The 10 Commandments of 7 Days to Die

I’ve been playing a lot of 7 Days to Die over the past couple of months. (In fact, I wrote an early release review of it that you can check out here.)

One of the things that has struck me about 7 Days to Die is how in-depth the game is when it comes to surviving in it, so much so that shortly after I started playing I started taking notes and writing down little epiphanies that I had as I played.

In an effort to help people who are new to this game, I would like to share some thoughts I’ve gleaned as I’ve been running for my life from a throng of zombies.

Thou Shalt Always Be Gathering

Nearly everything that you find in 7 Days to Die has a purpose. As such, you should always be gathering items from the world. Most commonly, I am always picking up small stones. They are literally everywhere you go in-game and are used in a few very important crafting recipes. The nice thing about picking up stones is that you can do it even when you are running for your life.

Even though I say you should always be gathering….

Thou Shalt Prioritize

Be mindful of what you need most at all times and try to gather that class of items. Also, be thinking of what your secondary and tertiary needs are as well, and so on.

Thou Shalt Leave a Couple of Inventory Slots Open at All Times

Nothing sucks more in a game than when you find a good piece of loot and you don’t have the inventory space to pick it up. This is compounded in 7 Days to Die when you have a zombie—or twelve—bearing down on you intent on making you a member of their undead club.

Thou Shalt Be Organized

Speaking of a zombie horde bearing down on you: it’s not a good time when you need a bandage or med kit and can’t find it in your inventory or any of your storage chests or crates. Knowing exactly where your medical supplies or weapons are in your inventory or storage makes it more likely that you’ll be able to get to them when you really need them in a bad situation.

Thou Shalt Carry Thine Own First Aid Supplies

In a game where you can break a leg, bleed out, or catch diseases, you really should be carrying first aid supplies for any situation, at all times. Seriously. At all times.

Thou Shalt Not Take the Obvious Way In

When breaking into a building, all entries are not created equal. Look for the way in that will take the least effort and make the least noise, lest ye bring down a furious zombie reprisal upon thine own head.

Thou Shalt Not Be Overly Noisy, Nor Smelly, Nor Showy

In 7 Days to Die every noise you make, every smelly piece of meat you carry, and every light source you use adds to a thing called the Heat Map. The Heat Map is what determines if and how many zombies might be drawn to you. So keep it down, stow meat in storage, and don’t light unnecessary fires.

Thou Shalt Have an Escape Plan

Whether you’re in your base or scavenging in a building, always make note of another way out. It’s not unheard of for a zombie—or twelve—to hear you rummaging or working and decide to come see what all the fuss is about.

A zombie or two may not be too big a deal in close quarters, but a half dozen or more will quickly lead to a very bad day.

Thou Shalt Not Engage in Fisticuffs with the Undead Unless Necessary

Every time you get in a scuffle with a zombie in 7 Days to Die, you take the chance of catching the disease, bleeding out, or just plain getting pummeled and munched to death. My advice is to avoid fighting when you can. Unless, of course, you feel like killing some zed.

Thou Shalt Choose the Ground of Thine Fisticuffs with Zombies Carefully

If you do decide you want to kill some zed, or it becomes unavoidable, make sure you choose where to fight. Make sure that you have any and all advantages wherever you choose to fight the undead. Most importantly make sure you have some open area so you can avoid being surrounded.

 

Well, those are my top bits of advice for gamers who are new to 7 Days to Die. This list is by no means even close to being complete. If you’ve played 7 Days to Die and have some thoughts I didn’t include here, please help survival rates in this game go up by sharing in the comments below!