Project Zomboid is a very complex game that you can influence with your own style of play. Therefore, there are also many suitable skills with which you can customize your character. While you can set many of your character’s traits and skills during character creation, you can train almost every skill to its maximum in the game itself. However, this is not so easy! Even if you can boost XP through books, some skills take an extremely long time to reach the highest level. So today, we’ll take a closer look at all aspects and show you how to level them up, especially at the beginning. This will also increase your chances of survival in the zombie apocalypse!
Effective Strategies for Passive Skills
This category includes Fitness and Strength. It’s best to invest in these two skills right at the character creation stage because they are extremely difficult to level up. But they are vital for survival! They make you faster, more agile, and better at fighting against zombies. Additionally, you can carry more items.
You gain experience points through movements like running, sprinting, climbing, or melee combat. You can also perform exercises in the character menu if you have some space and free time. Always give your character enough time to rest and heal any possible injuries.
Improving Agility Skills
Similar to the previous tab, these skills can primarily be leveled through movement. However, they are more focused on combat, allowing you to run or attack backward faster.
Sprinting: You can run with Shift and sprint with Alt, both of which improve your stamina. But be careful not to trip and hurt yourself!
Lightfooted: This skill determines how well or poorly zombies perceive you. You can improve it by walking backward in combat mode. Sneaking also gives you experience points in this skill.
Nimble: You can also improve this skill point through combat mode. As long as you hold the right mouse button while running, your character will get better.
Sneaking: You enter sneak mode with C, which automatically levels you up. The more zombies are nearby and don’t spot you, the faster this skill increases.
Combat Tactics
You improve your skill with different weapons by fighting zombies. There’s not much else you can do; you just have to be brave and give the zombies a beating! If you want to know more about melee weapons, check out our article on the ten best weapons. (The Best Melee Weapons in Project Zomboid)
All possible weapon types:
- Axe
- Short and blunt
- Long and blunt
- Short blade
- Long blade
- Spear
Lastly, there’s also the Maintenance skill, which involves taking care of your weapons’ condition. Repair them regularly, especially the melee weapons you use frequently and enjoy. Some weapons, like the popular Katana, unfortunately, cannot be repaired.
Mastering Crafting Skills
These skills are probably the ones you want to focus on the most. They determine your playstyle and depend on your job chosen during character creation. They all can be leveled up through many different methods, and you should always read the relevant skill books first! Additionally, you can also improve all skills with VHS tapes if you find them.
Carpentry: If you have an axe, you should cut down trees and saw the logs with a saw. If you have a hammer or screwdriver, then disassemble furniture in houses and apartments for experience points. Later, you can level up by building wooden barricades.
Cooking: Initially, you should cook canned food, then combine as many ingredients as possible to create a delicious dish. The more ingredients, the more experience points cooking brings. From level 7, you can even use rotten food!
Farming: Very difficult to level up because you only gain experience from harvesting. Maximize XP by harvesting healthy plants in the summer.
First Aid: An unconventional method used by players to level this skill is to walk barefoot over broken glass, remove the shards with tweezers, and then heal with a sterilized bandage. It sounds grim, but it works!
Electronics: Disassemble digital watches, radios, and other electronic items with a screwdriver to gain XP. Later, you can repair your generators.
Metalworking: For this, you need a welding mask and a blowtorch, after which you can disassemble metal objects like bathtubs and large trash containers for experience points. Broken vehicles also help increase your level.
Mechanics: This skill is primarily for cars. Initially, you can level it up by removing the headlights and radio of a car with a screwdriver and then reinstalling them. You can also repair all other components, as you gain XP even on failed attempts.
Tailoring: Tear clothes for initial experience points and mend damaged clothing with needle and thread to improve this skill.
With the Build 42 update, this tab has been expanded. It now includes skills like Animal Husbandry, Carving, Stoneworking, Masonry, Pottery, and Welding. All of these are directly related to the new crafting system and will offer many new possibilities to play PZ!
Mastery of Firearms
Both Aiming and Reloading improve simply by fighting zombies with a firearm. You must hit a zombie to strengthen your aiming skills. You can only reload when your weapon is empty, which likely happens only during combat.
Survivalist: The New Skills
Similar to crafting skills, you can also boost these skills faster through books or increase them with VHS videos. Otherwise, simple gameplay will do, depending on your playstyle. With Build 42, Tracking was added to follow wild animals.
Fishing: You get the most experience points by fishing with a rod and bait in the morning and evening. Alternatively, you can use worms as bait. Spear fishing is less effective.
Trapping: Set a crate trap for animals in the deep forest and move at least 75 tiles away for it to work. It’s best to set it up in the evening for nocturnal animals.
Foraging: Activate search mode as often as possible, especially during the day and in sunlight. You’ll find items everywhere. You gain experience points for both finding and collecting items, allowing you to level up foraging relatively quickly.
Conclusion: Survival Tips for Your Playstyle
Leveling up your skills is one of the most important aspects of Project Zomboid. Without them, you probably won’t survive long. Depending on your playstyle, focus on different factors and pay attention to which skills are improved during character creation. Rent a server for Project Zomboid with us and support other players with your skills, learn together, and combine your best skills!
