Ultimate Zombie Defense

The undead survival shooter Ultimate Zombie Defense is currently free, for Windows and Mac — 100% free in a limited-time Steam’s giveaway! Don’t miss it, as Ultimate Zombie Defense normally costs US$5.99!

Ultimate Zombie Defense is an indie top-down shooter where you must survive a zombie apocalypse in a European city, engaging in direct combat against the undead while also constructing defensive structures. It was developed by Terror Dog Studio and originally released on December 8, 2020.

The game’s premise is straightforward: repel wave after wave of enemies while focusing on building and managing a functional base to halt the undead advance — which brings a strategic layer to the gameplay. Expect lots of blood and gore, plus online co-op multiplayer.

Published by Terror Dog Studio itself and available for both Windows and Mac, Ultimate Zombie Defense received mixed reviews from some critics. On Steam, however, it currently boasts thousands of very positive user reviews, at least at the time of this post.

You can get the game here!

Trailer

Gameplay

Ultimate Zombie Defense is a top-down shooter focused on surviving successive waves of enemies in urban areas infested with the undead. The game combines direct action with base-building and strategic elements, and can be played solo or in online co-op for up to four players.

In the game, you take on the role of an elite soldier on a mission to locate and eliminate the source of a zombie outbreak in a fictional city in continental Europe. Progress is wave-based, with hordes of undead and mutated creatures attacking the group. By defeating enemies and completing rounds, players earn money that can be spent in two main areas: purchasing weapons and building defenses.

Weapons and Equipment

The game offers a wide range of weapons, from pistols and shotguns to heavy gear like flamethrowers, grenade launchers, and miniguns — each with its own handling and impact style. Players can carry up to three weapons at once (primary, secondary, and special), and upgrade them during the match. Epic slow-motion effects are triggered automatically during intense action moments.

Base-Building System

Between waves, players can construct defensive structures to hold off enemy advances. The building system includes:

chain-link fences
sandbags
wooden stakes
concrete barricades
sentry turrets
landmines
fog lights and other military equipment

The strategic placement of obstacles directly affects enemy AI behavior, which tends to follow the path of least resistance. This allows players to set traps and redirect the flow of incoming hordes.

Enemies

The game features a wide variety of enemies, including:

standard zombies (Walkers)
fast zombies (Runners)
special infected such as Boomers (explosive), hellhounds, chainsaw-wielding mutants, spitters, screechers, and other creatures with unique abilities
boss fights every 10 waves, each with specific mechanics — including the Berserker, the clown Happy, and Lord Supex, who splits upon death

Modes and Progression

In addition to co-op, the game includes an offline single-player mode. Players can choose from eight different characters, each with unique abilities that can be improved via a research tree, unlocking perks such as increased damage or temporary unlimited ammo.

Despite its intentionally simple structure, Ultimate Zombie Defense encourages planning and teamwork in multiplayer sessions. The difficulty scales progressively based on the number of players and enemy strength, offering challenge and variety within the wave-based gameplay loop.

About the game

Ultimate Zombie Defense is a top-down co-op survival adventure set in the suburbs of a once peaceful city in the heart of continental Europe. The city and its surrounding 250 kilometers have been placed under quarantine in an attempt to contain the threat—though all efforts have failed so far.

You and your friends are elite soldiers deployed to this infested zone with one mission only: locate and destroy the source of the infection.

So what are you waiting for? Get to work, soldier!

Features

A robust base-building system that lets you place objects like chain-link fences, sandbags, barbed wire, concrete barricades, turrets, landmines, fog lights, and other military-grade equipment!
An apocalypse-proof weapon selection — from the classic shotgun to flamethrowers, grenade launchers, miniguns, and many, many more!
Epic slow-motion effects triggered during your most intense action moments.
Unique boss battles designed to challenge even the most seasoned zombie slayers.
A wide variety of infected enemies, with over 12 distinct monster types.
Heavy metal chaos — blast away the undead to a pounding soundtrack!
Choose from 8 unique characters to take on the zombie horde.
Online co-op gameplay for up to 4 players.
Single-player mode for offline zombie-slaying.