You’ve made it through your first nights in Project Zomboid—now comes the harder part: surviving your first month. In this guide, you’ll learn how to set up a proper base, manage utilities, fight zombies efficiently, and pick up ten more general survival tips to keep you alive well into the apocalypse.

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Step 1: Picking a Base Location

Early on, choose a safe and functional base. Use the online map to scout locations. A favorite is the Rosewood Fire Station—it offers a massive garage, an upstairs kitchen, partial fencing, and plenty of space to expand.

Secure Your Base:

• Clear the building and nearby area
• Board up windows and doors
• Identify and reinforce your entry/exit points
• Transfer all your loot indoors

Until you unlock wooden crates (Carpentry 3) or metal crates (Metalworking), you can use existing house furniturelike metal shelves or cabinets for temporary storage. Use the cabinet icon in the UI to pick up placeable furniture.

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Food Management and Storage

Fresh food decays through three stages: fresh → stale → rotten. To delay spoilage:

• Freeze everything until needed
• Look out for popsicle fridges with 100 capacity
• Defrost only when cooking

Cook Meals to stretch your food further. Try stir fries, soups, pies, and burgers using any combination of pans, pots, and ingredients. Experiment freely.

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Surviving the Big Three Events

Within your first month, three major events will shape your survival:

1. Water Shutoff

• Sinks and toilets will only retain limited stored water
• Hoard 20–24 garbage bags and reach Carpentry 4 to build rain collectors
• At Carpentry 7, unlock rain collector barrels
• Grab water dispensers for backup—they hold 250 units each

2. Power Shutdown

• Get a generator and generator magazine
• Store gas cans before fuel pumps stop working
• Powering gas stations requires an additional generator

3. The Helicopter Event (Day 6–7)

• The helicopter tracks you and draws zombie hordes
• Stay indoors during the event to avoid detection
• Use a radio tuned to weather/emergency frequencies to get a heads-up on the date

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Essential Items to Hoard Early

• Sledgehammer: Destroy tiles and breach areas
• Pipe Wrench: Plumb rain collectors to sinks
• Can Opener: Vital for canned food
• Tweezers: Remove glass/bullets from wounds
• Disinfectant: Prevents infections from festering wounds

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Combat Basics: How to Survive Fights

Combat in Project Zomboid is about timing, movement, and positioning. Here’s a quick breakdown of must-know tips:

1. Always Move: Stay in aim mode, and stay mobile—never stand still.
2. Push vs. Swing: Push if there’s a threat behind your target. Swing when the group is spread out.
3. Start Small: Practice against three zombies. Add more as you get better.
4. Stomping: Once zombies are down, aim at their heads and stomp to kill while saving weapon durability. Spacebar is your friend.
5. Know Your Exits: Always have a fallback route.
6. Avoid Multi-Hits: If two zombies hit your head simultaneously, you’re stunned and helpless.
7. Guard Your Back: Armor is weakest from behind. Don’t get surrounded.

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Advanced Zombie Fighting Strategies

Fences and Windows: Break up large groups by baiting them through fences or windows—zombies climb slowly and are easy targets.

Baiting: Sneak close, lure one or two away, and handle them away from the group. Combat makes noise, so space is key.

Mow Them Down (Car Method):

• Use a disposable car to plow through zombies
• Run them over slowly—back up to finish off
• Exit immediately if the engine stalls or windows break

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10 Extra Survival Tips

1. Annotated Maps reveal stashes and cool locations—always check them.
2. Locked Vehicles: Smash a non-driver window to enter. Check glovebox for keys.
3. Radios give early warnings about rain and helicopter events.
4. Shift + Shout: Whisper instead of yelling to attract smaller groups.
5. Dismantle Locked Doors: Use hammer and screwdriver to gain entry.
6. Vehicle Menu (V): Use heaters, radios, or switch seats (Z).
7. Rest to Recover: Right-click a seat to rest and recover fatigue.
8. Soup Cooking: Cooking canned soup in a pot boosts nutrition and mood.
9. Freeze and Return: Raid fresh food, freeze it on-site, then come back later.
10. Trees Block Sight: Always be alert when moving through forests.

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Project Zomboid isn’t just about surviving—it’s about learning through death and iteration. Whether you’re setting up your dream fortress or stomping heads in Rosewood, keep adapting and stay vigilant.

Until next time—keep slaying and stay safe out there.