Project Zomboid is quickly becoming one of the best realism survival games available on the market at the moment. With complex survival systems including hunger, thirst, exhaustion and of course zombies, the game pits player against the elements and enemies. One of the most requested features of Project Zomboid asks the developers to port the game to Android devices. While there is no Project Zomboid APK file or android version available to download there is a way you can play this hardcore zombie survival RPG on your mobile device.
What Will You Need To Play Project Zomboid on Android
To play Project Zomboid on your Android device you are going to need 3 things:
- A Steam account
- A copy of the game on Steam
- the Steam Link app
Once you have all of these three things you will be able to play the game from your Android device. Also note that you will need a WiFi connection so that you can play the game off your steam client running from your computer.
Now, install the game onto your computer by pressing the Install button available in the steam game library. Now, open up the Steam Link app on your phone and sign in to your steam account. Follow the steps to connect your Steam Link app to your steam account and computer. You will only have to do this setup once. Once you have your account connected on the app, you will be able to play any compatible game.
How To Play Project Zomboid on Android
With the Steam Link app installed and set up on your phone, open up the app. This will also open up a new menu on your computer. Now, select Project Zomboid from your library of games on your android device. Launch the game and wait for it to load. That’s it! You can now start playing the game on your phone! The app has a built in touch-screen controller with the Xbox controller layout. This just automatically works with the game.
Now you’re all set up to play the game. you can chance the controls by pressing the button at the top left of the screen. You can change the entire UI including the size and position of all of the controller elements on the screen. You might want to do this as they are pretty big by default and take up a lot of the screen.
The best part about using Steam Link to play the game is that you have the Xbox controller layout automatically and the game uses this layout for the in-game controls as well. Using the in-game setting in Steam Link you can also pair a Bluetooth controller with your phone. That way you can free up the screen and see everything going on.
Does The Game Run Well on Android?
As long as you have a relatively decent internet connection the game should run pretty well. As the game is streamed from your computer, the speed and quality of the game largely depends on your computer hardware. The quality of the android phone doesn’t really matter too much when playing the game through Steam link.
I have ran and played the game a few times on my phone and have overall had a pretty good experience with it. The only thing that is pretty annoying is that the controls are a bit uncomfortable on the touch screen. With the controller you have buttons all over different angles and it comfortably fits in your hand. With the phone, you’ll have to have your hands in some pretty awkward positions when playing.
Luckily you can connect a Bluetooth controller to your phone as well. I would suggest playing the game via a Bluetooth controller is you plan on playing the game on your phone. There are cheaper Bluetooth controllers on the market that will work well enough if you don’t have an Xbox or DS4 controller on hand. Another great part about using an external controller over the touchscreen controls is that you don’t have the controller overlay on top of your game screen. That is one of the biggest gripes that I have with playing the game on Android. The game works fantastic with a controller as well.
Try out Project Zomboid for yourself on your android phone using Steam Link and let me know how you like it!
Related: 50 Tips and Tricks for Project Zomboid | How to Teleport Players in Project Zomboid