Project Zomboid build 42 is finally here, and it adds animals, basements, and deeper crafting

Ava is a fan of all things relating to The Sims and Dead by Daylight, to immersive RPGs, MMOs, and cozy games

For over a decade, Project Zomboid has sent us off into Knox Country to survive and stave off those pesky, shambling zombies. And now, after over a year of waiting for a stable build, with build 42, we'll experience a "landmark update," from an "extensively expanded" reworked map to animal husbandry, basements, corpse dragging, and even fishing improvements. Those are a lot of additions as it is, but there's even more to unpack.

Did anyone say crafting? Or building? In a press release, The Indie Stone shares that build 42 expands on the survival game's systems, with ways for "players to progress from improvised fixes towards increasingly ambitious attempts at self-sufficiency." Animals like cows and chickens make their way into the game, providing "new approaches to farming, food production, and wilderness survival." You'll find hunting and trapping changes, new ranged and craftable weapons and crops, an improved sneak system, and even collapsible fencing to make things extra scary!

The Project Zomboid update, which is referred to as "one of the broadest updates in Project Zomboid's long development history" also includes "expanded lore and environmental storytelling," which is said to offer "more texture to the world before, during, and after everything went extremely sideways." The changes to the world map are frankly huge, with places like Rosewood's Main Street and Riverside's Maria Plaza looking almost unrecognizable.

Gameplay and lore additions aren't the only things on offer, though. Game modes, interactions, the inventory, and UI are all seeing changes. Visuals are getting modern additions, too, with better lighting and atmosphere for "greater depth to homes, towns, forests, roads and the dark corners between them."

Project Zomboid's Build 42 update is available to play now on PC, Mac, and Linux.