Zombies Aren’t Real, a top-down strategy game about containing an outbreak across real-world cities, reached an all-time peak of 5,782 concurrent players on Steam on Nov. 14, according to SteamDB. The Early Access game launched on Nov. 13 from Jogamedev, the studio behind Spellmasons.
The game’s Steam page shows an Overwhelmingly Positive user rating, with 96% of 611 reviews recommending it. TalkEsport also observed more than 5,300 players on Steam when it checked the game after the peak.
Containing outbreaks in real cities
Each scenario presents a city from above before an infection spreads. Players use limited resources to position defenses, respond to the advancing horde and rescue civilians. Missions are scored according to the number of lives saved, making civilian protection part of the game’s central objectives.
Jogamedev has built the initial maps around large real-world cities. The game also supports custom maps through the Steam Workshop. The developer says those maps can use public geographic data associated with zip codes worldwide, allowing players to create locations beyond the cities included with the game.
- The developer’s first listed Workshop maps include Sighișoara in Romania, Auckland in New Zealand and Nördlingen and Wemding in Bavaria.
- The game uses real-world geography as the setting for its outbreak scenarios.
- Custom maps are available through Steam Workshop.
The first Workshop campaigns listed for the game were made by Jogamedev. Sighișoara and Nördlingen are known for their surviving medieval town walls, which are also represented in the listed map locations.
Early Access plans
Zombies Aren’t Real is currently in Early Access on Steam. Jogamedev has described a 1.0 release plan for the game, while the current version focuses on its outbreak-management system, real-city maps and Workshop support.
The game is listed on Steam for $9.99. Its initial launch period has also brought attention to the combination of resource management, civilian rescue objectives and maps based on real geography, alongside the ability to create additional locations through the Workshop.
