HumanitZ is a top-down, isometric open-world zombie survival sandbox from Yodubzz Studios (published by indie.io). After launching into Early Access on September 18, 2023, the game left Early Access and reached its full 1.0 release on February 6, 2026 — so everything in this guide is written for the 1.0 build, not the old EA versions. The build/patch number changes regularly, so check the in-game version string or the Steam news feed if you want to know exactly which release you are on.
Whether you are dropping into single-player, joining a friend’s online co-op session, or renting your own dedicated box, the early game is where most new survivors die. This guide walks you through the four core stats, the food and water loop, the safest spawn, how to actually win fights against the undead (locally nicknamed “zeeks”), base building, the skill trees, vehicles, and co-op play. If you want a server of your own to grow into, spin up a HumanitZ server you can survive on and read on.
The Four Core Stats: Health, Hunger, Thirst, Stamina
Everything in HumanitZ revolves around four survival stats. Understand how they interact and you have already beaten half the difficulty curve.
| Stat | What it does | What drains it |
|---|---|---|
| Health | Your life. Reaches 0 = death. | Damage, and being starved/dehydrated. |
| Hunger | Fuels your body. At 0 it starts draining Health. | Time, and strenuous activity. |
| Thirst | Hydration. At 0 it also drains Health. | Time, exertion, hot conditions. |
| Stamina | Lets you sprint, fight, vault and work. | Running, vaulting, using tools, fighting. |
The key relationship to memorize: if either Hunger or Thirst hits zero, your Health bar starts draining. You don’t die from hunger directly — you die because an empty stomach or dry throat chips away at your health until something finishes you off. Strenuous actions (fighting, sprinting, carrying heavy loads) accelerate the drain on all of these, so panicked running and brawling is a fast way to burn through your reserves. Note that the exact numeric drain rates per stat are not officially published; treat the rules of thumb below as guidance and watch your bars in-game.
The Food and Water Loop
As a rough rule, roughly half your hunger bar empties per in-game day, which means you should plan to eat about twice a day and drink regularly to match. Many fruits and vegetables restore a bit of both thirst and hunger at once, making them efficient early food.
- Early game: Scavenge canned goods, fruit and bottled drinks from houses, shops and vehicles. Grab anything edible — you can sort it later.
- Mid game: Set up farming for a steady food supply, cook soups and meals at a kitchen, and preserve surplus at a canning station so nothing spoils.
- Always: Keep a small buffer of food and water in your pack before any long trip. Running out far from base is how new players spiral.
On a server, food spoilage and overall survival pressure are tunable. The FoodDecay setting governs how quickly food rots, and VitalDrain controls how fast hunger and thirst fall. Sources disagree on VitalDrain — the official wiki describes it as a 0–2 scale while at least one host frames it as a simple on/off toggle — so verify its behavior in your own server’s config before assuming a value.
Choose the Starter Spawn
When you begin a new character you pick a spawn. For your first run, choose the Starter Spawn. It is the most forgiving option: you get a guaranteed drivable car, some starter gear, and plenty of nearby loot to get going. It is the ideal place to learn the ropes before you tackle harder starting locations.
Server admins can influence spawning with the LimitedSpawns setting, which restricts spawns to the coast. If you are configuring your own world, leave spawns generous while players learn — see our companion HumanitZ server settings guide for a full walkthrough.
Combat: One Zeek at a Time
HumanitZ combat punishes greed. The golden rule for survival is to fight one zombie at a time. Never wade into a group swinging — you will get surrounded, your stamina will gas out, and the bites add up fast.
- Funnel hordes: Use doorways, fences, wrecked cars and terrain choke points to force the undead to approach single-file so you can deal with them one by one.
- Manage noise: Gunfire, sprinting and breaking things all generate noise that pulls more zeeks. Crouch, move quietly, and use stealth to avoid drawing a crowd in the first place.
- Kill Screamers first: The Screamer variant shrieks the moment it spots you, summoning a horde to your position. Prioritize killing Screamers — ideally with a stealthy headshot before they ever see you. Letting one scream can turn a quiet street into a death trap.
- Watch your stamina: Swinging melee and sprinting both eat Stamina. Don’t start a fight you can’t finish before the bar empties.
Beyond the Screamer (and tougher Tank-style variants), the full 1.0 zombie roster isn’t exhaustively documented in public sources, so treat any unfamiliar enemy with caution and consult the in-game tutorial and the official wiki for the current list.
Base Building: Defending Against Zeeks and Bandits
A fortified base is your survival hub — and it needs to hold up against both the undead and human bandits. Bandits (the game’s hostile human NPCs) are a real threat, so your defenses can’t just be a zombie wall.
Plan your base to include room for the things that keep you alive: workbenches for crafting, storage for your hoard, living space, and a garden for sustainable food. On a server, several settings shape how building works:
BuildingHealth— how much punishment your structures absorb.Decay/BuildingDecay— whether and how fast unattended structures degrade.Territory— territory/claim rules around bases.FreeBuildandNoBuildZone— placement freedom and restricted areas.AllowDismantle/AllowHouseDismantle— whether players can tear structures back down.
