Gate of the Dead · player guide

Tips for new players

A practical list, roughly in the order these things start to matter. None of it is required; the chapter goals will get you through on their own. But these habits make the camp grow faster and the nights less painful.

The camp

  1. Keep both building crews busy. An idle crew is the biggest waste in the game. Before you leave, put the longest build you need on.
  2. Check for free finishes. Anything with five minutes or less left can be finished free. It's easy to forget on the way out.
  3. Raise the Headquarters whenever you can. Everything else is capped by it.
  4. Collect every visit. The yards stop at eight hours. Food, water and ammo over the store spoil.
  5. Keep shelters ahead of your survivors. Survivors need a bed to work, and housing goals only count those with one.
  6. Watch the steel. It's the material you'll run short of. Keep the Scrap Heap up and send Zombie Nests.
  7. Read the whole chapter list first. Start the long builds early so they run while you tick off the quick goals.

Energy, Scrap Metal and speed-ups

  1. Don't let energy sit at full. It only refills up to your maximum.
  2. Use your meals. Daily meal limits reset; eat beans and water when you need them, and build the Canteen early for stew.
  3. Bank energy with meals before a long session. Meals can take you up to double your maximum.
  4. Claim goals straight away. Early on, each one gives 10 energy back as well as its rewards.
  5. Spend tokens before Scrap Metal on builds. Save Scrap Metal for the wall crew and for the last stretch of a build that's holding up a goal.
  6. When you're out of energy, play the Daily Siege, Bad Night, The Long Road or Holdout. They're free and pay Scrap Metal.

The nights

  1. Spend scrap as it comes in. Leftover scrap is wasted at dawn.
  2. Fill posts before upgrading. Two defenders usually beat one upgraded defender early in a night.
  3. Hold abilities for clumps near the gate, not the first zombie you see.
  4. Kill screamers first. Everything else speeds up while one is alive.
  5. Bring a Sniper for brutes, riot gear and bosses.
  6. Stuck on a night? Upgrade the Gate or the wall crew at the Watch House, or bring Sandbags, before trying again.
  7. Go back for three stars on nights you scraped through. They count for the Stars board and pay more.

The Road and the map

  1. Only fight stages you're likely to win. Troops fall either way; a loss gains nothing.
  2. Keep melee and ranged roughly even by power.
  3. Level leaders when troops outgrow them. Each leader commands 10 troops plus 2 per level.
  4. Keep squads out on the map whenever you're away, and send enough power (half as much again) that nobody comes back hurt.
  5. Get your squads home before a Road push. Leaders and troops on missions can't fight on the Road.

And one that isn't about play: once you've finished chapter 1, save your progress to Google or an email, so a cleared browser can't take your camp with it.

Related: Getting started · FAQ