7 Days to Die is a survival horror video game set in a large, open world created by the Fun Pimps. It was first made available in an early release version for OS X and Windows on December 13, 2013, and for Linux on November 22, 2014. Versions for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were released in 2016 through Telltale Publishing but are no longer being updated. A complete version, called 1.0, was released for Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on July 25, 2024.

Gameplay

The goal of 7 Days to Die is to stay alive for as long as possible by avoiding dangers like weather and zombies. Players can start in a randomly created world or in a preset world called Navezgane, Arizona. As a survival game, the player must find food and water to stay alive and avoid injuries or illness. The game uses a voxel-based system (similar to Minecraft, but with smoother landscapes), allowing players to build and break objects in a world that follows real-life physics. For example, a building without support like pillars might collapse. Items in the game wear out over time, so players must find or make new tools as the game continues. Players can collect materials from nature and human-made ruins to create tools and structures.

The game includes animals that can be hunted for food or that may attack the player. However, zombies are the biggest danger. Zombies move slowly and are easy to spot during the day but become faster and more aggressive at night. As the game progresses, stronger zombie types appear. Players can avoid fights by hiding or distracting zombies. Zombies are drawn to areas where the player is active and will attack anything blocking their path, including player-built structures. If zombies see the player, they will chase them until the player is killed or leaves the area.

A special event called the Blood Moon happens every seven in-game days. During this event, large groups of zombies and infected animals attack the player’s location. Without proper defenses, the player will struggle to survive.

The world of Navezgane has several biomes, or different environments, such as deserts, forests, snowy areas, and a wasteland filled with zombies. Each biome has unique resources, encouraging players to explore the map.

Multiplayer is available through servers hosted by players, allowing multiple people to play together in the same world. Players can work together or compete, depending on the server settings. Players can run their own servers or use online hosting. Single-player worlds support local network play, letting others join without a server. Some versions of the game also allow online multiplayer through single-player worlds. The game can be played on consoles, Windows, and Linux. Two multiplayer modes are available: Survival (with randomly generated or standard worlds) and Creative. The console version supports split-screen cooperative play.

Plot

The game's story happens after a nuclear attack during a Third World War, which caused widespread destruction across the world, except for certain areas like the fictional county of Navezgane, Arizona. Before the game's events in December 2033, a virus called the Septdiurnal Virus (SDV) severely damaged the United States of America. A year later, on January 15, 2034, nuclear weapons were used against major cities in an attempt to eliminate zombies, which led to the start of the Third World War. The player is a survivor of this disaster who must find shelter, food, and water while gathering supplies to protect themselves from the many zombies in Navezgane. A major antagonist, though not yet seen in the game, is Duke H. Cassadore, also known as the Duke of Navezgane. Before the game's events, the Duke expressed concerns about Navezgane, suggesting it should be protected by borders. By the time the game begins, the Duke has turned to banditry with a group of mutated soldiers, which some believe are the bandits originally planned to be added in Q2 2025.

Development

The Windows alpha version of the game was released on August 16, 2013, for people who pre-ordered the game through Kickstarter or PayPal. As of August 11, 2013, the game was still under development, with the Kickstarter campaign ending on August 15. The estimated release date for the Windows version was May 2014, while Macintosh and Linux versions were planned for later in the year.

The game was approved for sale on Steam after 23 days, receiving over 75,000 yes votes, 8,340 followers, and 8,700 favorites. It became the number one game on Steam Greenlight after only 16 days, with more than 56,000 votes. The Mac version was released on September 13, 2013, at the same time as update Alpha 1.1.

The game left early access and was officially released on July 25, 2024, as version Alpha 22, or Now 1.0.

7 Days To Die was first released to the public on Alpha 1.0. Only users who had supported the game through the Kickstarter campaign or purchased it via PayPal had access to the Alpha version until Alpha 5.0, which was released on Steam as an Early Access game on December 13, 2013.

