The number of zombies in your Project Zomboid world changes how you should play the game drastically. With higher populations with settings like insane, you’ll want to use guns as early as possible to even have a chance at survival. It takes longer to clear buildings, and you’ll need more resources to make sure hordes can’t break down the gates of your base.
The best setting that’s right in the middle of the road is normal, which has just the right amount of zombies for any casual player. New players or those who want to focus more on surviving in terms of scavenging for food may use the low setting. Meanwhile, veteran players who love a challenge should use the high, very high, or insane settings.
1) Normal
Not too many, and not too little, the amount of zombies with a normal population is just right!
Not everyone wants to play Project Zomboid with tons of zombies lurking around every corner. But playing with only some zombies may not be appealing to everyone. The perfect amount of zombies for any player is available with a normal population setting.
When starting with a normal population, the zombie multiplier is set to 1.0. The population start multiplier is also set at 1.0, this number will change how many zombies are in the game when you start. The peak multiplier for the population is 1.5, and the peak day is day 28. So there will be the most zombies ever on the 28th in-game day.
2) Low
For those who like a more casual experience, there’s the low population.
The low population setting has less than half the amount of zombies as the normal population. Players who enjoy more focus on pure survival, worrying more about finding resources and building your base, should use lower zombie populations.
If you use the low zombie population, the zombie multiplier is at 0.35. The population start multiplier is the same as normal, at 1.0. The peak multiplier is also the same, at 1.5. Since the total zombie multiplier is a lot lower, though, there will still be a lot less zombies.
3) High
On the other hand, those who want a little challenge should check out the high population setting.
Do you want something more challenging than an average zombie population, but don’t want to struggle too much to survive? Then the high zombie population is perfect for you. It adds enough zombies to make it difficult, but not enough to make it impossible to fight a horde.
If you use the high zombie population setting, then you’ll have a population multiplier of 2.0. So, there will be double the amount of zombies as a game with a normal population.
4) Very High
If high isn’t quite high enough for you, there’s always the next option, very high.
The very high population is the second-highest population in Project Zomboid. With this population, stocking up on guns and lots of ammo is a must. It’s shocking that this still isn’t the highest population, since triple the normal population is, of course, a lot of zombies to fight off.
If you want to start a real challenge, then you can pick the insane population, with a population multiplier of 3.0. This is triple the normal amount, and has the same peak population multiplier and population start multiplier.
5) Insane
Of course, the highest population in Project Zomboid is insane.
If you’re using the insane population, then you must really love a challenge. This gives the highest possible population of zombies in Project Zomboid, and it only increases as the days pass. In this setting, the biggest threat isn’t the elements or hunger, but the endless thralls of zombies.
The most difficult zombie population setting, and the highest, is insane. Which has the maximum number for the population multiplier, 4.0.