Skills and Leveling: Survival, Combat, World
You earn XP by playing, and every level grants 1 Skill Point. You spend those points across three trees: Survival, Combat, and World. Early on, points into survival efficiency and combat reliability pay off quickly, but build toward whatever role you want to play.
Server owners can adjust progression speed with the XpMultiplier setting. Admins also have command-level control: /exp [X] and the RCON givexp command grant experience directly, and RCON unlocktrees can open up skill trees. The /UnlockAll admin command unlocks everything at once — handy for testing.
Vehicles
Cars are drivable and customizable, and they’re a huge quality-of-life upgrade for hauling loot and escaping bad situations. The number of vehicles a player can own is capped by the MaxOwnedCars setting. If a vehicle gets stuck or broken, admins can use the RCON fixcar command to repair it. Keep an eye on fuel — the GenFuel setting and related mechanics mean fuel is a managed resource, not infinite.
Co-op and Proximity Voice Chat
HumanitZ supports single-player, online co-op (PvE), and online PvP multiplayer, plus full dedicated servers. Proximity voice chat is built in and controlled by the Voip setting — your teammates get louder as they get closer, which makes coordinating during a horde genuinely tense and fun.
Shared progression in co-op leans heavily on the Radio Tower system: repaired towers act as party respawn points, reveal large chunks of the map, and unlock airdrops (governed by the AirDrop and AirDropInterval settings). Repairing your first tower is one of the best early goals for a group — see our dedicated HumanitZ Radio Tower location and repair guide for the exact parts and steps.
Setting Up Your Own Server
If you want to run HumanitZ for your group, the dedicated server installs via SteamCMD using App ID 2728330 (the game’s own App ID is 1766060):
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir +app_update 2728330 validate +quit The main configuration file is GameServerSettings.ini, located in the .\TSSGame subfolder; a reference template named REF_GameServerSettings.ini sits alongside it. A typical Windows start command looks like this, with UDP ports 7777 and 27015 forwarded:
HumanitZServer.exe -log -port=7777 queryport=27015A note for Linux self-hosters: LinuxGSM had a reported bug where the wrong settings file was referenced, so double-check that your edits to GameServerSettings.ini are actually being read by the server.
Here are the host-level settings most beginners care about:
| Key | Purpose |
|---|---|
ServerName | Name shown in the server browser. |
Password | Join password for the server. |
MaxPlayers | Player cap. The official wiki default is 16 (some hosts cite higher — verify in-game). |
AdminPass | Password used with /AdminAccess. |
PVP | Toggles player-versus-player combat. |
RCONEnabled / RConPort / RCONPass | Remote admin (default RCON port 8888). |
SaveName / SaveIntervalSec | Save file identifier and auto-save interval. |
To become an admin on a dedicated server, open chat with Enter and type /AdminAccess (commands are not case-sensitive). If you host a listen game yourself, you are admin automatically and don’t need the command. From there you have a deep command set — /Spawn item_[Name], /god, /Day, /Night, /SaveGame, /Shutdown [SECONDS] and many more. For the full picture, read our guide to running admin commands, and to dial in challenge see optimizing server difficulty. Step-by-step panel instructions live in our HumanitZ documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is HumanitZ still in Early Access?
No. HumanitZ left Early Access and reached its full 1.0 release on February 6, 2026. It was in Early Access from September 18, 2023 until then. The exact current patch number changes over time, so check the in-game version string or the Steam news feed for the latest build.
What happens if my hunger or thirst hits zero?
When either Hunger or Thirst reaches zero, it begins draining your Health bar. You won’t drop instantly, but you’ll steadily lose health until you eat, drink, or die. Plan to eat about twice a day — roughly half your hunger empties per in-game day.
How do I deal with a horde?
Fight one zombie at a time and funnel the group through a doorway or terrain choke point so they can’t surround you. Manage noise with crouching and stealth to avoid attracting a crowd, and always kill Screamers first — they shriek and summon more zeeks the moment they spot you.
Which spawn should a beginner pick?
Choose the Starter Spawn. It gives you a guaranteed drivable car, starter gear and plenty of nearby loot, making it the easiest place to learn the game before moving to harder starting locations.
How do skills and skill points work?
You earn XP as you play, and each level grants 1 Skill Point. You spend points across three trees — Survival, Combat and World. Server owners can speed this up with the XpMultiplier setting, and admins can grant XP directly via /exp [X] or the RCON givexp command.
Does HumanitZ support co-op and voice chat?
Yes. HumanitZ supports single-player, online co-op (PvE) and PvP multiplayer, plus dedicated servers. It includes proximity voice chat controlled by the Voip setting, and groups can share respawn points by repairing Radio Towers.
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