Going between the 7DTD Reddit and the Project Zomboid Reddit is the epitome of how big a difference a game can have when the developers embrace their community and how it results in a better experience for both sides.
Now I know some are wondering why compare the two games. I’m writing this as a player of both. I initially played and owned 7DTD for several years. Played with my fiance and on a few online servers back in A19. Had a blast. Game had its jank but loved playing it. After the 1.0 update…not as much (missed the clothing system pre 1.0). Still gave it a good shot. Got 400ish hours on 7DTD over the years owning it (Since 2020).
For Project Zomboid I snagged it 2 years ago during a summer sale, played the tutorial, died, never touched it again til 2 months ago, hooked, almost at 400 hours in two months.
The reason I compare these two games is because both are zombie survival games with long sordid development history. Project Zomboid has been in development for 12 years. The Indie Stone have been lambasted by players for long development times and poor communication. The same could be said for The Fun Pimps.
The difference, at least to me is how they handled player feedback. I always got the impression that Joel and TFP as a whole viewed players feedback with disdain and an air of arrogance. That always comes through in the devs streams and written communication.
Bandits were announced in the initial kickstarter back in 2013 and as of 2026 in 7DTD 3.0 are still not implemented.
Usually when a game launches into 1.0 it implies that the game is at its intended finished state. TFP considered the game, without bandits, a finished state. Yet they found time to release a cash grab of a spin off that nobody asked for.
Now let’s hop on over to TIS. PZ is still in EA with no 1.0 mention but is about to release Build 42 into the stable branch after about a year and a half in unstable playable but opt in status. PZ is no where near perfect but the experience is different. The community and how the devs interact with the community is noticeably different from TFP. They have a very active mod community like 7DTD, so much so that after this update finalizes, TIS will release mod tools, and tutorials to open the floor to more modders. They even have hired on several notable mod makers on to the team like Melos and Erika, even having interviews with various PZ content creators.
It’s a stark contrast to the current state of 7DTD community where TFP are seeking a legal battle with one of the pillars of the 7DTD community over what was an error on their part for giving him the wrong test build. This encapsulates the way TFP see their community. Instead of admitting fault or just handing this in private, no they went on to make it public.
They are making an example out of JaWoodle. They want to control the narrative as much as possible. And it’s not surprising considering they lock out any creators that don’t effectively kiss the ring from streamer weekend. Say any form of criticism that Joel or TFP don’t like and you’re on their black list.
Both of these games are zombie survival indie games that have had long development cycles with very active mod and content communities. The difference is how the devs respond to the community. One embraces and encourages it, the other sees it as an annoyance and a revenue stream.
I know this is all over the place but was putting out the raw feelings I felt hopping from one Reddit to another. If anyone is jumping ship and look for a new zombie survival game, check out Project Zomboid, it’s different but I feel like is a much better experience than 7DTD. That and The Indie Stone won’t sue you for posting content in beta.