All Animals in Project Zomboid Build 42 explained

As unthinkable as this may be, Project Zomboid‘s hotly anticipated Build 42 is almost upon us. A massive, sequel-sized update in more ways than one, Build 42 is particularly exciting because it includes animals both wild and domesticated, and down below, we’ve summarized everything you need to know about them.

In the broadest possible sense, Project Zomboid‘s B42 animals are a whole new layer of simulation that adds to the already impressive complexity of the game. As anyone who’s familiar with the game will already know, Project Zomboid is about way more than just zombies, and virtually every aspect of survival is represented in the game in some way, shape, or form. From Build 42 onwards (which is coming soon-ish), animals of various sorts will spawn in Zomboid, too, and players will be able to interact with them in all manner of ways.

What animals are in Project Zomboid Build 42

The developer Indie Stone has already confirmed that Project Zomboid Build 42 will feature at least seven different animal species:

• Sheep
• Chickens
• Pigs
• Cows
• Rats
• Rabbits
• Deer
• Slugs
• Snails

These will spawn in appropriate areas, as shown in feature videos, and the game will even track and simulate their life cycles as the in-game timer goes on. Deer will, for example, move about in families and herds, and even if they’re not actively simulated on the player’s screen, they will be a part of the greater simulation to accommodate a few important new gameplay elements.

Also notable is that slugs and snails, in particular, will be implemented as garden pests as part of the upgraded crop and farming systems. As such, it’s not certain yet whether they’ll be just a pest or actual in-world NPCs. Whatever the case may be, players will be able to defend their crops from slugs and snails using dedicated killer substances or – more interestingly – by letting chickens have at them.

How will animals in Build 42 be useful to the player?

Animals in Project Zomboid‘s Build 42 will add a wealth of new elements to gameplay, but much of it can be boiled down to two all-new progression opportunities: animal husbandry and hunting.

Animal husbandry will be an excellent option for players with established long-term operating bases and headquarters. Cows, chickens, and pigs will provide much-needed resources for late-game survival via meat, leather, eggs, and milk. All the staples, really. This introduces a whole new gameplay loop to Project Zomboid in general, as keeping creatures safe, sound, and productive will require a lot of time and resources.

For those who are still in their hobo/survivalist phase in Project Zomboid or simply trying to avoid zombie hordes as much as possible, hunting will be a more interesting option. As of Build 42, it will be possible to track wild animals by looking for paw prints and droppings, which adds a lot of value to just prowling about through the underbrush. This plays into the massively revamped and improved intercity wilderness sections, making them genuinely compelling for survival gameplay.

All in all, the addition of animals to Project Zomboid will be a game-changing upgrade. This is also very notable because it sets the stage for Build 43, which is supposed to signal Stage 1 of Zomboid‘s human NPC feature. Since both animals and humans are NPCs, Indie Stone is basically stress-testing its tech by releasing a limited-scale version of NPC AI with Build 42’s animals. In time, this will facilitate human NPCs, too, though that’s a wholly different can of worms.