Best Xbox Zombie Games: Our Picks For Xbox One, Series X & Series S

Back 4 Blood (Xbox Series X|S)

Turtle Rock Studios, the team behind the original Left 4 Dead, is back with an excellent co-operative zombie slayer that takes the well-worn formula of the L4D franchise and makes a few neat additions, the most impactful of which is a clever new card system which adds a nice strategic layer to proceedings as you collect and make decks of perks to help your beleaguered squad in battle.

Beware, however, as the AI Director can also play from a deck of Corruption Cards, piling on all sorts of misery as you struggle to survive through the 33 levels on offer here. In our review we called Back 4 Blood "a worthy spiritual successor to Valve's classic zombie-slaying series" and although the single player could do with some more meat on its bones, what's here for groups of four players in co-op is one the very best team-based FPS experiences of the year.

• Xbox Game Pass? Yes

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (Xbox Series X|S)

The Call of Duty franchise has been serving up hot zombie action ever since World At War first introduced the mode back in 2009. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War continues the tradition in fine style with a zombie mode that provides more slick and addictive four player action backed up by that signature Call of Duty polish. 60FPS gameplay, top-notch gun feel, fantastic visuals and more collectibles, Easter eggs, loadouts, perks and accessories than you can shake a stick (or bone) at, it's all here present and correct.

We absolutely love the vibe of CoD's zombie universe, with its mad Nazis, occult, conspiracy theories, interdimensional weirdness and goofy humour and this latest offering, which has been steadily growing and improving since it launched in 2020, adds plenty of maps and modes to keep ardent zombie-slayers busy for a good long while. This is some super slick and addictive stuff.

• Xbox Game Pass? No

DayZ (Xbox One)

A controversial recommendation perhaps, Bohemia Interactive's DayZ is certainly an acquired taste, but if you're willing to stick with it and you happen to find yourself jiving with its particularly tough survival groove, there's plenty of tense and gripping fun to be had here - just be prepared to work super hard for it.

DayZ on Xbox has certainly got its problems with bugs and other issues having never been fully resolved by its developer - something that is remedied slightly here by the fact it's now available to try on Game Pass. However, if you're willing to put up with some technical shortcomings and have the stomach for glacially-paced, often unrewarding and harshly punishing survival, this is game that creates plenty of memorable moments and anecdotes as you struggle to survive in its dog eat dog world.

Also, once you've got a handle on its undead, you'll find it's the humans players who inhabit this world who can be the real terrors and the paranoia that interacting with other players induces is often the high point of this gruelling and gruesome experience.

• Xbox Game Pass? Yes

Dead Island: Definitive Collection (Xbox One)

Techland's Dead Island series has been doing the rounds since way back in 2011 and this Definitive Edition is the very best way to sample its ridiculous B-movie delights.

With the original Dead Island romp and its sorta sequel, Riptide, both treated to an impressive makeover here - including lots of new textures, environments and graphical bells and whistles - this hammy, camp, extremely violent co-operative zombie-slaying playground has never looked or played better.

There may be the odd rough edge here and there but Dead Island: Definitive Collection's combat, in particular its hilariously gruesome melee combat, just never grows old as you fashion your own brutal weapons and set about hammering the undead inhabitants of this holiday island into absolute pieces. Techland's original zombie foray is a funny, zany, OTT good time.

• Xbox Game Pass? No

Dead Rising 3 (Xbox One)

Capcom's zombie-slaying series reached a high point in 2013 with a third entry that served up more undead than we'd ever seen on a map that was bigger than anything that had come before it in the franchise.

With over 300 weapons, tons of customisation, a great big slice of California to mess around in and more zombies onscreen at any one time than we believed possible, Dead Rising 3 was, and still is, the franchise at the very top of its game. We also love that it finally removed that dreadful timer from single player campaign missions, giving us time to relax, roam and discover. It may not be the prettiest game of all time, but Dead Rising 3's generous campaign, co-operative modes and slick action make it the best this franchise has to offer and a must-play for fans of the zombie-snuffing genre.

• Xbox Game Pass? No

Death Road to Canada (Xbox One)

2016's Death Road to Canada is a slick and addictive roguelite that sees you and your burgeoning party of survivors attempt to make a road trip from Florida to Canada, blasting your way through a zombie-infested USA as you go.

This gloriously retro-pixelated, randomly generated road trip sees you create a character with unique perks, or take a gamble and have one randomly assigned, then head out on the road where you'll need to make life or death decisions in text-based elements, constantly manage your party and supplies and prepare to do battle in top-down button mashing action sections when required.

You'll stop off at survivor camps, recruit party members, scavenge through supermarkets, gas stations, gun shops and, in all likelihood, die many times over before you successfully make it to the promised land of Maple Syrup and Mounties. Death Road to Canada's a highly replayable indie delight.

• Xbox Game Pass? No