The House of the Dead is a video game series created by Sega, which started with a game of the same name in 1997. Many games in the series were first released in arcades and use a light gun, but they can also be played with standard controllers on consoles or with a mouse and keyboard on home computers. For the PlayStation Network versions of games III and IV, players can use the PlayStation Move controller.
There are six main games in the series, all based on a first-person light gun rail shooter format. The main games share common features, such as teams of special agents working together to fight large groups of biologically engineered undead creatures. These creatures are called "creatures" in most games and "mutants" in the game Overkill. Each game is divided into chapters, and each chapter ends with a battle against a large, frightening boss. The bosses in the first four games and the sixth game are named after the Major Arcana of occult tarot. Gameplay details vary between games, with different characters, weapons, and types of enemies. Many games include choices that affect the story, special rewards that can be unlocked, and different endings based on how well players perform.
Other versions of the series include a virtual pinball game, an English tutorial, a typing tutorial, and a film trilogy. Some enemy characters from the first two games were made into detailed action figures by Palisades Toys. However, the second line of action figures was canceled before release because the first line did not sell well. Along with Capcom's Resident Evil, The House of the Dead helped make zombie video games popular again and brought renewed attention to zombies in movies and other media starting in the late 1990s and continuing into the 2000s.
Gameplay
The main way to play games in The House of the Dead series is through on-rails shooting, where players move along a fixed path while shooting enemies. To progress, players must eliminate all enemies in an area before moving to the next. The first two games used pistols, the third used a shotgun, and the fourth and Scarlet Dawn used a submachine gun. Overkill allows players to switch between different firearms. Instructions on the game cabinets state that aiming for the head is the most effective way to defeat zombies.
After clearing an area, players face boss battles. Before most battles, the game shows the boss’s weak point. Final bosses do not have visible weak points. If a boss is shot enough times, it will recoil. If not, the player loses a life. Most bosses are named after Major Arcana cards and are classified by numbers or, less often, Greek letters.
Some games have branching paths, which players can access by shooting doors, objects, or sometimes after killing a civilian.
The first two games included civilians. If players rescued civilians from zombies, they sometimes received extra lives. The fourth game did not include civilians. In the third game, players could save their partner and earn rewards. Extra lives can also be earned by shooting boxes, crates, vases, or other breakable objects. Scarlet Dawn includes civilians from the first two games, the partner rescue mechanic from the third game, and new features like weapon switching and quick time events.
All mainline games have multiple endings based on how many civilians were rescued, shooting accuracy, score, and lives remaining. Every main game except the last one has a "bad" ending, usually involving a character turning into a zombie. In the first game, Sophie Richards turned. In the second, Goldman turned. In the third, Daniel Curien turned. In the fourth, Goldman turned again.
Main series
On December 18, 1998, Dr. Curien, a mentally troubled and disillusioned man, plans to use his undead army against the public. AMS agents Thomas Rogan and "G" are sent to his mansion to stop his plan and rescue Rogan's future wife, Sophie Richards.
On February 26, 2000, Caleb Goldman, a wealthy businessman and scientist, admits he funded Dr. Curien's project. Goldman starts an undead outbreak in an unnamed Italian city while working on his "Emperor" project. AMS agents Harry Harris, Amy Crystal, James Taylor, and Gary Stewart are sent to stop him.
In the post-apocalyptic world of 2019, Thomas Rogan and his team of soldiers attempt a failed raid on the EFI Research Facility to find the cause of Earth's collapse and its link to Dr. Curien. After losing contact with Rogan, his daughter, Lisa Rogan, and his former partner, "G," begin a search mission. They do not know that their journey connects to events from the past and the origin of the undead. They meet Daniel Curien, Dr. Curien's son, who later teams up with Lisa to defeat his father's resurrected form, "Wheel of Fate," and his undead followers.
