Project Zomboid is an incredibly brutal game, but you can choose certain traits for your character that can make the apocalypse a bit more bearable. If you want to take positive traits, however, you’ll have to compensate by choosing negative traits that give your character weaknesses. Not all traits are created equal, and some positive and negative traits can make the game a whole lot easier, especially for certain playstyles. For new and veteran players alike, choosing the right traits is essential. These are the best traits to choose in Project Zomboid.
Project Zomboid Traits Explained
When you create a new Project Zomboid character, you can choose both positive and negative traits to give your character a bit of personality. Every 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 in order to start the game.
You can’t start the game with a negative point value, so you can’t just take every positive trait in the game without any repercussions. If you’re a masochist, you can start the game with all negative traits though.
Best Project Zomboid Positive Traits
The best positive traits in Project Zomboid are those that will provide a real tangible benefit to your character without taking away too many points. Some of them will vary based on your playstyle, but these are the best choices overall.
- Lucky – 4 Points
- Fast Learner – 6 Points
- Brave – 4 Points
- Thick Skinned – 8 Points
- Strong – 10 Points
- Athletic – 10 Points
Lucky is a must-have trait for any serious Project Zomboid player. It increases your chances of finding useful items when looting, which is as helpful as it sounds. You’ll find more food, get access to better weapons, and have a higher chance to find medicine and other life-saving items.
Fast Learner is another popular trait choice since it increases the rate at which you earn experience points. Most players will start with low skills, even if they choose a good occupation, and choosing Fast Learner is a great way to maximize your XP gains during your playthrough.
Brave and Thick Skinned are great traits for combat-oriented players. Brave prevents you from getting panicked as easily when fighting zombies, helping you keep your cool during fights. Thick Skinned is far more useful though, heavily reducing the chances of bites and scratches injuring you. Infection is a fast way to lose a character, so this trait is basically infection insurance.
Best Negative Traits in Project Zomboid
The best negative traits are those that will give you the most points to spend on positive traits without lowering 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.
- Smoker – 4 Points
- Slow Reader – 2 Points
- Weak Stomach – 3 Points
- Prone to Illness – 4 Points
- Slow Healer – 6 Points
- Overweight – 6 Points
Smoker basically gives you 4 free points because cigarettes are surprisingly common in the apocalypse. You only need one cigarette per day to satisfy your character’s smoking habit, which is a very lenient requirement.
Slow Reader doesn’t give many points, but it’s also not a huge drawback either. Your character won’t actually read that much slower, and you can take Fast Learner as a positive trait to counteract the slow reading speed.
Weak Stomach and Prone to Illness are two negative traits that sound bad on paper but actually aren’t too bad in practice. As long as you avoid rotten food and only eat things that are safe, which isn’t too hard after you get a decent base set up, you should be able to avoid the negative effects of Weak Stomach entirely. The same goes for Prone to Illness. As long as you play safely, you should be able to avoid illness for the most part.
Finally, Slow Healer and Overweight both provide a ton of points. These actually do require you to put in some more work to survive, but the points you get make these traits worth it. As long as you have a safe base and enough medical supplies stockpiled, you should be able to make Slow Healer work. You can actually lose the Overweight trait after surviving long enough too, so it’s only a temporary setback.
With your traits selected, it’s time to set out into the harsh world of Project Zomboid and see how long you can survive. Project Zomboid Build 41 has seen a massive explosion of popularity recently with a ton of new players joining the game. Be sure to check out our guides on how to use generators and how to hotwire cars.
Project Zomboid is available now on PC.
