Scheming Through The Zombie Apocalypse: The Beginning similar games & best alternatives

Scheming Through The Zombie Apocalypse: The Beginning

Mac, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch, Xbox One • 2018

Should you play it?

Join Hank and Larry, two small defenseless animals, as they manipulate their way through the zombie apocalypse. Meet various characters and get them to scavenge for you while guiding them to "safety." Make life-or-death decisions, bargain, manage inventory, trade, and gamble.

What works
  • Humorous and engaging story
  • Unique take on zombie apocalypse
  • Well-voiced characters
  • Strategic dialogue choices
  • Good value during sales
Things to keep in mind
  • Short gameplay length
  • Limited interactivity
  • Repetitive dialogue on replay
  • Lack of skip dialogue feature
  • No multiplayer or social features

What to play next

Similar games, hidden gems, and fresh directions from this game.

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • Asbury Pines

  • Townsmen - A Kingdom Rebuilt

  • Drug Lord Tycoon

  • Forest Hustle

  • Hero of the Kingdom: The Lost Tales 1

  • The Mims Beginning

  • EarthX

  • The Horror at Highrook

  • Farm Manager 2021

Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Asbury Pines

  • EarthX

  • The Horror at Highrook

If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

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Similarity map

Explore nearby similar games and see why they’re close.

How to use the graph
Similarity map

Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Why this game works” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

  • Purple star: this page’s game — everything on the map is relative to it.
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot for a screenshot preview, score, and top score gaps; click to compare in the panel on the right.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers (hidden on purpose).

Scheming Through The Zombie Apocalypse: The Beginning: Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Violence, Fantasy, Story, Thrill. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Leadership, Story, Fantasy.

Why this game works

A motivational profile of the game, with the closest similar game for each player motivation.

  • Autonomy

    Game with the same Autonomy vibe

    3

    "Players can make choices in dialogue and skill development, explore the world freely, and mod the game, indicating a degree of control over actions."

    Capsule for Driftmoon Driftmoon

    "Players make dialogue choices and direct scavenging actions, showing moderate control over decisions."

  • Competence

    Game with the same Competence vibe

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    "Gameplay involves decision-making and quick-time events requiring some skill and attention, but not complex mechanical challenges."

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    "Gameplay involves strategic decision-making and some mini-games like lock-picking and gambling, but overall low mechanical challenge."

  • Competition

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    "Focus is on personal progression and story experience without competitive or leaderboard elements."

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    "Focus is on personal story progression and choices without competitive elements or leaderboards."

  • Continuation

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    "Players report replaying for multiple endings and achievements, but the game is relatively short and some find replayability limited."

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    "Players report replaying for achievements and alternate story paths, though the game is short and some find replay tedious."

  • Cooperation

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    "Gameplay centers on individual tasks and interactions with NPCs rather than multiplayer or cooperative play."

    Capsule for Smile For Me Smile For Me

    "Gameplay centers on individual decision-making and managing NPCs rather than multiplayer cooperation."

  • Creativity

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    "Some exploration and puzzle solving allow for creative problem solving, but mostly follows a set narrative and environment."

    Capsule for Narcosis Narcosis

    "Some strategic choices and resource management allow for creative problem solving, but within a structured narrative."

  • Domination

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    "Interactions are balanced with NPCs; no evidence of power-over or dominance motivations in player behavior."

    Capsule for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

    "Interactions emphasize manipulation and persuasion of NPCs, but no player-versus-player dominance or power assertion."

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

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    "Players use the game as a fun, addictive distraction with immersive dark humor and a unique world."

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    "Players use the game as a humorous distraction with immersive storytelling and dark comedy to escape real life."

  • Expectation

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    "Players engage voluntarily for humor and entertainment, not out of obligation or pressure."

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    "Reviews indicate players engage voluntarily for entertainment and humor, not out of obligation or pressure."

