Project Zomboid is an incredibly brutal game, but there are certain traits you can choose for your character that can make the apocalypse a bit more bearable. If you want to take positive traits, however, you will have to compensate by choosing negative traits that give your character weaknesses. Not all traits are created equal, and certain positive and negative traits can make the game much easier, especially for certain playstyles. For new players and veterans alike, picking the right traits is essential. These are the best traits to pick in Project Zomboid.
Zomboid Project Features Explained
When creating a new Project Zomboid character, you can choose both positive and negative traits to give your character a bit of personality. Each trait has a point value associated with it, with positive traits taking away points and negative traits adding points, so you'll need to take positive and negative traits of equal value to start the game.
You can't start the game with a negative point value, so you can't just take all of the game's positive traits without any repercussions. If you are a masochist, you can start the game with all negative traits.
Best Positive Traits of the Zomboid Project
The best positive traits in Project Zomboid are those that will provide a real tangible benefit to your character without taking too many points away from them. Some of these vary depending on your playstyle, but these are the best choices overall.
- Fortunate - 4 points
- fast learner - 6 points
- Courageous - 4 points
- thick skin - 8 points
- strong - 10 points
- Sporty - 10 points
Fortunate is a must-have trait for any serious Project Zomboid player. This increases your chances of finding useful items when looting, which is as useful as it sounds. You'll find more food, have access to better weapons, and have a higher chance of finding medicine and other vital items.
fast learner is another popular trait choice because it increases the rate at which you gain experience points. Most players will start with low skill even if they choose a good profession, and choosing Fast Learner is a great way to maximize your XP gains during your game.
Courageous et thick skin are great traits for combat-focused players. Brave keeps you from panicking so easily when fighting zombies, helping you keep your cool during fights. The thick hide is far more useful, however, greatly reducing the chances of bites and scratches hurting you. Infection is a quick way to lose a character, so this trait is basically infection insurance.
Zomboid Project Best Negative Traits
The best negative traits are those that will give you the most points to spend on positive traits without reducing your chances of survival too much. Some of them aren't too bad, so they're basically free points. These are the best negative traits to take in Project Zomboid.
- Smoking - 4 points
- slow drive - 2 points
- Weak stomach - 3 points
- prone to disease - 4 points
- slow healer - 6 points
- Overweight - 6 points
Smoking basically gives you 4 free points because cigarettes are surprisingly common in the apocalypse. You only need one cigarette a day to satisfy your character's smoking habit, which is a very lenient requirement.
slow drive doesn't give a lot of points, but that's not a big minus either. Your character won't read much slower, and you can consider Fast Learner as a positive trait to counter slow reading speed.
Weak stomach et prone to disease are two negative traits that sound bad on paper but aren't so bad in practice. As long as you avoid junk food and only eat safe things, which isn't too difficult once you have a decent base set up, you should be able to avoid the negative effects of a weak stomach altogether. The same is true for disease-prone subjects. As long as you play it safe, you should be able to avoid illnesses for the most part.
Last but not least, slow healer et Overweight both provide a ton of points. These actually require you to put in a bit more work to survive, but the points you get are worth it. As long as you have a secure base and enough stored medical supplies, you should be able to operate the Slow Healer. You can also lose the Overweight trait after surviving long enough, so this is only a temporary setback.
With your traits selected, it's time to dive into the challenging world of Project Zomboid and see how long you can survive. Project Zomboid Build 41 has seen a huge explosion in popularity recently with a ton of new players joining the game. Be sure to check out our guides on using generators and car electrical wiring.
Zomboid Project is available now on PC.
