One of Steam's hottest top-sellers is the zombie apocalypse sim that previously dominated Steam Next Fest, and it's celebrating with a Dead by Daylight collab

Quarantine Zone: The Last Check
(Image credit: Brigada Games)

Quarantine Zone: The Last Check was a breakout hit at one of last year's Steam Next Fest events, garnering more than one million Steam Wishlists thanks to a hot demo, and its winning streak has only continued now that it's properly launched.

For a game set in the thick of a zombie apocalypse, Quarantine Zone surprisingly doesn't cast players as a struggling survivor or a guns-blazing soldier. It instead riffs on indie classic Papers, Please by having players operate a military checkpoint that's in control of who gets to join the ever-growing, titular community and who needs to be turned away based on how likely they are to turn into a brain-eating monster.

Quarantine Zone | Launch Trailer - Available NOW - YouTube Quarantine Zone | Launch Trailer - Available NOW - YouTube
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No surprise there given the zombie sim's pre-release momentum and the more than 1,500 user reviews, which average to a 'Mostly Positive' rating on the storefront.

"A buggy but solid concept, Quarantine Zone actively lets you play a version of the zombie apocalypse you otherwise never really see," one player writes. "Overall, the game is pretty fun. Finding out if people are zombies is a good experience, as well as assigning them/dealing them as you see fit. This, as the actual gameplay loop, is interesting and fun."

What potentially added to Quarantine Zone's success is yesterday's collaboration with the most popular horror multiplayer game around, Dead by Daylight, which added four survivors from DBD into the rotation of people who might try to come through your checkpoint. The collaboration is completely free for all players.

Don't miss a beat with our guide to the upcoming indie games of 2026 and beyond.

Freelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.

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