Project Zomboid Sandbox Settings (Build 42)

269 options5 presets12 sections

Every sandbox option Build 42.21 has, with the label and tooltip the game shows, its range, and its value in each preset the game ships: Apocalypse, Rising, Outbreak, Extinction, Six Months Later. Apocalypse is the one the game loads by default (SandboxVars.lua). On a dedicated server the same names go into the server's _SandboxVars.lua — see the dedicated server guide.

Read from the dedicated server's code (zombie/SandboxOptions), its English text (Sandbox.json) and the preset files (depot manifest of 2026-09-23). The sections are our grouping by option name. Grey = the preset file does not set it, so the code's default applies.

Water shutoff0 - 30 DaysApocalypse preset
Power shutoff14 - 30 DaysApocalypse preset
Zombie lore29options
XP multipliers37skills + global

The presets side by side

Setting	Apocalypse	Rising	Outbreak	Extinction	Six Months Later
Zombie Count	Normal	Low	Normal	High	Insane
Speed	Random	Shamblers	Random	Random	Fast Shamblers
Transmission	Blood and Saliva	Blood and Saliva	Blood and Saliva	Blood and Saliva	Blood and Saliva
Water Shutoff	0 - 30 Days	0 - 2 Months	0 - 2 Months	0 - 30 Days	Instant
Electricity Shutoff	14 - 30 Days	14 Days - 2 Months	14 Days - 2 Months	14 - 30 Days	Instant
Perishable Food	0.8	0.6	0.8	0.4	0.6
Melee Weapons	0.6	0.4	0.8	0.4	0.6
Population Multiplier	0.65	0.15	0.65	1.2	1.6
Helicopter	Once	Never	Once	Sometimes	Once

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Zombie population

Option	Range	Apocalypse	Rising	Outbreak	Extinction	Six Months Later
Zombie Count ZombiesChanging this also sets the "Population Multiplier" in Advanced Zombie Options.	6 choices	Normal	Low	Normal	High	Insane
Zombie Distribution How zombies are distributed across the map.	2 choices	Urban Focused	Urban Focused	Urban Focused	Urban Focused	Urban Focused
Voronoi Noise ZombieVoronoiNoiseControls whether some randomization is applied to zombie distribution.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On
Zombie Respawn ZombieRespawnHow frequently new zombies are added to the world.	4 choices	None	Low	None	Normal	Normal
Zombie Migration ZombieMigrateZombie allowed to migrate to empty cells.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On
Zombie Attraction Multiplier ZombieAttractionMultiplierGeneral engine loudness to zombies.	0 – 100	1	1	1	1	1
Population Multiplier ZombieConfig.PopulationMultiplier	0 – 4	0.65	0.15	0.65	1.2	1.6
Population Start Multiplier ZombieConfig.PopulationStartMultiplier	0 – 4	1	1	1	1.5	2
Population Peak Multiplier ZombieConfig.PopulationPeakMultiplier	0 – 4	1.5	1	1.5	2	1
Population Peak Day ZombieConfig.PopulationPeakDay	1 – 365	28	28	20	28	5
Respawn Hours ZombieConfig.RespawnHours	0 – 8760	0	72	0	72	72
Respawn Unseen Hours ZombieConfig.RespawnUnseenHours	0 – 8760	0	16	0	16	16
Respawn Multiplier ZombieConfig.RespawnMultiplier	0 – 1	0	0.1	0	0.1	0.5
Redistribute Hours ZombieConfig.RedistributeHours	0 – 8760	12	18	12	12	12
Follow Sound Distance ZombieConfig.FollowSoundDistance	10 – 1000	100	100	100	200	300
Rally Group Size ZombieConfig.RallyGroupSize	0 – 1000	20	20	20	10	200
Rally Group Size Variance ZombieConfig.RallyGroupSizeVariance	0 – 100	50	50	50	50	50
Rally Travel Distance ZombieConfig.RallyTravelDistance	5 – 50	20	30	20	20	30
Rally Group Separation ZombieConfig.RallyGroupSeparation	5 – 25	15	15	15	15	15
Rally Group Radius ZombieConfig.RallyGroupRadius	1 – 10	3	4	3	3	10
Zombie count before deletion ZombieConfig.ZombiesCountBeforeDeleteHow many zombies can occupy a certain area.	0 – 5000	300	300	300	300	300

