Inspired by Day Z and Project Zomboid, two devs just launched one of the most detailed and realistic zombie games I've seen in ages

Day Z is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best zombie games you can play right now. Very few of its rivals can evoke that sense of desperate survival in quite the same way. But Vein is giving it a shot. It's been tinkered on for years by just two dedicated devs who were initially inspired by Project Zomboid, and now it's launched in Steam Early Access. With a huge evolving world, base building that can utilize the infrastructure around you, and a focus on realistic, long-term survival, it looks like a remarkably deep experience. You can also run over zombies in a go kart, which definitely earns it a bonus point from me.

Like Day Z, Vein is gunning for immersive, first-person survival in a sprawling open world. You won't be constructing elaborate bases after an hour, or mowing down the undead with overpowered weapons (unless the loot gods shine on you, of course). You'll be spending as much time clobbering zombies as you will in menus, managing your inventory, tending to your health parameters, and crafting components to fortify buildings you want to transform into a home base. Speaking of clobbering, you can use some surprising items as melee weapons - I spotted a computer keyboard, which might not be the best idea but needs must, right? There are firearms too, but you'll want to be as economical with the ammo as you can be.

There's also a pretty deep character creator on offer that goes well beyond visual customization. At the start of a save, you'll need to apply some stat points to areas you want to specialize in, and pick a background for your character that also fits into your preferred playstyle. You also have the option to choose additional 'uniquenesses' that will add another layer of challenge, such as lactose intolerance, peanut allergies, and even skin paleness that will make you sunburn more quickly. Yeah, that's the level of detail we're talking about here. Very RPG.

Loot is everywhere - pretty much every cupboard, car trunk, and trash pile can be scavenged. Tinned food can satiate your hunger, but over time those supplies will dwindle - with Vein's focus on long-term survival, farming your own food will be a much more sustainable option for keeping you fed.

Vehicles can play a huge role too, letting you explore the map more safely and transport gear and resources around in their trunks. However, finding fuel and parts to maintain them is of the utmost importance. As well as your usual array of cars and vans, you can also stumble across go karts and splatter some zombs with those - I can't imagine there's much room for all your loot, though…

Vein has already forged a small but dedicated community thanks to the free demo that's been playable for ages (and is still downloadable if you want to try before you buy). But now it's arrived in early access, the goal will be to grow that community considerably to hopefully rival some of the big guns that inspired it. And with a surprising price point for a game of this scope, it's certainly not in danger of being poor value.

Vein is out now in Steam Early Access, and will cost you just $17.99 / £13.49 thanks to a 10% discount that runs until Sunday, November 2. You can grab it, or try that demo out, right here.

If persevering in the harshest of conditions is your idea of a good time, check out our list of the best survival games. Alternatively, our best indie games list is full of remarkable titles also made by tiny teams.

If you give Vein a shot, make sure you swing by the PCGamesN Discord server and let us know what you think of it.