5 Best Zombie Games of 2022, Ranked

Flesh and bone, bite and brawn: the four basic ingredients that craft a standard zombie. Anything else is, you know, pulled from an artist's unhinged imagination. But unlike other monster types, the undead rarely need a tweak to stay relevant. It's a timeless concept that gels incredibly well with survival horror, regardless of the setting or characters that play a role in the overall structure.

2022 has certainly seen its number of zombie games, though only a select few have been able to grasp us firmly by the neck hairs. The question is, which of the many have grappled and plucked the most with their post-apocalyptic worlds? Well, here's how we see it.

5. Back 4 Blood

Technically, this one is cheating, as it released just before the turn of the new year. Having said that, the Left 4 Dead successor is still very much alive and kicking, and it even receives its fair share of updates and content uploads to this day. For that, we're happy to give it some thought—especially while holding out for that Left 4 Dead 3 game that should have happened over a decade ago.

Back 4 Blood follows the same structure as its predecessor, Left 4 Dead, in the way that you assume the role of one of four survivors in a zombie apocalypse. Plunged into a first-person bullet-hell scenario, you and your team must go all-out to secure your place in the new world, using whatever tools and tactics you can find to help wade through the countless hordes of flesh-deprived corpses. There's blood, bullets, and a whole lot of familiar catchphrases. So many, that anyone would think Ellis was in the room, fighting your corner.

4. The House of the Dead: Remake

The beloved arcade rail-shooter has finally received a remake on updated tech, and it's about time, too. For years, zombie fans have requested for a developer of any background to step in and rebuild the classic shooter from the ground up. Lo and behold, the Remake finally came under the wing of MegaPixel Studio just last month. And, you know, it actually wound up being a whole lot better than we expected it to be.

Where The House of the Dead lacks in storytelling, it most definitely makes up for in invigorating gameplay and fast-paced shooting mechanics. Like a bullet storm from another realm, the action-packed saga fires on all cylinders, ignoring nearly every element in favor of the two smoking barrels it holds so dearly. Twenty-five years apart, and yet just as refreshing as its debut chapter.

3. Evil Dead: The Game

Evil Dead is a lot like yeast extract—you either love it, or you hate it. For many, it's a cult-classic that deserves every accolade in the book. For a fraction, it's a stain on the horror world, and an insult to the zombie genre. Either way, it didn't really stop one developer in particular from building a video games based solely on its many, many unusual ordeals.

Evil Dead: The Game pays tribute to a number of great survival horror games, namely Dead by Daylight and Friday the 13th. As a character from one of the movies or shows, you are tasked with completing a number of objectives with your team as zombies, demons, and otherworldly beings make way for your blood and bones. Like Back 4 Blood, only with ten times the gore and brutality. You know, typical Evil Dead style.

2. The Day Before

The Day Before is a brand new open-world MMO that stems from the creative minds over at FNTASTIC. Releasing on June 21, the fresh-faced, albeit dead-heavy adventure will have you wading through a torn version of America looking for a reason to survive and prosper. However, with thousands of other tainted folk looking to one-up the remaining population, you'll have to be resourceful if you plan on making it past dusk.

From the moment you awake in an unrecognizable post-modern America, you'll have to keep your wits about you as you step forth and discover the world beyond your safe haven. Battling against others players out in the open-world playground, street smarts are an essential tool to surviving the hostility that the new world encourages. And with that, you can expect plenty of shady ordeals and fleshy encounters.

1. Dying Light 2: Stay Human

Dying Light 2: Stay Human was arguably one of the most anticipated games of 2022, and for good reason. Being a hybrid of parkour and survival horror, the long-awaited sequel was met with intrigue by the community, giving it that little extra nudge up the ladder on noteworthy video games.

Similar to its original, Dying Light 2 puts you in a zombie-infested dystopian metropolis, a place where its remaining survivors scavenge leftovers to forge a life for themselves. As one of the last remaining people to stand against the undead, you must reignite the drive that idles in the hearts of a fractured civilization. No pressure or anything.

So, what's your take? Do you agree with our top five? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.