Zombie lore

Option	Range	Apocalypse	Rising	Outbreak	Extinction	Six Months Later
Speed How fast zombies move.	4 choices	Random	Shamblers	Random	Random	Fast Shamblers
Random Sprinter Amount ZombieLore.SprinterPercentageIf Random Speed is enabled, this controls what percentage of zombies are Sprinters. Check the "Advanced" box below to use a custom percentage.	0 – 100	0	0	0	6	33
Strength The damage zombies inflict per attack.	4 choices	Normal	Weak	Normal	Superhuman	Weak
Toughness The difficulty of killing a zombie.	4 choices	Random	Fragile	Random	Tough	Normal
Transmission How the Knox Virus spreads.	4 choices	Blood and Saliva	Blood and Saliva	Blood and Saliva	Blood and Saliva	Blood and Saliva
Infection Mortality How quickly the infection takes effect.	7 choices	2-3 Days	2-3 Days	2-3 Days	2-3 Days	2-3 Days
Reanimate Time How quickly infected corpses rise as zombies.	6 choices	0-1 Minutes	0-1 Minutes	0-1 Minutes	0-1 Minutes	0-1 Minutes
Cognition Zombie intelligence.	4 choices	Basic Navigation	Basic Navigation	Basic Navigation	Random	Navigate
Random Door Opening Amount ZombieLore.DoorOpeningPercentage	0 – 100	0	0	0	10	33
Crawl Under Vehicle ZombieLore.CrawlUnderVehicleHow often zombies can crawl under parked vehicles.	7 choices	Often	Often	Often	Very Often	Often
Memory How long zombies remember a player after seeing or hearing them.	6 choices	Normal	Short	Normal	Long	Normal
Sight Zombie vision radius.	5 choices	Random between Normal and Poor	Normal	Random between Normal and Poor	Normal	Normal
Hearing Zombie hearing radius.	5 choices	Random between Normal and Poor	Poor	Random between Normal and Poor	Normal	Normal
New Stealth System ZombieLore.SpottedLogicActivates the new advanced stealth mechanics, which allows you to hide from zombies behind cars, takes traits and weather into account, and much more.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On
Environmental Attacks ZombieLore.ThumpNoChasingIf zombies that have not seen/heard player can attack doors and constructions while roaming.	On / Off	Off	Off	Off	On	On
Damage Construction ZombieLore.ThumpOnConstructionIf zombies can destroy player constructions and defenses.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On
Day/Night Zombie Speed Effect ZombieLore.ActiveOnlyWhether zombies are more "active" during the day or night. "Active" zombies will use the speed set in the "Speed" setting. "Inactive" zombies will be slower, and tend not to give chase.	3 choices	Both	Both	Both	Both	Both
Zombie House Alarm Triggering ZombieLore.TriggerHouseAlarmIf zombies trigger house alarms when breaking through windows or doors.	On / Off	On	Off	On	On	Off
Drag Down ZombieLore.ZombiesDragDownIf multiple attacking zombies can drag you down and kill you. Dependent on zombie strength.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On
Crawlers Drag Down ZombieLore.ZombiesCrawlersDragDownIf crawler zombies beside a player contribute to the chance of being dragged down and killed by a group of zombies.	On / Off	Off	Off	Off	On	Off
Zombie Lunge ZombieLore.ZombiesFenceLungeIf zombies have a chance to lunge at you after climbing over a fence or through a window if you're too close.	On / Off	On	Off	On	On	On
Zombie Armor Factor ZombieLore.ZombiesArmorFactorServes as a multiplier when determining the effectiveness of armor worn by zombies.	0 – 100	2	1	2	2	2
Maximum Zombie Armor Defense ZombieLore.ZombiesMaxDefenseThe maximum defense percentage that any worn protective garments can provide to a zombie.	0 – 100	85	60	85	90	85
Chance Of Attached Weapon ZombieLore.ChanceOfAttachedWeaponPercentage chance of having a random attached weapon.	0 – 100	6	6	6	6	6
Zombie Fall Damage Multiplier ZombieLore.ZombiesFallDamageHow much damage zombies take when falling from height.	0 – 100	1	1	1	1	1
Fake Dead Zombie Reanimation ZombieLore.DisableFakeDeadWhether some dead-looking zombies will reanimate and attack the player.	3 choices	World Zombies	Never	World Zombies	World and Combat Zombies	World Zombies
Player Spawn Area ZombieLore.PlayerSpawnZombieRemovalZombies will not spawn where players spawn.	4 choices	Inside the building and around it	Inside the building and around it	Inside the building and around it	Inside the building	Inside the building and around it
Zombies To Damage Fences ZombieLore.FenceThumpersRequiredHow many zombies it takes to damage a tall fence.	-1 – 100	25	25	25	20	50
Fence Damage Multiplier ZombieLore.FenceDamageMultiplierHow quickly zombies damage tall fences.	0.009999999776482582 – 100	1	1	1	1.5	1