  • Experimenting

    Game with the same Experimenting vibe

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    "Multiple playthroughs to explore different dialogue choices and endings encourage experimentation."

    Capsule for Tell Me Why Tell Me Why

    "Multiple playthroughs to explore different dialogue choices and outcomes encourage experimentation."

  • Exploration

    Game with the same Exploration vibe

    -2

    "Game environments are mostly familiar and narrative-driven with limited physical exploration or discovery."

    Capsule for Batman: The Enemy Within - The Telltale Series Batman: The Enemy Within - The Telltale Series

    "Game is narrative-driven with limited environment exploration; focus is on story and dialogue rather than discovery."

  • Expression

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    "Customization is minimal; players use preset characters and environments without significant avatar or environment personalization."

    Capsule for Critter Crunch Critter Crunch

    "Customization is minimal; players mainly experience preset characters and story without avatar personalization."

  • Fantasy

    Game with the same Fantasy vibe

    4

    "Strongly imaginative zombie apocalypse theme with humorous and exaggerated fictional elements."

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    "Anthropomorphic animals in a zombie apocalypse with absurd humor create a strong imaginative and fictional experience."

  • Fellowship

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    "Single-player experience with limited social interaction or community involvement."

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  • Growth

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    "Players develop skills and unlock new dialogue options and endings, though gameplay learning curve is shallow."

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    "Players develop strategic thinking and learn dialogue impacts, though gameplay depth is limited."

  • Health

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    "No physical activity involved; sedentary gameplay typical of visual novels."

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  • Idle

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    "Game supports casual play with short sessions and ability to pause and resume easily."

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    "Game allows casual play with short sessions and the ability to quit anytime, suitable for filling time."

  • Intimacy

    Game with the same Intimacy vibe

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    "Interactions are mostly surface-level dialogues with characters; no deep emotional or relationship-building mechanics."

    Capsule for Tangle Tower Tangle Tower

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  • Leadership

    Game with the same Leadership vibe

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    "Players assign roles and manage NPC staff, guiding their actions and decisions."

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    "Players guide NPCs to scavenge and make decisions, exercising indirect leadership over characters."

  • Progression

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    "Collecting items and unlocking achievements provide a sense of advancement and accumulation."

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    "Collecting loot, managing inventory, and unlocking achievements provide a sense of progression."

  • Relaxation

    Game with the same Relaxation vibe

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    "Casual, low-stress gameplay with humorous tone supports relaxation."

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    "Humorous tone and light gameplay create a relaxed experience with low tension."

  • Sensation

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    "Moderate sensory stimulation through visuals and voice acting; no intense sensory or emotional thrills."

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    "Visuals and voice acting provide moderate sensory enjoyment but no intense stimulation."

  • Status

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    "No social recognition or ranking systems; focus is on personal story experience."

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    "No social recognition or ranking systems; focus is on personal story experience."

  • Story

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    "Strong narrative focus with multiple branching storylines, character development, and humor."

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    "Strong narrative focus with engaging characters, humor, and branching dialogue."

  • Strategy

    Game with the same Strategy vibe

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    "Requires planning, resource management, and tactical decisions."

    Capsule for Aground Aground

    "Requires planning and tactical choices in resource management and dialogue decisions."

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

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    "Low risk and suspense; gameplay is steady and predictable with minimal tension."

    Capsule for Feed the Reactor Feed the Reactor

    "Low suspense and risk; gameplay is controlled and predictable with minimal tension."

  • Value

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    "Generally perceived as good value especially when bought on sale; some mention short length but satisfying content."

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  • Violence

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    "Violence is mostly off-screen or described in text; no graphic combat or destruction gameplay."

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    "Violence is mostly off-screen or implied; focus is on manipulation and survival rather than combat."

  • Survival

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    "Themes of survival and avoiding failure appear in story, though gameplay is not focused on resource management."

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    "Survival theme present through resource management and decision consequences, but low threat to main characters."

Last update: 01/06/2026