Set in the fictional 1993 city of Knox Country, Project Zomboid is a gritty survival simulator where you struggle against the undead. After hitting beta in December 2024 and undergoing rigorous refinement, the 42.20 build finally dropped on July 29. Following this official release, daily peak concurrent players soared past the 80,000 mark by the end of July, eventually crossing 120,000 during the first weekend of August—a figure that comfortably dwarfs the 65,000 peak recorded back in 2022.

The core of Build 42 is all about scale and verticality. The Knox Country map is now nearly twice its original size, introducing new regions like Ekron and Brandenburg. Buildings can now stretch up to 32 storeys—a significant jump from the previous seven-floor limit—and basements, once the exclusive territory of modders, are now officially supported. You can also embrace the agrarian life with livestock like chickens, pigs, and cows, or hunt deer and rabbits to sustain yourself. The crafting system has seen a massive overhaul too, branching out from primitive masonry and pottery into full-blown industrial-era tech trees.

The 42.20 update didn't just add content; it focused on stability. The developers have optimized the vastly expanded map, polished environmental assets like buildings and massive trees, introduced new challenge modes, overhauled the anti-cheat, and squashed a mountain of bugs.

Elsewhere on the Steam global top sellers, Street Fighter 6 surged to the number one spot following the arrival of 'Yasmin', the first character of Season 4. Meanwhile, Game Freak’s upcoming title 'Beast of Reincarnation' managed to snag 5th place just a day before its official launch.