Summary
Zombies and video games tend to go together like peanut butter and jelly, as illustrated by the onslaught of games wrought by the undead. It’s no surprise why, given the typical zombie traits, which make for suitably creepy enemy fodder. There aremany entertaining romps centered around these sauntering, brain-eating foes, which allow trigger-happy players to slay zombies by the hundreds and even thousands.
Yet, there does seem to be lots of unrealized potential when it comes to games featuringplayable zombies.As it happens, there are some games that allow for this amusing role reversal, many of which have quietly crept under the radar. Zombie lovers rejoice.
Updated June 14, 2025 by Mark Sammut:Zombie games are very common, butgames with playable zombiesare another story entirely. Still, there are a few titles that should be able to scratch someone’s desire to control the living dead.
WhileNintendo’s Wiisuccessor wasn’t well-received following its 2012 release, Ubisoft utilized the unique hardware to craft one of the most inventive and overlooked zombie romps of the decade.ZombiUhas players use their GamePad controller as a virtual survival kit, all while fending off the undead in real-time. While the second screen proves a handy tool, the added burden of having to gaze down at the controller makes the experience all the more tense and spooky.
Perhaps the most notable highlight of this cult hit is the multiplayer function called King of Zombies. In this asymmetrical competition, the wielder of the GamePad can deploy zombies in key spots by way of a touch screen top-down map, in order to sabotage and slay their human opponent.
Both whimsically cartoony and gore-laden, Gentleman Squid Studio’sThree Dead Zedshows that a fun zombie slayer need not be fleshed out with sleek 3D landscapes or complex bells and whistles. In this indie game, players control a mutant brain-eater with the ability to morph into a few unique forms. These include a swift, nimble “Sprinter,” and a strong, fist-swinging “Brute.”
Zombie-lovers will no doubt enjoy powering through the slew of hazard-laden stages as they mash and munch their human prey. While a bit rough around the edges, this labor of love shines as a uniquely fun and zany action romp.
Despite falling under the radar amid a crowded PSP library,Undead Knightsfrom Tecmo Koei quietly shines as a thrilling, inventive action game. Players find themselves in a blocky medieval setting, taking charge as one of three undead-summoning overlords, who seek revenge on a murderous king.
As one might expect, this premise alone sets the stage for some satisfying gameplay. The experience is akin to anintense hack and slash a laGod of Warfused with a dark fantasy thriller. Yet, there are also tinges of tactical gameplay, as players can command bands of zombies to do their bidding in various ways.
Respawn As Zombies In The Hunted Mode
Contagion
Dynamic Gameplay: Each play through is never the same with our built-in randomization system that changes the game/round each time you play!State Of The Art Gore: Our advanced gibbing system will immerse you into the game with limbs and organs being blown or hacked off!Immersive Sound EffectsRealistic ambient and sound effects that instantly draw you into the games dark apocalyptic atmosphere!Traditional Zombies: Slow moving undead that can only be truly laid to rest with a bullet to the brain or enough wasted lead in their body wasting away the ability to function.Extensive Survival Equipment: Over 28 vital pieces of equipment from a large selection of firearms, melee weapons, don’t forget explosives, support items, tools, and much more to be added!Unique Game Modes: Choose from a multitude of classic and new game-modes that require co-op and survival skills in which you escape, extract civilians or hunt each other! Not to mention our Panic!, Flatline mode and more!
With its added atmosphere and dynamic, realistic feel,virtual reality can truly add to the survival horrorexperience, and it can prove a great complement to a zombie game. EnterContagionby Monochrome LLC; a horror-shooter that puts a fun, creepy spin on multiplayer games.
One of the four modes includes Hunted, in which up to 16 players can face off while being terrorized by AI zombies. The intensity continues creeping in as the game progresses, and the defeated players can respawn as the undead themselves. While in this form, they can hunt down the living, in order to give them a taste of the zombified death inflicted on them. This feature extends to the co-op mode called Extraction, where zombified players can disrupt their friends' efforts to complete missions and save AI survivors.
Following the rampant success of their tower defense, PopCap Games put a new spin on the appealingPlants Vs Zombiesfranchise with this third-person shooter. Rather than just fending off waves of sauntering undead, players can take the fight to the plants and control swift, gun-wielding zombies.
While quite different from the original mobile games on which it’s based, this team-based shooter proves equally tactical and addictive, as players can control different units with distinct abilities and functions. Taking the role of plant-eating zombies is particularly fun, as players can use them to summon lesser undead forces and utilize other powers not seen in the original games.
This 2008 release from Valve fast became a multiplayer phenom, thanks to some frenzied zombie-slaying gameplay anddeep cooperative elements. While it’s endlessly fun fending off ravenous zombies with friends, a lesser-appreciated feature inLeft 4 Deadis the ability to play as Special variants of the Infected.
Versus mode allows up to four players to take the role of these brain-eaters, harassing and spooking their human counterparts in intense showdowns. With these units — such as the swift Charger and massive Tank — holding distinct powers and skillsets, these face-offs bring more chaotic and tactical gameplay to the already fast-paced shooter.
Techland’s 2015 survival-horror shattered expectations with some epic cinematic gameplay that balanced thrilling action with nuance, depth, and a gritty sense of realism. Andthis dynamic, open-world formulahas only further been expanded upon with the 2022 sequel.
But whileDying Lightthrives on the eerie feeling of vulnerability through solitude, it’s also home to a fun multiplayer feature that has players take the role of a potent “Night Hunter.” Known as Be the Zombie, this mode pits players against one another in thrilling fashion. The ravenous mutant can attack players and invade their servers, while players stave them off and neutralize infected nests.
This zany thriller from Wideload has quietly become a cult hit with its colorful motifs and unique concepts. Initially released for the Xbox in 2005, this zombie game has seen new life witha remaster on modern consoles.Unlike many of its ilk,Stubbs the Zombieallows players to control a brain-eating undead as the central feature, rather than being a simple add-on.
Players will wreak havoc within a retro-futuristic city as a Depression-era undead, scorned by the murderous father of his girlfriend. Silly, satisfying, and decorated with fun 50s themes,Stubbsis truly a zombie lover’s playground.
As he resembles a skeleton rather than a conventional zombie, it can be easy to forget thatMediEvil’s iconic protagonist is 100% an undead protagonist. If he had died just before Zarok recast his necromancy spell, Sir Daniel Fortesque would have awoken with a far fleshier exterior; nevertheless, he fits the bill. Producing two classics during the PS1 era,MediEviloozes Halloween imagery out of every frame, all the while still firmly falling within the action-adventure category rather than the horror genre.
While some aspects are dated, these games are still charming and fun to play nowadays. Alternatively, newcomers can check out the 2019 PS4 remake if they want something a bit more modern, although this version is relatively faithful to its predecessor.