In 2003, veteran AMS agent James Taylor (from The House of the Dead 2 Original Remake) returns to Europe with newcomer Kate Green to investigate the Goldman Incident of 2000. After an earthquake, they discover the undead from three years earlier have returned, still alive, and are locked in a lab. The undead break free and cause chaos. James and Kate work to prevent a nuclear disaster and face Goldman again.
Shortly after The House of the Dead 4, AMS agent Kate Green teams up with veteran agent "G" to destroy the source of the outbreak.
On January 14, 2018, Sega announced House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn for arcade machines.
On December 6, 2006, three years after The House of the Dead 4, Kate Green joins Ryan Taylor, the brother of her late partner James Taylor, on an undercover mission at Scarecrow Manor's dinner event. The event's mysterious manager releases his creatures, causing chaos.
In September 2019, director Takashi Oda told Sega Interactive he plans to create three more games for the series and a House of the Dead first-person shooter if there is enough demand.
Spin-offs
The Typing of the Dead is a changed version of The House of the Dead 2 that uses QWERTY keyboards instead of light guns. Players defeat enemies by quickly typing words that appear on the screen. The game includes many challenges. It was created to help improve typing skills, and critics praised it for its humor and creativity. The game was released for arcades, Dreamcast, and PC. A later version was made only for the PlayStation 2 in Japan.
Zombie Revenge is a fighting game released for arcades and the Dreamcast. After a zombie outbreak destroys the city, AMS agents Stick Breitling, Linda Rotta, and Rikiya Busujima are sent to stop the threat using guns, fists, and other weapons. They also search for the truth about the mysterious Zed. The game includes many references to earlier games in the series, such as the Curien Mansion from The House of the Dead, which appears as the final stage. Some zombie sounds from the first House of the Dead game were reused.
The Pinball of the Dead is a pinball game released for the Game Boy Advance. Its tables, bosses, and enemy designs are based on The House of the Dead 2.
Similar to its predecessor, The Typing of the Dead 2 is a changed version of The House of the Dead III. It keeps the typing gameplay from the earlier game. It was only released in Japan for the PC.
A game released in Japan for the Nintendo DS helps Japanese speakers improve their English skills. It plays like the Typing of the Dead games, where players defeat enemies by translating Japanese words on-screen into English. The game uses the DS touch screen and speakers.
In 1991, Agent G begins his first mission to investigate mysterious disappearances in Louisiana. He has a conflict with homicide detective Isaac Washington. Together, they fight mutants in Bayou County and discover the outbreak is connected to Papa Caeser, a local sugar plantation owner. Isaac is trying to avenge his father's death. The pair follows Papa Caeser through many places in Bayou County and finds a much bigger secret than expected.
The House of the Dead EX is a more relaxed version of the main games with a humorous twist. Players control Zobio or Zobiko, two young zombies in love, who try to escape captivity. Unlike other games in the series, EX uses minigames for its levels. Each section has different paths, some using a lightgun, like shooting apples, and others using a foot pedal, like stomping on spiders. The goal of each level is to complete a task within a time limit, shown by long hands reaching toward each other. The game runs on the Lindbergh arcade system and is the first in the series to use a pedal. It was planned for December 2008 but was released in 2009.
The Typing of the Dead: Overkill is the second follow-up to the original Typing of the Dead game. It was released for PC via Steam. Unlike earlier versions, there is no arcade version of this game. It includes a mouse-based version of The House of the Dead: Overkill Extended Cut. Like its predecessors, it replaces rail-shooter gameplay with typing elements, using a modified version of The House of the Dead: Overkill engine.
Darts of the Dead is an unreleased darts game based on the House of the Dead series for the DARTSLIVE2 platform. SEGA trademarked the title in September 2017, and it was shown on the DARTSLIVEvideo YouTube channel in October 2017. No release has happened yet.
Compilations
The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return is a new version of The House of the Dead 2 and III for the Wii. It is mostly the same as the original games, with only small changes. A new type of attack called a melee attack is added to help protect the player, and the game works with the Wii Zapper controller.