Since the Alpha release of 7 Days To Die, there have been many major updates that added new features, such as a snow biome, forging systems, new weapons, improved graphics, and smoother terrain.

Alpha 7.8 was released on April 4, 2014, followed by Alpha 7.9 on April 8, and Alpha 7.10 on April 19. Alpha 8 was released on May 7, 2014, which improved zombie animations and smoothed the terrain for the final time. Alpha 9 was released on August 19, 2014, and added randomly generated worlds, new injuries, new light effects, and new graphics. Alpha Version 10 was released on November 22, 2014, and introduced a new character creation system with face and body customization, a zombie horde heat map, and a wellness system.

Alpha Version 11 was released on April 2, 2015, and updated the game to use Unity 5, which improved graphics and added a new quality range system for weapons and armor. A new zombie type called "Feral" was also introduced. Alpha 12 was released on July 3, 2015, and added a vehicle system with a mini bike, a weather system, and new sound and physics systems. Alpha 13 was released on December 10, 2015, and included temperature survival elements, a skill system, and a redesigned crafting system. The game became more challenging but remained popular.

Alpha 14 was released on March 26, 2016, with more improvements, bug fixes, and performance and graphic optimizations. Alpha 15 was released on October 5, 2016, and included better random map generation, a trader system, new difficulty scaling, and other features. The UMA-Zombies introduced in this update were removed in Alpha 16.

On June 6, 2017, Alpha 16 was released. This update added electricity to the game for the first time and introduced traps like electric fences and spinning blades. On November 19, 2018, Alpha 17 was released, adding a quest system, new vehicles, and major system changes. This version also included new main menu music, marking the start of a large audio overhaul. Native Darkness Productions produced the music and sound design from Alpha 17 onward. On October 2, 2019, Alpha 18 was released, which balanced changes from Alpha 17 and added new features like improved random world generation, a new infection system, and zombie enrage mode. This update also introduced the Dynamic Music System (DMS). On June 27, 2020, Alpha 19 was released, adding a new loot system, new weapons, candy, a critical hit system, new locations, and updated zombie textures.

On December 1, 2021, Alpha 20 was released. The developers called this update "the largest content drop" ever for the game. It included major changes to random world generation, new points of interest (POIs), and improved 3D models for items and enemies. The blunderbuss, the only firearm available earlier, was replaced with new pipe weapons. Some players criticized the developers for keeping the game in the Alpha stage for nearly a decade after its launch.

On February 1, 2022, Alpha 20.1 was released. This update fixed many bugs, improved POIs, and adjusted game balance based on player feedback.

On June 29, 2023, Alpha 21 was released. On November 20, 2023, Alpha 21.2 was released, which included many additions, bug fixes, and changes.

On July 25, 2024, Version 1.0 (formerly Alpha 22) was released, marking the game’s exit from Early Access. This version unified the PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S editions under a single build. Features included a new armor system with themed sets, improved character customization, diverse zombie variants, redesigned animal models, new vehicles, expanded POIs, improved random world generation, enhanced graphics, and performance optimizations.

On October 1, 2024, Version 1.1 (build 14) was released. This update added stealth mechanic improvements, controller support for the random world generation preview, new explosion effects, updated inventory audio, and other bug fixes and performance optimizations.

On December 10, 2024, Version 1.2 was released. This update introduced cross-platform block lists, selectable graphics modes for consoles, crossplay support between PC and consoles, and various stability, balance, and quality-of-life improvements.

On May 29, 2025, The Fun Pimps announced that Version 2.0 (“Storm’s Brewing”) would enter public experimental beta on June 16, 2025, with a full stable release planned for June 30, 2025. Planned features include biome progression with elemental hazards like smoke, heat, and cold.

Reception

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of 7 Days to Die received "negative" reviews according to the website Metacritic, which collects and summarizes game reviews.

7 Days to Die was listed as one of the "Top 100 Best-Selling Games of 2017" on Steam.

One reviewer pointed out a problem with the amount of time the game spent in its early development stage before being fully completed.