Software:Infection Free Zone

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Short description: 2024 video game

Infection Free Zone
Developer(s)Jutsu Games
Publisher(s)Games Operators
Platform(s)Windows
ReleaseApril 11, 2024 (early access)
Genre(s)City-building game, survival
Mode(s)Single-player


Infection Free Zone is a post-apocalyptic survival city-building game developed by Jutsu Games and published by Games Operators for Windows. It was released for early access on April 11, 2024.[1] The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where the "Mad Virus" has rapidly spread globally, transforming humans into aggressive infected creatures and causing the collapse of civilization within weeks. Players manage groups of survivors during the day to scavenge for resources and construct defenses, while defending their settlements against waves of infected during nighttime attacks.[2][3]

Gameplay

In Infection Free Zone, players assume control of a group of survivors tasked with establishing and defending a settlement against infected hordes and hostile factions. The core gameplay revolves around a day-night cycle where players manage squads of armed survivors who scavenge buildings for essential resources including food, medicine, weapons, and construction materials during daylight hours while the infected remain dormant indoors.[4][5]

Players must strategically choose their headquarters location and adapt existing real-world buildings into functional facilities such as medical bays, workshops, farms, and research centers to create a self-sustaining settlement. Defense preparation is crucial, as each night brings waves of aggressive infected that attack the player's zone, requiring the construction of walls, watchtowers, gates, and strategic positioning of armed squads to repel assaults. The game emphasizes resource management and strategic planning, with players needing to balance exploration for supplies against maintaining adequate defenses, while also managing survivor morale through proper food distribution and shelter.[4][5]

Advanced gameplay includes diplomacy with other survivor groups, research and development of technologies including potential vaccines, vehicle acquisition for faster travel and combat, and long-term settlement expansion through building demolition and reconstruction to optimize defensive layouts.[4][5]

Plot

At some time in the modern world, the plague dubbed "Mad Virus" appeared "out of nowhere" and began turning people feral and hostile to all other living beings. In the next few weeks, chaos emerges and societal order collapses worldwide. The intro cinematic shots hint to the beginning outbreak occurring somewhere in Northern Europe. Doomsday preppers banded together to live underground and form a stockpile of materials. For at least several years, they would live in their bunkers.[1] As supplies became scarce and life support systems began failing, an automated radio frequency declared that the infected population was declining and encouraging survivors to form new settlements. Regardless of what map players choose, they will always start in April 2030.

As players continue developing their society they will continue to encounter other groups in the wasteland, including merchants, wandering migrants, bandits, signs of increasing intelligence within the infected, infected animals, and military factions, largely through the use of radio.

Players may choose to turn off Story events and/or Illness Events upon creating their base. Doing this will disable radio events (excluding migrants) and the intro cinematic.

Development

The demo version of the game titled Infection Free Zone – Prologue was released on October 19, 2023, for Steam.[6] In this demo, player can play at six major cities, including Paris and Cambridge,[7] for eight days in-game duration only.[8]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic(PC) TBD/100[9]
Review scores
PublicationScore
PC Invasion7.5/10[10]
Strategy and Wargaming8/10[11]

Infection Free Zone received mixed reviews upon its early access release in April 2024. Ed Smith of PCGamesN described the game as effectively mixing elements from Cities Skylines 2, Dying Light, and Frostpunk.[12]

References

  1. ↑ Andrews, Hayley (April 10, 2024). "Infection Free Zone release countdown: Exact start time and date". https://dotesports.com/infection-free-zone/news/infection-free-zone-release-countdown-exact-start-time-and-date. 
  2. ↑ Jonathan Bolding (2023-07-30). "Infection Free Zone will let you reclaim your own town after the zombie apocalypse" (in en). PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/infection-free-zone-will-let-you-reclaim-your-own-town-after-the-zombie-apocalypse/. 
  3. ↑ "Infection Free Zone Review – Finally, An Interesting Strategy Zombie Game" (in en). 2024-04-08. https://strategyandwargaming.com/2024/04/08/infection-free-zone-review-finally-an-interesting-strategy-zombie-game/. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Novichenko, Artur (2024-04-15). "Infection Free Zone Tips and Tricks for Beginners" (in en). https://gamerant.com/infection-free-zone-beginners-tips-tricks/. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Björkman Nyqvist, Martina; Guariso, Andrea; Svensson, Jakob (2017-10-10). Evaluation of Living Goods/BRAC entrepreneurial CHW model in Uganda - Phase II. doi:10.1257/rct.2392-2.0. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.2392-2.0. Retrieved 2025-05-25. 
  6. ↑ "Infection Free Zone – Prologue System Requirements". https://www.pcgamebenchmark.com/infection-free-zone-prologue-system-requirements. 
  7. ↑ Bolding, Jonathan (July 30, 2023). "Infection Free Zone will let you reclaim your own town after the zombie apocalypse". https://www.pcgamer.com/infection-free-zone-will-let-you-reclaim-your-own-town-after-the-zombie-apocalypse/. 
  8. ↑ Vincent, Hadley (April 9, 2024). "How to play the Infection Free Zone prologue demo". https://dotesports.com/infection-free-zone/news/how-to-play-the-infection-free-zone-prologue-demo. 
  9. ↑ "Infection Free Zone". https://www.metacritic.com/game/infection-free-zone/. 
  10. ↑ Lambourne, Aidan (April 12, 2024). "Infection Free Zone review – Zombies in your backyard". https://www.pcinvasion.com/infection-free-zone-review-zombies-in-your-backyard/. 
  11. ↑ Marques, Nuno Carvalho (April 8, 2024). "Infection Free Zone Review – Finally, An Interesting Strategy Zombie Game". https://strategyandwargaming.com/2024/04/08/infection-free-zone-review-finally-an-interesting-strategy-zombie-game/. 
  12. ↑ Smith, Ed (April 12, 2024). "New survival game with an incredible twist is exploding on Steam". https://www.pcgamesn.com/infection-free-zone/new-steam-survival-game. 
a.^ A scene from the intro cinematic in the bunker suggests the survivors have been underground for at least three years(before April 2027).
  • Official website
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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