State of Decay Beginner’s Tips

With over 550,000 downloads, Undead Labs’ State of Decay has become one of the biggest games in Xbox Live history, and for good reason.  It’s essentially the zombie game we’ve always wanted, an open world experience that draws inspiration from some of the best horror films.  Choices you make have a big impact, while the freedom to explore results in a wealth of supplies and shocking discoveries.  That said, these beginner’s tips will keep you from becoming a zombie’s hot lunch.  

-Always remember that melee weapons eventually break.  It’s a great idea to keep more than one on your person when the inevitable happens, since being unarmed can and probably will get you killed; kicking won’t get the job done.

-Pressing LB and Y together lets your character search faster.  The tradeoff comes in the form of making noise that may attract a horde of zombies to your location.  Unless you’re in a rush, pressing and holding Y will do just fine.

-This should go without saying, but clear a house/building/tent of all zombies before rummaging through objects for supplies.

-Press and hold the Y button to board up windows.  A persistent zombie will eventually break through unless you make repairs.

-Always close doors upon entering a house/building.  There’s no point in boarding up windows with the door wide open.

-Vehicles are the fastest way to travel but take damage as you smack into things. 

-Running over a group of zombies makes for a fun time, but these undead creeps will occasionally latch onto your ride.  When this happens, jam on the brakes to throw the monster onto the road.  Now it’s just a matter of driving around or on top of it.

-Excessive sprinting and fighting drains your character’s Stamina meter located on the bottom left portion of the screen.  It replenishes over time but keep an eye on it.  Running out of Stamina limits your survivor’s abilities.

-You’re able to switch characters inside “safe” areas and at key moments in the game. Once you switch, the previous character slowly regains Health and Stamina. Not only that, but new characters may possess different weapons and items to use in battle.

-Avoid the zombie horde whenever possible.  Press and hold the B button to crouch, then slowly tip-toe around the flesh-eaters.  You can see the horde’s cone of vision on the mini-map (bottom left) or the large map (press the Back button).

-Toggle the flashlight by pressing the right analog stick (R3).

-With a zombie on the ground, press LB and Y to finish it off.

-Guns do the most damage but create a lot of noise.  You may want to avoid using them until locating a suppressor.

-On the run from the zombie horde? Let heavily-armed computer-controlled characters take them out.

-You can bust through locked doors by repeatedly pressing X. Just prepare yourself for what’s on the other side.

-Bringing up your journal (Up on d-pad) and map (Back) does not pause the game.  Zombies can and will attack.  Press the Start button for a true pause.

-Zombies near the front door?  Look for a back entrance or break/jump through a window for a quick escape.

-The game penalizes your mobility and stamina for carrying too much weight.

-When characters die they’re permanently dead and supplies are lost.

State of Decay is available for Xbox 360.