HumanitZ Review
Out now (Early Access)
Version tested: PC
After more than two years in Early Access, HumanitZ has officially reached version 1.0 on PC, bringing its open-world zombie survival sandbox to full release with expanded systems, deeper progression, and a more polished overall experience.
Developed by Yodubzz Studios and published by indie.io, the game blends co-op survival, base-building, crafting, and exploration in an isometric world where humanity clings to survival following a devastating outbreak.
But in a genre already crowded with survival sandboxes, does HumanitZ truly stand out?
At its core, HumanitZ is an open-world, isometric survival experience where players scavenge cities, live off the land, and defend against zombies, hostile survivors, hunger, weather, and exposure.
You can tackle the apocalypse solo or in co-op and PvP modes with dedicated servers and proximity voice chat, allowing for both tense lone-wolf playthroughs and collaborative survival stories.
The sandbox structure is the game’s greatest strength. Hunting, farming, fishing, crafting gear, customising weapons, and fortifying bases all interlock into a loop that encourages experimentation and long-term progression rather than scripted storytelling.
The vast world spanning wilderness and dense urban areas offer meaningful risk-versus-reward decisions when scavenging for supplies or searching for vehicles.
Character customisation through professions, afflictions, and skill trees further shapes how each survivor approaches combat and survival.
Version 1.0 also represents the culmination of community-driven updates and system overhauls during Early Access, adding deeper survival mechanics, visual upgrades, and new late-game content.
The result is a game that feels more complete and accessible than its early builds while still retaining meaningful depth.
Despite improvements, HumanitZ is not flawless.
Early critical impressions point to inconsistent design choices, small bugs, and slow progression, even as the game balances survival depth with accessibility.
There are a few UI clarity issues, cursor glitches, and performance struggles on weaker hardware, which are sometimes problems for evolving indie survival titles.
None of these are deal-breakers, but they remind players that HumanitZ still carries some Early Access DNA.
Where the game truly shines is in shared survival!
Co-op play, base defence, and persistent server communities transform the experience into a social sandbox where emergent stories matter more than scripted objectives.
Given its systems-driven design and continued post-launch support plans, HumanitZ is positioned as a long-term survival platform rather than a one-and-done campaign.
Verdict:
HumanitZ doesn’t reinvent zombie survival, but it refines the sandbox formula into a flexible, systems-driven experience that rewards creativity, cooperation, and persistence.
Technical roughness and pacing quirks hold it back from genre-defining greatness, yet the depth of its survival mechanics and the improvements delivered in version 1.0 make it a worthy contender for fans of open-ended survival games.
For players who enjoy crafting their own stories in hostile worlds, HumanitZ is easy to recommend, especially with friends.
Score:
7.5/10
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The code was provided free of charge for my honest and unbiased review.
Pros
- Deep sandbox survival loop with crafting, farming, building, and exploration.
- Flexible solo, co-op, PvE, and PvP gameplay options.
- Meaningful character customization and progression systems.
- Large open world with dynamic threats and environmental survival mechanics.
- Version 1.0 adds polish, new systems, and expanded late-game content.
Cons
- Inconsistent design and pacing issues in progression.
- Some technical bugs and UI readability problems
- Performance can struggle on lower-end hardware.
- Limited narrative direction compared to story-driven survival games.
- Some systems still feel influenced by Early Access development.
