4 Zombie Games That Became the Best Left 4 Dead Replacements

Left 4 Dead is one of the best co-op shooters of its era. Unfortunately, publisher/developer Valve has mostly let the series linger since releasing the Cold Stream DLC for Left 4 Dead 2 in 2012. There was a fan-made expansion called The Last Stand that Valve made official in 2020, but the developer doesn’t seem interested in doing a Left 4 Dead 3 anytime soon. Thankfully, several other developers, including the team at Turtle Rock Studios, which developed the original L4D games, have stepped in to give fans more options for zombie shooting, co-op escapades.

Here are four games that’ll scratch your Left 4 Dead itch.

4) Back 4 Blood

Speaking of Turtle Rock Studios, Back 4 Blood is the team’s “spiritual sequel” to Left 4 Dead. Like the original games, you’ll jump into four-player teams to take on hordes of zombies. However, Turtle Rock tried to build on the formula by adding cards that players can earn to change up their stats, adding a roguelite feeling to Back 4 Blood.

It doesn’t quite work as well as fans would hope, and it definitely isn’t as beloved as Left 4 Dead. That said, if you’re looking for something to replace those classic games and want to see what the original developer is up to, Turtle Rock’s most recent game isn’t a bad game if you have a group of friends to jump in with.

Reportedly, Turtle Rock is currently working on a sequel to Back 4 Blood. Hopefully, the team takes lessons learned from B4B (and some of the other Left 4 Dead-likes) to make a sequel that builds on the first game in inventive ways. They don’t need to completely scrap the card system, but it could use another iteration.

3) Warhammer: Vermintide Series

Technically, you’re fighting ratmen, not zombies, but it’s essentially the same thing. Both Vermintide games are exceptional co-op adventures. You and up to four friends step into the shoes of one of five different hero characters. Like Left 4 Dead, each character has different perks, but in Vermintide 2, you can further customize them through their branching career paths.

Vermintide is a bit more focused on melee combat than most Left 4 Dead-like games, but that’s not a negative. The way you slice through hordes of enemies is incredibly satisfying, as you’ll see limbs fly across the screen while your buddies slice and dice their way through the ratmen.

On top of the two Vermintide games, developer Fatshark also put out Warhammer 40,000: Darktide in 2022. It’s a shooter version of Vermintide, which is not quite as good due to its lackluster loot and crafting systems, but worth jumping into if you like Vermintide.

2) Killing Floor Series

Killing Floor also doesn’t technically use zombies, as the hordes you fight off are failed cloning experiments, but it’s essentially the same thing. The first two games aren’t quite as polished as Left 4 Dead, but they’re both solid horde shooters to play with friends.

Killing Floor 2 is probably the best of the two. The perk system has been expanded, the weapons get appropriately silly, and the new Zeds provide a fun challenge. KF2 also supports up to six players in co-op, making it easy to dive in with a larger group.

Unfortunately, the third game, which launched in July 2025, is a bit of a disappointment. The team at Tripwire has been working to fix many of the issues, including the relatively recent Rearmament Update, but it’s not quite where long-time fans want it. That said, it’s moving in the right direction, so don’t be surprised if fans turn around on KF3 soon.

1) World War Z

World War Z might be the closest we’ve gotten to a third Left 4 Dead. It’s not quite the same, but Saber Interactive’s Swarm Engine takes the zombie co-op shooter formula and injects it with more zombies than you’ll know what to do with. WWZ supports up to 1,000 enemies on-screen at once. If you thought you’d seen a horde of zombies before, WWZ will quickly prove you wrong.

The hordes are the standout feature in World War Z, but that’s not the only thing Saber Interactive is doing well. Each class feels unique, and you’ll unlock powerful weapon upgrades as you work your way through the story-driven campaign. The competitive modes aren’t as fun as the co-op story, but it was a solid attempt to make something new.

World War Z got even better in 2021 when Saber dropped the Aftermath upgrade. It added three new locations, new characters, a first-person mode, and a revamped melee system. If you want to replicate the fun of Left 4 Dead, start with this one, and you won’t be disappointed.

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