Time and start

Option	Range	Apocalypse	Rising	Outbreak	Extinction	Six Months Later
Day Length (in real time) DayLength	27 choices	1 Hour, 30 Minutes	1 Hour, 30 Minutes	1 Hour, 30 Minutes	1 Hour, 30 Minutes	1 Hour
Start Year StartYear	100 choices	1	1	1	1	1
Start Month StartMonthMonth in which the game starts.	12 choices	July	July	July	July	December
Start Day StartDayDay of the month in which the games starts.	31 choices	9	9	9	9	9
Start Hour StartTimeHour of the day in which the game starts.	9 choices	9 AM	9 AM	9 AM	9 AM	9 AM
Day / Night Cycle DayNightCycleWhether the time of day changes naturally, or it's always day/night.	3 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal
Months since the Apocalypse TimeSinceApoHow long after the end of the world to begin. This will affect starting world erosion and food spoilage. Does not affect the starting date.	13 choices	0	0	0	0	6
Darkness during night NightDarknessThe level of ambient lighting at night.	4 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Pitch Black	Normal
Length of nights NightLengthThe time from dusk to dawn.	5 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal

Water, power and world events

Option	Range	Apocalypse	Rising	Outbreak	Extinction	Six Months Later
Water Shutoff WaterShutHow long after the default start date (July 9, 1993) that plumbing fixtures (eg. sinks) stop being infinite sources of water.	9 choices	0 - 30 Days	0 - 2 Months	0 - 2 Months	0 - 30 Days	Instant
Electricity Shutoff ElecShutHow long after the default start date (July 9, 1993) that the world's electricity turns off for good.	9 choices	14 - 30 Days	14 Days - 2 Months	14 Days - 2 Months	14 - 30 Days	Instant
Alarm Battery Decay AlarmDecayHow long alarm batteries can last for after the power shuts off.	6 choices	0 - 30 Days	0 - 30 Days	0 - 30 Days	0 - 30 Days	0 - 30 Days
Water Shutoff (WaterShutModifier) How long after the default start date (July 9, 1993) that plumbing fixtures (eg. sinks) stop being infinite sources of water.	-1 or more	14	14	14	14	-1
Electricity Shutoff (ElecShutModifier) How long after the default start date (July 9, 1993) that the world's electricity turns off for good.	-1 or more	14	14	14	14	-1
Alarm Battery Decay (AlarmDecayModifier) How long alarm batteries can last for after the power shuts off.	-1 or more	14	14	14	14	14
House Alarms Frequency How likely the player is to activate a house alarm when breaking into a new house.	6 choices	Sometimes	Extremely Rare	Sometimes	Often	Never
Locked Houses Frequency LockedHousesHow frequently the doors of homes and buildings will be locked when discovered.	6 choices	Very Often	Often	Very Often	Very Often	Never
Helicopter How regularly a helicopter passes over the Event Zone.	4 choices	Once	Never	Once	Sometimes	Once
Meta Event MetaEventHow often zombie-attracting metagame events like distant gunshots will occur.	3 choices	Sometimes	Sometimes	Sometimes	Often	Sometimes
Sleeping Event SleepingEventHow often events during the player's sleep, like nightmares, occur.	3 choices	Never	Never	Never	Never	Never
Generator Fuel Consumption GeneratorFuelConsumptionHow much fuel is consumed by generators per in-game hour.	0 – 100	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Generators GeneratorSpawningThe chance of electrical generators spawning on the map.	7 choices	Rare	Rare	Normal	Insanely Rare	Rare
Fire Spread FireSpreadIf fires spread when started.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On
Generator Working in Exterior AllowExteriorGeneratorIf enabled, generators will work on exterior tiles. This will allow, for example, the powering of gas pumps.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On
Siren Shutoff Hours SirenShutoffHoursHow many in-game hours before a wailing siren shuts off.	0 – 168	0	0	0	0	0
Generator tile range GeneratorTileRange	1 – 100	20	20	20	20	20
Generator vertical range GeneratorVerticalPowerRangeHow many levels both above and below a generator it can provide with electricity.	1 – 15	3	3	3	3	3

