glitches.”
story
16 mentions
38 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
The game features a humorous and engaging story that enhances its setting, immersing players in a quest to protect citizens and manage zombie-related challenges. While the initial gameplay can be overwhelming, particularly with base-building and survival elements, players find that the narrative draws them in as they navigate the intricacies of their missions. Overall, the story is well-received, adding depth to the gameplay experience.
- “A funny game with an interesting story.”
- “+ overall, the story is good for the setting.”
- “It takes some time to get a handle on everything, but afterwards it will pull you in and immerse you as you try to focus on the little details to make your quest to protect your citizens, save and cure as many zombies as possible, and ultimately add your own personality to your lab.”
- “First contact with the game after the tutorial, you start a mission and you can't even place the helipad to start.”
- “The new boss completely destroyed my base within seconds and I couldn't do anything about it, all that was on the easy mission as well.”
- “No story.”
humor
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its humor, combining a cute and funny tone with an engaging story. Players appreciate the unique twist of saving and curing zombies instead of the typical kill-or-be-killed approach found in most zombie games.
- “Really cute and funny, and I love the idea that you work to save/cure the zombies rather than killing them all like most zombie games.”
- “A funny game with an interesting story.”
- “I feel like it tries to be cute and funny.”
grinding
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, especially as the difficulty increases over time and requires constant technological advancement. Many feel that keeping up with the game's demands can be overwhelming, suggesting that extensive grinding may require a significant time investment.
- “With the day time seemingly growing shorter with each passing day, the game's difficulty just seems to very slowly but exponentially get more tedious if you do not keep up with the technology curve it expects you to.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It's still sort of grindy in a way, though.”
music
4 mentions
25 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The music and sound design effectively enhance the game's tension during challenging nights, contributing to a more immersive atmosphere. Players appreciate the polished audio experience, which complements the improved tutorial and diverse maps, heightening their anticipation for further gameplay.
- “Now it's more polished, with music to add atmosphere, a better tutorial, and different maps, and I can't wait to play more.”
- “The nights, when the attacks happen, are hard and the sound design/music increases tension.”
- “Now it's more polished, with music to add atmosphere, a better tutorial and different maps, and I can't wait to play more.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be a comforting and wholesome experience, providing a welcome escape from reality and evoking positive emotions.
- “It's a nice wholesome game to play if I want a break from reality.”
replayability
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players note that the well-designed tech tree contributes to the game's replayability, suggesting that the experience can vary with increasing difficulty levels. However, some users only engaged with the tutorial, leaving their overall assessment of replayability somewhat uncertain.
- “The tech tree is well designed, and the replayability is evident as I continued to play beyond the tutorial, with increasing difficulty.”
atmosphere
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the improved atmosphere of the game, noting the polished visuals and the addition of music that enhances the overall experience. The inclusion of a better tutorial and diverse maps further contributes to an engaging environment, leaving players eager for more gameplay.
- “Now it's more polished, with music to add atmosphere, a better tutorial, and different maps, and I can't wait to play more.”