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The online multiplayer market is flooded with .io games. So many developers are copying each other, producing spin-offs (and rip-offs) within an extremely promising genre. Today, I’m happy to have found a truly unique, worthwhile game: Zombs.io.
The title, Zombs.io, is rather direct: it’s a game about zombies and it’s in the .io realm. Surprisingly, there are many layers to this action-RPG-strategy hybrid. Its slogan is “Build. Defend. Survive.” And that’s a great way to sum up the gameplay.
Welcome
Upon startup, Zombs.io looks very familiar. Players can enter a nickname, choose a room (i.e. gameplay server), and read about the latest updates. The welcome screen is so familiar that one can argue it’s virtually an exact copy of MooMoo.io or Superhex.io. And that statement would be correct. The important thing is that the gameplay of Zombs.io is not an exact copy. It’s different and it’s better.
Attending School
Learning the basics is important in Zombs.io. Without a tutorial, much of the action wouldn’t make sense. That’s because there’s more to Zombs.io than meets the eye. Thankfully, the in-game step-by-step guide walks beginners through the essentials.
First, gamers will learn the importance of gathering resources. Trees produce wood and rocks produce stone. Gather 10 of each to place a base (a stash of gold) anywhere on the map. Once the base is set, zombies will arrive.
Defenses are necessary to survive a night of the undead. The tutorial suggests building an arrow tower to strike invaders from afar. Arrow towers are inexpensive and effective, but they can only hit individual enemies. To wipe out entire groups, players must gather additional wood and stone for bomb and cannon towers.
The last part of the tutorial insists on building a gold mine. This is perhaps the most important structure, because it generates currency for future upgrades. Without gold mines, leveling up and staying alive is nearly impossible.
The Real Deal
After completing the walkthrough, gamers should have enough knowledge to survive. But knowing the basics is only part of a winning combination. The other half involves experience, and that comes with time. Each night, a stronger wave of zombies attacks every base. Gamers can experiment with different arrangements of defense towers. Some shoot far, and others devastate nearby zombies. Towers are ideal for attacking invaders, but walls also provide solid protection. Members of gaming parties (i.e. clans or guilds) can build doors that keep enemies out and allow allies in.
Simply surrounding a base with defense towers and walls isn’t enough to live forever. The in-game shop is filled with additional upgrades for survival. Players can spend endless amounts of gold on higher-tier pickaxes, spears, bows, and bombs. Better weapons deal more damage faster. Leveling up the pickaxe is essential for harvesting more resources and affording extra upgrades.
More and More
Zombs.io is still in development, and each update brings exciting, new features. Pets and monsters are in beta testing. Pets are AI-controlled sidekicks, and monsters are randomly generated enemies. With even more features on the way, Zombs.io will only get better.
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