Zombie game Into the Dead just got a lot more deadly with a new infection risk

The scariest thing about the zombie apocalypse isn't just the shambling undead, but the risk you could find yourself among them. One slip, an errant lapse in judgement, and a bite or scratch might spell your doom, even if you get away in the moment. Slowly, your humanity fades, and you fall to a neverending unlife of hunting those you once loved. Steam zombie game Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days has now fully embraced this horror, introducing just such a risk into its already vicious survival sim with the new 'Infection' update.

Following a hugely successful Steam Next Fest demo that pushed it into Steam's top 50 most-wishlisted games, Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days arrived in early access in April, and it's so far earned itself a 86%-positive rating from players. Blending the best zombie games such as Project Zomboid and State of Decay with the desperate, scavenging-driven stylings of This War of Mine, this latest Into the Dead game drops you into the suburbs of 1980s Walton, Texas. It's just become even more deadly with its second major update, which spreads fresh threats across the streets and adds the risk of your survivors picking up the zombie virus.

Developer PikPok has already ramped up the brutality since launch, but the new update's introduction of an infection mechanic feels like an essential moment. The studio feels much the same: "What would a zombie game be without infection?" When attacked, there's a chance your survivors might suffer a 'deep wound' that will gradually drain their health. It can lead to a state of high fever, making them more vulnerable to damage, and there's even a chance it will carry a more severe infection.

Picture the scene: Brian has been a stalwart of your shelter, but he took a nasty swipe during the last excursion. Now, he's holed up in bed, desperately shivering despite the heat. Take care of him, and perhaps he'll pull through; but what if it's not just a fever? Can you afford to spend the resources and take the risk that he won't suddenly become a much more serious problem? It's the epitome of any great zombie tale, and there's rarely a good answer. If you really can't face it, there's now the option to permanently evict a survivor, forcing them back out onto the streets.

That's just the start; PikPok adds that "a multitude of new zombie threats" have been set loose across the streets of Walton City, many with never-before-seen behaviors. Fortunately, there are some new throwables to help you survive, including firecrackers, grenades, alarm clocks, and makeshift timers. PikPok has also introduced components, which must be found to craft shelter station upgrades, and seeds, which replace the old method of directly planting vegetables in your garden.

No matter how stressful you like your simulation, you'll now have full control. Start a fresh playthrough, and you'll be presented with a full plate of difficulty options; choose one of the three presets, or adjust the full gamut for a more custom experience. You can adjust the range of scavenging difficulty, how hard the undead hit, how hardy they are, how frequently your shelter is raided, the rate of stat drain, and more.

Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days update two is out now. You can read through the full patch notes courtesy of PikPok for additional tweaks, including improvements to allow survivors to use consumables while out scavenging, dodge changes to help them stay alive, and group combat tweaks to make hordes just a little less overwhelming.

We've rounded up the best survival games in 2025 to keep you plenty busy, along with the best management games if you love to take charge of proceedings.

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