Loot

Option	Range	Apocalypse	Rising	Outbreak	Extinction	Six Months Later
Perishable Food FoodLootNewAny food that can rot or spoil.	0 – 4	0.8	0.6	0.8	0.4	0.6
Other Literature LiteratureLootNewAll other items that can be read, including books, fliers, and newspapers.	0 – 4	0.6	0.6	0.8	0.6	0.6
Skill Books SkillBookLootBooks that provide skill XP multipliers.	0 – 4	0.6	0.4	1	0.4	0.6
Recipe Resources RecipeResourceLootItems that teach recipes.	0 – 4	0.6	0.8	0.6	0.4	0.6
Medical MedicalLootNewMedicine, bandages and first aid tools.	0 – 4	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.4	0.6
Survival Essentials SurvivalGearsLootNewFishing Rods, Tents, camping gear etc.	0 – 4	0.6	2	0.6	0.4	0.6
Non-Perishable Food CannedFoodLootNewCanned and dried food, beverages.	0 – 4	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.4	0.6
Melee Weapons WeaponLootNewWeapons that are not tools in other categories.	0 – 4	0.6	0.4	0.8	0.4	0.6
Ranged Weapons RangedWeaponLootNewAlso includes weapon attachments.	0 – 4	1.2	0.4	1.2	0.6	0.6
Ammo AmmoLootNewLoose ammo, boxes and magazines.	0 – 4	0.6	0.4	0.6	0.2	0.6
Mechanics MechanicsLootNewVehicle parts and the tools needed to install them.	0 – 4	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6
Other OtherLootNewEverything else. Also affects foraging for all items in Town/Road zones.	0 – 4	0.8	1	0.8	0.4	0.6
Clothing ClothingLootNewAll wearable items that are not containers.	0 – 4	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6
Bags ContainerLootNewBackpacks and other wearable/equippable containers, eg. cases.	0 – 4	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.4	0.6
Keys KeyLootNewKeys for buildings/cars, key rings, and locks.	0 – 4	0.4	0.6	0.6	0.4	0.6
Media MediaLootNewVHS tapes and CDs.	0 – 4	0.6	2	1.2	0.4	0.6
Mementos MementoLootNewSpiffo items, plushies, and other collectible keepsake items eg. Photos.	0 – 4	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6
Cooking CookwareLootNewItems that are used in cooking, including those (eg. knives) which can be weapons. Does not include food. Includes both usable and unusable items.	0 – 4	0.6	2	2	0.6	0.6
Material MaterialLootNewItems and weapons that are used as ingredients for crafting or building. This is a general category that does not include items belonging to other categories such as Cookware or Medical. Does not include Tools.	0 – 4	0.6	3	0.6	0.6	0.6
Farming FarmingLootNewItems and weapons which are used in both animal and plant agriculture, such as Seeds, Trowels, or Shovels.	0 – 4	0.6	2	0.6	0.6	0.6
Tools ToolLootNewItems and weapons which are Tools but don't fit in other categories such as Mechanics or Farming.	0 – 4	0.6	2	1	0.4	0.6
Rolls Multiplier [!] RollsMultiplier<BHC> [!] It is recommended that you DO NOT change this. [!] <RGB:1,1,1> Can be used to adjust the number of rolls made on loot tables when spawning loot. Will not reduce the number of rolls below 1. Can negatively affect performance if set to high values. It is highly recommended that this not be changed.	0.1 – 100	1	1	1	1	1
Loot Item Removal List LootItemRemovalListA comma-separated list of item types that won't spawn as ordinary loot.	text	(empty)	(empty)	(empty)	(empty)	(empty)
Remove Unwanted Story Loot RemoveStoryLootIf enabled, items on the Loot Item Removal List, or that have their rarity set to 'None', will not spawn in randomised world stories.	On / Off	Off	Off	Off	Off	Off
Remove Unwanted Zombie Loot RemoveZombieLootIf enabled, items on the Loot Item Removal List, or that have their rarity set to 'None', will not spawn worn by, or attached to, zombies.	On / Off	Off	Off	Off	Off	Off
