Ok, sure, the name isn't really what you would call "original", but at least the gameplay is interesting; Zombie Apocalypse has you dispatching the bloodthirsty freaks via turn-based combat and has perma-death, which you don't see all that often. You'll need to manage survivors, go on dangerous scavenging runs, build alliances, craft equipment, make story-influencing decisions, defend your camp against the always ravenous undead hordes and they've thrown in some non-linear, rogue-lite elements as well.
As the story goes, the zombie outbreak just hit, no one is ready (because somehow, despite the years of comics, movies and games, no one is ever ready) but you were fortunate enough to join a group of survivors and hole up in their camp. But food supplies are running low, injured survivors must be tended to and materials have to be scavenged to keep the camp intact. The zombie threat increases steadily (damn zombies!) and gangs of hostile survivors will have you on your guard constantly. The non-linear story allows you to control the narrative, and decisions you make in conflict situations will change things down the line, like deciding to save survivors, or let them die so there is more food for the rest of the gang. There are even romantic options, where you can get all hugged up with another survivor, or you can piss someone off and start static. If you can survive long enough, the game has six possible endings to unlock.
Dead Age is out now on Steam and Xbox One.
