What is 7 Days to Die (or 7DTD)? It's quite simply an open-world post-apocalyptic survival game. It's been around over a decade, and at long last hit version 1.0. By yourself, survival is harsh. When with friends, it can be harsher.

 

What are the downsides of 7DTD, and how does it affect your gameplay?

 

--- The UI is minimalistic and compact. Certain important gauges (specifically food and water) are barely visible bars on your screen, and hard to pay attention to when you're out-and-about trying to gather materials and trying not to get mauled.

 

--- Single player experience was on the backend. The only automation there is, is defensive.

 

--- Even with a party, gathering resources is very grindy. The more you build, the more you use.

 

--- All weapons are quite inaccurate. They do get more damage per tier, but I haven't noticed much change in the realm of accuracy.

 

--- The overhaul that was done to the skills is understandable... but sometimes it takes a while to find the appropriate magazines to raise levels to craft essential starter tools/weapons.

 

--- Some changes that were made along the road would have been better off not being changed, like the above statement. Listening to the community is good, but listening too much can also ruin things.

 

But what is it about the game that makes it so good, and fun to play?

 

--- You have the option for creative or survival. Test things out, or dive into the fray.

 

--- Players are given the option to choose between pre-fabricated maps, or completely random maps of varying sizes.

 

--- Zombie encounters can be very unpredictable. When rummaging around and making noise, there's a chance that a decently sized group will spawn near you... or a small horde. I found out the hard way. When playing in a group, every individual player has a chance for this to trigger. This makes you think more about traveling in larger groups.

 

--- The blood moons give excitement to the couch potatoes in their base. By default, every blood moon with spawn a small group of zombies (per player) to attack their given location. When basing in groups, this leads to some sizable warfare to keep your home safe.

 

--- Compared to the slightly outdated graphics, the medical system is very nice to have. Most survival games do the minimum and call it good. It's much more immersive and interesting to have to worry about more than bleeding or a broken leg.

 

--- Vehicles exist to help players traverse the big maps that the game has to offer. No more running to a POI 15 minutes away for horrible loot, now you can get there in less than 5 minutes.

 

--- The food and drink variety is a winner. So many things to make, bake, grill, or brew!

 

--- There exist plenty of mods to modify gameplay to your liking, on top of the customizable settings the game already has.

 

I've been around in 7DTD almost since the start, which doesn't seem that long ago. It's a game that my friends and I still return to now and then for sizable gaming sprees. The replay-ability is fantastic with mods and randomly generated maps. If you're into open-world survival games, this is one I recommend. Not everyone likes it (due to looks, mechanics, etc.) but that's the same with every game.