This New Survival Crafting Game Blends Rust Raids, Zomboid Tension, and More

Rust has stayed on the radar for years, largely because it’s easy to treat like a personal sandbox for streamers and friend groups. Between the different server styles, players can roleplay their own slice of survival—some focus on crafting the perfect base and defending it, others go all-in on raids, and a certain subset of players love the betrayal angle, flipping alliances at the worst possible moment. That mix of sudden chaos and memorable moments is a big part of why Rust keeps inspiring copycats, including indie projects that aim for a similar feel. There’s already buzz around an underwater survival game that looks Rust-adjacent, and now a new Steam listing has appeared for another upcoming title built around the same core ideas.

The game in question is called Zeverland. Visually, it steers away from Rust’s first-person view and its grounded realism. Instead, Zeverland uses a third-person camera and a more colorful, character-forward look that feels closer to Palworld—cartoonish figures, brighter vibes, and a generally lighter tone. The enemy roster also takes a different angle: rather than fighting wildlife or military factions, players will face waves of undead foes that match the game’s charming presentation. That friendly co-op emphasis, paired with the zombie threat, should attract survival fans who like games such as Project Zomboid. Still, the cheerful packaging doesn’t remove the hard survival DNA—mechanically, the game is said to overlap heavily with Rust.

Developed by Quantum Quirks, Zeverland doesn’t have a release window listed on its Steam store page yet.

Not many co-op games have managed to leave the kind of footprint Peak has, but if you’re looking for something on Steam with a similar energy, this dinosaur-focused title is still worth checking out.

Zeverland Features at a Glance

• Image via Quantum Quirks
• Image via Quantum Quirks
• Image via Quantum Quirks
• Image via Quantum Quirks

• SURVIVE with bows, melee tools, and guns while keeping thirst and hunger in check.
• EXPLORE a sprawling open world that spans more than 5000km^2, including abandoned farms, lakes, mountains, and towns.
• BUILD a base camp from the ground up, while running into other structures made by real players around the world.
• RECRUIT NPCs to make survival easier—chefs and tailors, plus security and construction workers.
• BECOME INFECTED if you get bitten, then decide whether to reset as a human or push forward as a tougher, unsettling monster.

Common survival sense matters here: secure water, hunt for food, and set up shelter. The world is also described as highly interactive—players can dismantle toilets, mount zombie heads on bats, or weld a bed onto an RV. Whether you want to go it alone or team up, you’ll be repairing bridges, making vaccines, and bringing light back to a dead world.

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Zeverland is All About Immersion and Rebuilding

Zeverland players are essentially given the same rebuilding mission that the Vault 76 residents from Fallout pursued: head out into the world and restore it, handling threats as they show up. The setting is said to be enormous and packed with varied terrain, meaning different locations bring different opportunities—and different problems. Survival won’t revolve only around looting shelves, cabinets, and vending machines. Instead, players are expected to use their own ingenuity to craft weapons strong enough to bring down the tougher zombies roaming the map. The game provides examples such as combining a clothes iron with a tennis racket, pairing a metal bat with an electric camera, or using a zombie’s head as part of a weapon.

When you’re not juggling thirst and health or crafting weapons that fit the chaos of a Dead Island-style zombie hunt, the focus shifts to rebuilding. Players will be working on their ideal base, or constructing structures meant to make travel through the world easier. Beyond the building loop, players can also locate and recruit survivors for their base, with each NPC assigned tasks that support the group. Some recruits act as security guards to fend off hostiles and protect the base you’ve chosen. Others take on roles like chefs and outfit makers, helping the player character prepare for what comes next outside the gates.

Still, you can’t really capture the Rust vibe without other people around—and Zeverland is built to support that. In the large shared worlds, players might find a player-made bridge spanning an annoying river, benefiting from someone else’s work much like you would in Death Stranding. From there, you could leave a return gift for the builder to pick up the next time they cross the bridge, rewarding them for their effort. Another option is to use a radio system to track down another player’s signal and coordinate with other survivors who want the same co-op outcomes.

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Zeverland’s Roadmap Promises a Bright Future

Zeverland has already run two pre-Alpha test phases, so it may still be some distance from a full launch. Even so, developer Quantum Quirks has laid out plans for what’s coming next. One major shift has been dropping MMO ambitions so the game can fully commit to co-op survival. The player’s vehicle is also planned to expand with more features so it can become a true mobile home. Additional work is also planned, including—though not limited to—the following:

• Expanded faction storyline
• Power System
• Farming
• Fishing
• Ziplines
• Detailed weapon assembly
• NPC polish and detail
• More interesting map POIs

Even if Zeverland takes a while to reach completion, the project’s direction appears clear. With the possibility of more testing phases in the future and further updates on deck, the game looks like a strong candidate for any survival fan’s Steam wishlist.