7 Days to Die

7 Days to Die is an open-world survival game from The Fun Pimps that blends first-person shooting, survival horror, tower defence and RPG progression. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. The game spent over a decade in early access and left it in the summer of 2024.

You gather resources, craft weapons and tools, dig, build a base and level up. A day counter sets the rhythm: every so often a horde comes for you, so your shelter has to become a fortress with traps, walls and towers. The world can be torn apart and rebuilt, and that is part of the tactics.

There is no fixed story, so HowLongToBeat gives only a rough guide: about 54 hours to the main goal and about 285 hours for a full run (small sample). A month will teach you the game but not exhaust it. It has online modes, but on rental you get the single-player game in your own world; multiplayer is not included.