"Night of the Living Dead" came out in 1968, and it's one of the most famous zombie movies to date. While it was a hit, the zombie genre wasn't really popular until "28 Days Later" was released in 2002. This time, the zombie apocalypse genre made it big, and it's still going strong, 20 years later.
In fact, it's so hot that several video games tackle this subject. And if you're interested, then 7 Days to Die is the perfect place to start.
This game is like Minecraft, but with threatening zombies that'll kill you, given the chance. And if you're tired of creepers blowing up your base, then it's the perfect time to switch games.
Of course, it's not going to be easy. Here's a guide on how to survive the first seven days so you'll have long-term success.
Like Minecraft, the point of 7 Days to Die is to survive for as long as possible. You'll have to use the world's resources, both natural and foraged.
You'll learn different crafting recipes throughout the game. The items you make and the ones you find degrade with use, so be careful.
Your character will also constantly need food and water, so keep an eye on your hunger and thirst. Plus, you're susceptible to injury and illness, which can happen based on your environment and the food and drinks you consume.
You'll need to monitor your stamina too. It'll go down when you do things like punch trees or run, and if you deplete your stamina, it'll take a little time to go back to 100%. This can mean the difference between outrunning a zombie or it killing you.
You're probably now wondering, what about the zombies?
Well, during the day, they're more docile and slow, so it's easier to sidestep them. However, at night, they're feral, so they move much faster! You'll encounter more types of zombies as the game goes on too, and they'll be more aggressive and difficult to kill.
Most importantly, as the name implies, there's a challenge every seven days: a Blood Moon Horde. Essentially, this is like a tower defense game where you have to hold off waves of zombies from 10:00 pm until 4:00 am. Make sure you've built up good defenses and have gotten good weapons before the seventh day, or you're in for a bad time.
When you start the first day, you'll have a grace period where no zombies will spawn nearby. Take this opportunity to learn the lay of the land, and to collect resources.
Be curious and search everything you see, as you never know what you'll find. If you find yourself encumbered, then build a storage chest in your base and put your extra materials in. That way, you can pull them out later to use for the recipes you learn.
One of the best 7 Days to Die tips is to craft a weapon ASAP. Your stone axe will do in a pinch, but it's best if you make the Primitive Bow and Stone Arrows. Or if you prefer melee weapons, make the Wooden Club.
Before it gets dark, try to clear out all zombies in the area where you'll hunker down for the night. You don't want any of these sprinting monsters to come at you once the sun goes down.
Night starts at 10:00 pm, so make sure you've made a small shelter by then. If you're caught out, then try and find a nearby building. Put chairs and other objects in front of entrances to keep zombies out.
Wherever you hide, don't go outside unless necessary. The good news is, because this is your first night, the game will be easy on you and it'll be the easiest night. However, it's still not ideal to be outside while it's dark, so stay put and wait for daylight to do anything.
When the sun rises, head out and stock up on food. You can forage for things like wild berries, corn, and potatoes, and you can rifle through kitchen cupboards and fridges.
In addition, if you find glass jars, you can collect water with them. Make sure you boil these jars over your campfire before drinking though, as Bottled Murky Water has a 12% of giving you dysentery.
One of the biggest mistakes that newbies make is assuming buildings don't have any enemies inside. They become so focused on foraging for supplies that the next thing they know, they're surrounded by zombies!
You won't immediately see where zombies are in a building, and they won't move toward you until you're within proximity. Add in the fact that zombies can enter the building from outside, and you can find yourself in a tight spot quickly.
Proceed through all rooms cautiously, and watch your back.
You've hit a zombie a few times, and they're lying on the ground now. They're dead, right?
Many new players mistakenly think they've killed a zombie, then are startled when they get attacked from the back after leaving.
The fact is, in 7 Days to Die, the enemies can be initially stunned. So you can hit them, then run away if needed. But they'll get back up if you don't kill them.
To make sure you won't be attacked while your guard's down, check the lower righthand corner after "killing" the zombie. If it's actually dead, it'll show you the experience points (XP) you earned.
You can also use this tactic for other enemies, like wolves.
While you're waiting for daytime, use those moments to prep for the next day. For example, you can craft ammunition and bandages.
Do note that your activities may attract zombies to your location. Don't panic; crouch (to reduce noises) and pick these zombies off before others are alerted.
When playing 7 Days to Die, some of the best weapons against zombies are guns. However, you need ammunition to power these weapons, and the bullets you find while scavenging probably won't be enough.
To make up for this, grab all the brass you can. Objects like trophies and doorknobs might seem like junk at first, but they're highly valuable because of the material they're made with!
After picking up all these things, build a forge at your base. You can then smelt these items to create casings.
Need casings in an emergency situation? You can smelt your coins!
While it's certainly possible to play 7 Days to Die on your own, it can be much easier with friends. You can look out for one another, plus you'll have a fun time exploring and cooperating to build a fantastic base.
If you split the responsibilities and work together, the chances of survival for the first week will go up drastically. You might just find yourselves in charge of a small civilization in the future!
If you've played Minecraft before, then you're probably familiar with Minecraft mods. These make life a lot easier and can even spice things up if you're bored with the vanilla version of the game.
The good news is, there are 7 Days to Die mods available. You can browse a wide variety of them to do things like:
Finding the right mods can make your experience easier. However, you should see the game's original content first before downloading them, so you know what it's like. But if you find it too hard, there are mods available to help out.
It can be a tough game to get the hang of, but there's no doubt that 7 Days to Die is fun to play. This is especially true if you've got friends to form an alliance with. Learning the game together and sticking with one another can not only strengthen your camaraderie, but also make those Blood Moon Hordes just a bit easier.
And if you don't have friends to play with, you can ask around online. Or if you're up for the ultimate challenge, make a solo run on the game. You might be surprised at how far you can make it on your own!
If you'd like a server to play 7 Days to Die on with your friends, then sign up with Aleforge now. We've got affordable game hosting with low latency and fantastic security.
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