Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven

Update. 4th part came out few weeks ago, but the main point remains unchanged - even with all 4 parts the game is still not finished (and even more expensive now). This is an awesome game, but it is NOT FINISHED. As of now the game consists of 3 parts: Part 1 which you buy when you buy the "main" game on Steam and parts 2 and 3 sold separately through DLC (which makes the game quite expensive actually, compared to other text games by CoG and HG). Even if you buy both DLCs and finish all three parts, the game will just abruptly ends in the middle of a mission. Supposedly, the 4th part (hopefully, the last one) will come out in February 2026. When I buy it and finish the game I'll change the review.

[b]Don't pay full price for what should be a demo.[/b] Without factoring in replay value, the base game is really short with only 4 chapters and you're barely given anything to latch on to. Dialogue is stiff and awkward, characters are only introduced and given zero depth, and choices were heavily railroaded with just a [i]drop[/i] of flavor text based on your decisions. It's probably the top seller for a reason, but it didn't leave a good impression on me at all. Buy it on sale, if at all. This is also the first pay to win [u]BOOK[/u] I've ever seen. I thought that was funny.

沉迷ing...在主线清晰的同时保证了自由度，佳作！ 在本作喂养第三条赛博电子犬查理，没了小狗才是真正的末日。nephew很乖，每个养小孩的档都不由自主地挺直背做人（？）Reilly像弩哥（暴躁版，冷不丁吐槽一下怪有意思hhh；Brody和madiso像亚瑟王和莫甘娜。超多RO，你们都是我的翅膀.jpg 所有RO里最喜欢Relliy和Rachel，Nora和她儿子一样有意思：D 作者写的真的很生动，加上妄想buff整个世界都克起来了，半夜玩差点把手机扔出去。某周目mc设定是酒精成瘾的大恶人银行劫匪，技能全点武力上，从lopez砍到church，乱杀！日常belike:砰砰砰＋鲨鲨鲨＋顿顿顿＋Relliy ，估计作恶太多老天都看不下去，当他终于死于第二部[spoiler]忘穿防护服 [/spoiler]，屏幕外我如释重负的叹了口气：（ 第三部展开了世界观，各个势力的动机、构成很有意思，期待后续！

game took me 2 hours to finish (chapter 1). If I knew that I'll have to pay more to play the full game I honestly would never buy it . Feels scammy. Be prepared that you'll only get a demo amount of story from your purchase and full game will cost you x4 of that price which it's not worth of. I wish I could refund it.

Reviewing (mostly) every game (or DLC) in my library, part 102: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ (8/10) A text-based interactive fiction game from Hosted Games, [i] Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven [/i] is a sprawling survival sim, RPG, and narrative sandbox all rolled into one. You build your character from the ground up—occupation, background, personality traits, combat style, hobbies—and then drop them into the early days of a zombie apocalypse. Every choice you make shapes your skills, your relationships, your moral compass, and ultimately, your chances of survival. Written entirely by Jim Dattilo, this is not a short read. It’s a multi-volume epic (currently two parts out, more planned), with deep stats, dozens of branching paths, and shockingly granular customization. Whether you want to be a doomsday prepper, a con artist, a medic, or just a dad trying to protect his kid, [i] Safe Haven [/i] has space for you. 🪓[b] Pros: [/b] [list] [*] Unmatched character customization. Want to play as a charming ex-firefighter who’s great with dogs and has a drinking problem? Or a neurotic hacker with zero combat skills but a loaded bug-out bag? Go for it. You define everything from your diet and sexuality to your crafting skills and leadership style. The sheer flexibility makes it quite repayable. [*] So. Much. Roleplaying. This game isn’t just about shooting zombies (though you can do that too). It’s about forming alliances, managing group tensions, handling supply shortages, scavenging runs, morale crises, and ethical dilemmas. Want to be a ruthless warlord? A benevolent camp leader? A ghost who drifts through the world solo? It’s all valid. [*] Tense resource management. Food, water, fuel, ammunition, morale—all of it counts. The game tracks your inventory and plans over time, so your decisions during downtime matter just as much as the big cinematic scenes. Fail to stock up before a storm or zombie horde? You’ll feel it. [*] Excellent writing with grounded emotional beats. While it leans a bit melodramatic at times, the prose is sharp, character-driven, and tense. Whether you’re comforting a grieving survivor, flirting with a crush, or gunning down raiders, the writing pulls you in. Dattilo’s attention to human relationships, grief, and survival trauma gives the apocalypse emotional weight. [*] Branching paths that feel meaningful. Your choices aren’t just flavor text. Entire characters, locations, and scenarios can change depending on how you build your character or what alliances you make. Some of the most exciting chapters play out *entirely differently* based on your decisions hours earlier. [*] Companion dynamics are deep. Your ragtag group of survivors all have personalities, loyalties, and evolving relationships with you. Romance is available (and well-written), but even platonic dynamics are rich—watching a shy teen grow into a fighter under your guidance, or seeing tensions erupt between clashing egos, makes the apocalypse feel alive. [/list] 🪫 [b] Cons: [/b] [list] [*] Still more stories planed in this universe. You'll have to be patient to see any potential sequel. [*] Stats can get overwhelming. There are a lot of stats to track: combat skills, crafting, interpersonal abilities, leadership, willpower, stress, and more. If you're not paying attention, it’s easy to tank a skill check you didn’t realize mattered. That said, for min-maxers and narrative gamers alike, this can be a feature, not a bug. [*] Occasional pacing bloat. Sometimes the game gets bogged down in slice-of-life detail (like managing chores or group meetings) which, while immersive, can drag the momentum during action arcs. [*] You can die suddenly. Some choices have very harsh consequences. It’s part of the appeal—permadeath is real—but if you’re careful, you can lose hours of progress because you went down the wrong alleyway with the wrong weapon equipped. [*] Still some typos and odd phrasing in places. [/list] [hr] If you enjoyed this review, please check out my curator page to find more: [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45814768-Verdict-Play-or-Pass/]Verdict: Play or Pass. [/url] Also, please leave a like and visit [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/Indie_Gems]IndieGems[/url] and our YouTube channel for more reviews like this one. [/hr]

even though it's text-based i don't think there will ever be another zombie apocalypse RPG that reaches this game's level. the replayability is insane and the freedom to roleplay is wildly expansive. it's also still getting DLC releases that expand the main story

exceedingly well written, choices matter A LOT, my only wish is that we had more than 3 spaces to save

I love this series. Though I must point out that I ran across 2 immersion breaking bugs in the Third Part/DLC of this game.

high replayability, decent plot, good character development, well worth it

蒽，故事本身的话其实还行，不推荐的点在于距离完结还要等很久。这部If首发是十年前，结果到现在也没完结，据说后续还有两大章在等着，想买本体的话建议点dlc里的part four评论区看看评价再说。 怎么说呢，就电子游戏发展到现在，其实有蛮多不错的打僵尸游戏了，喜欢基建和捡垃圾的话买个七日杀啊什么的也挺好，那些游戏还可以和朋友联机呢。纯想看末世人性挣扎的故事呢也可以选行尸走肉和最后生还者，不是特别好这口的话没必要抱着一部可能会烂尾的老古董If不放。一想到我其实手头有蛮多这种疑似需要等上十年才能看到结尾的大坑也有点轻微崩溃。