FAQ for Project Zomboid Server

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Gameplay Questions

Why do zombies notice and follow me wherever I am?

You are likely making too much noise while moving. If you’re near a zombie, hold CTRL to enter sneak/combat mode, which minimizes the noise you make. Once you’re at a safe distance, you can return to walking normally. Avoid running unless you’re in a desperate situation. Line of sight is also important. If you can see zombies through a window, they can see you too, which will likely attract them until you deal with them.

Why are my attacks seemingly ineffective?

You need to charge your attack by holding down the attack key before striking.

How do I break into houses without smashing windows?

Stand next to the window, face it, and press the ‘E’ key. It may take some time, but the window can often be forced open. Once it’s open, hold the ‘E’ key to climb through. You can close the window by pressing ‘E’ again while facing it.

What is the loud alarm noise?

You triggered a burglar alarm when entering a house. It will attract zombies from all around. Run!

Are there other survivors in the game?

No, but NPCs will be implemented in the future.

What are the gunshot/helicopter sounds?

These event sounds are used to move zombie hordes until NPCs are added to the game, so stay alert.

Hey! That zombie was dead, but it got back up!

Just because a zombie is on the ground doesn’t mean it’s truly dead. Always make sure to crush its skull, or it will eventually get back up and come after you.

Is there a cure for zombification?

No, and there never will be. Prevention is your only option.

Tech FAQ

Game doesn’t run, error message starts with “org.lwjgl.LWJGLException: Pixel format not accelerated”

This message indicates an outdated video driver. Please see the section on updating your video drivers above.

I just downloaded the game on Steam and it crashed on launch!

Try reinstalling the game. Right-click on the game in your Steam library and select “Delete Local Content…”. Afterward, download the game again.

If you installed a mod before an update, you may need to manually delete the local contents. To do this, right-click on Project Zomboid in your Steam Library, select properties, go to the Local Files tab, and click on Browse Local Files. Delete everything inside the Project Zomboid folder. In newer versions, some mods may install to `%username%zomboidmods`. Delete its contents as well.

If you haven’t disabled the Steam overlay, see the section on how to disable the Steam overlay above.

The UI is out of alignment and overlaps, making it difficult or impossible to do anything.

This usually happens if you’ve recently changed the resolution without restarting the game. Restarting the game should resolve the issue. If not, go to `%username%zomboid` and delete the `Options.ini` and `Layout.ini` files.

I can’t download the latest update on Steam or don’t want the Desura version.

Currently, the only option is to wait for the offline build released through Desura. This won’t happen until the current unstable updates are made stable.

How do I backup my saves?

Go to `%username%zomboid` and copy the Survival, LastStand, Sandbox, and Multiplayer folders. These contain your saves.

This is the most reliable way to back up saved games and should be done before reaching critical stages in your game to prevent loss due to corruption.

I’m getting the error: “AL lib: alc_cleanup: 1 device not closed”. What does this mean?

This isn’t an error, but a normal process in the game. If you’re experiencing issues, post the full contents of the error.log file, not just the last line.

Development/Future Updates

What happened to NPCs?

NPCs were present in early demo versions but have been temporarily removed. Although the delay has been long, the development team wants to ensure they are implemented correctly. Every member of Indie Stone is working full-time on the game, releasing updates to provide new content while working toward NPCs. The game won’t reach version 1.0 until NPCs are included, but the delay has allowed many other great features to be added in the meantime.

Multiplayer FAQ

How do I reset or start a new world?

To reset your server’s world, navigate to your server’s `/Zomboid/Sandbox` folder. Inside, you will find a folder named “servertest.” Delete this folder to reset the world. Make sure to do this when the server is off or the server program is not running, and restart the server afterward.

Can I change the length of days, the amount of zombies/loot, or respawn loot?

The sandbox settings of the server can be adjusted in the `SandboxVars.lua` file, located in `ZomboidServer/*servername*_SandboxVars.lua`. If the file doesn’t exist, you can create it using the PZServerSetting.exe from your PZ installation folder.

On Linux, with Steam, PZServerSettings.exe can be found in `.local/share/Steam/SteamApps/common/ProjectZomboid/projectzomboid/PZServerSettings.exe` and can be executed with `wine`.

How do zombies spawn?

Zombies respawn in defined areas, such as highways or high-density zones. The server host can configure respawn settings in the `ServerOptions.ini` file. Two key options are:
“`
HoursForZombiesRespawn = 0 // Time a zone must be unseen to respawn zombies.
IncreaseZombieRespawnBy = 0 // Additional zombies to spawn if HoursForZombiesRespawn > 0.
“`
For example, if a zone spawns 10 zombies by default and you set `IncreaseZombieRespawnBy=20`, the area will now spawn 30 zombies (10 natural + 20 additional).

I get the message: “Client version (956) doesn’t match server (958)” when connecting to a server. What’s wrong?

This means there is a build mismatch between the client and the server. If the client version is lower than the server version, update your game to the latest build on Steam. If the server version is lower than the client, the server needs to be updated.

Sometimes, builds are mistakenly pushed to the onlinetest branch. Check the forums for compatibility issues.

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