Film adaptations
In 2003, the first film was directed by Uwe Boll and produced by Brightlight Pictures. It had a limited release in theaters and was intended to become a cult film, meaning it might gain a small but dedicated fan group. The film was a loose prequel to the 1997 game but received very poor reviews and did not make much money at the box office.
In 2004, a sequel to the first film was approved for production but was released directly to DVD instead of theaters. The original director could not work on the sequel due to other film commitments, so Michael Hurst was chosen to direct. This sequel was closer to the game’s story, showing AMS agents going to a school to stop a zombie outbreak. However, the film was also poorly received by audiences.
Another sequel was announced later. Mark Altman, a founder of Mindfire Entertainment, said the new film would take a completely different approach compared to the first two movies. It was also mentioned that the film might not be called House of the Dead 3 because Sega, the game’s creator, had not released the latest game version on home consoles. Eventually, Mindfire Entertainment made a film titled Dead and Deader, starring Dean Cain, and did not use the House of the Dead name.
In December 2016, Variety reported that Stories International and Circle of Confusion would produce a new House of the Dead film. In late October 2024, it was announced that a live-action adaptation of the House of the Dead video game franchise, made by Sega and Wow Entertainment, was being developed. Paul W. S. Anderson would direct, co-produce, and write the screenplay based on the third game. Main filming is expected to begin in mid- to late 2025. In February 2026, it was reported that Isabela Merced had joined the film project. Sega stated the film was a top priority after the success of their Sonic the Hedgehog movies.
In December 2025, Uwe Boll announced his plan to direct a sequel to his 2003 film. The new film will be titled 23 Years Later: Return to Zombie Island.
Legacy
The House of the Dead appears as one of the mini-games in the EyeToy game, Sega Superstars, where players use their bodies to attack zombies.
The series is included in Sega Superstars Tennis, where the mansion is a playable court. A minigame in this game requires players to aim their shots to avoid a group of approaching zombies. In this version, the series is called Curien Mansion instead of The House of the Dead because the series is banned in Germany.
Curien Mansion is also featured in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, which includes three race tracks based on the series. The riders Zobio and Zobiko (only Zobio appears on the Nintendo DS) from The House of the Dead: EX are part of the game. During their special move, Zobio drinks a magic potion that makes him grow larger and then uses his strength to slam opponents while Zobiko rides him.
A racetrack based on Curien Mansion appears in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Zombies and other monsters are shown in this track, and Zobio and Zobiko make brief appearances. The series is again called Curien Mansion in this game.
In Project X Zone, a character named Rikiya Busujima from Zombie Revenge appears, and the game includes references to The House of the Dead.
In the mobile RPG game SEGA Heroes, characters such as Dr. Curien, Agent G, Thomas Rogan, and Ebitan are playable. SEGA Heroes is the only crossover or spinoff featuring The House of the Dead that does not use the name Curien Mansion.
According to Kim Newman in the book Nightmare Movies (2011), the zombie revival began in the Far East during the late 1990s, influenced by Japanese zombie games like Resident Evil and The House of the Dead. The success of these games inspired many Asian zombie films, such as Bio Zombie (1998) and Versus (2000). This trend spread globally after the worldwide popularity of Resident Evil and The House of the Dead. Their success led to many Western zombie films in the 2000s, such as 28 Days Later (2002) and Shaun of the Dead (2004). In 2013, George A. Romero stated that video games like Resident Evil and The House of the Dead were more than anything else responsible for popularizing his zombie concept in mainstream culture.
The House of the Dead is also credited with introducing a new type of zombie that runs quickly, different from the slow-moving zombies created by George A. Romero. These fast zombies became popular in zombie films and games during the 2000s, including the Resident Evil series, The House of the Dead film, 28 Days Later (2002), and Dawn of the Dead (2004).
In the 52nd animated film by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Wreck-It Ralph, a zombie with a hatchet based on a character named Cyril appears. This zombie is part of a group of video game villains in the support group Bad-Anon. The zombie tells Wreck-It Ralph that labels do not define happiness and that he should accept himself, regardless of being good or bad.