Zombie Population Loot Effect ZombiePopLootEffectIf greater than 0, the spawn of loot is increased relative to the number of nearby zombies, with the effect multiplied by this number.	0 – 20	0	0	0	10	10
Insanely Rare Loot Factor InsaneLootFactor	0 – 0.2	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05
Extremely Rare Loot Factor ExtremeLootFactor	0.05 – 0.6	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
Rare Loot Factor RareLootFactor	0.2 – 1	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6
Normal Loot Factor NormalLootFactor	0.6 – 2	1	1	1	1	1
Common Loot Factor CommonLootFactor	1 – 3	2	2	2	2	2
Abundant Loot Factor AbundantLootFactor	2 – 4	3	3	3	3	3
Starter Kit StarterKitSpawn with Chips, a Water Bottle, a Small Backpack, a Baseball Bat, and a Hammer.	On / Off	Off	On	Off	Off	Off
Loot Seen Prevent Hours SeenHoursPreventLootRespawnWhen greater than 0, loot will not respawn in zones that have been visited within this number of in-game hours.	0 or more	0	0	0	0	0
Hours for Loot Respawn HoursForLootRespawnWhen greater than 0, after X hours, all containers in towns and trailer parks in the world will respawn loot. To spawn loot a container must have been looted at least once. Loot respawn is not impacted by visibility or subsequent looting.	0 or more	0	0	0	0	0
Max Items For Loot Respawn MaxItemsForLootRespawnContainers with a number of items greater, or equal to, this setting will not respawn.	0 or more	5	5	5	5	5
Construction Prevents Loot Respawn ConstructionPreventsLootRespawnItems will not respawn in buildings that players have barricaded or built in.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On
Annotated Map Chance AnnotatedMapChanceHow often a looted map will have notes on it, written by a deceased survivor.	6 choices	Sometimes	Sometimes	Often	Extremely Rare	Sometimes
Randomized Building Chance SurvivorHouseChanceThe chance of finding randomized buildings on the map (eg. burnt out houses, ones containing loot stashes or dead bodies).	7 choices	Rare	Rare	Sometimes	Extremely Rare	Rare
Randomized Road Stories Chance VehicleStoryChanceThe chance of road stories (eg. police roadblocks) spawning.	7 choices	Rare	Rare	Rare	Rare	Rare
Randomized Zone Stories Chance ZoneStoryChanceThe chance of stories specific to map zones (eg. a campsite in a forest) spawning.	7 choices	Rare	Rare	Rare	Rare	Rare
Maximum Looted Building Rooms MaximumLootedBuildingRoomsIf a building has more than this amount of rooms it will not be looted.	0 – 200	50	50	50	50	50
Maximum Looted Building Chance MaximumLootedThe chance that any building will already be looted when found. Check the "Advanced" box below to use a custom number.	0 – 200	25	0	25	50	50
Days Until Max Looted Building Chance DaysUntilMaximumLootedHow long it takes for Maximum Looted Building Chance to be reached.	0 – 3650	90	90	90	60	90
Rural Building Looted Chance Multiplier RuralLootedThe chance that any rural building will already be looted when found. Check the "Advanced" box below to use a custom number.	0 – 2	0.5	0.5	0.5	1	0.5
Maximum Diminished Loot Percentage MaximumDiminishedLootThe maximum loot that won't spawn when Days Until Maximum Diminished Loot is reached. Check the "Advanced" box below to use an exact percentage.	0 – 100	20	20	20	0	0
Days Until Maximum Diminished Loot DaysUntilMaximumDiminishedLootHow long it takes for Maximum Diminished Loot Percentage to be reached.	0 – 3650	3650	3650	3650	1825	3650

Nature, weather and farming

Option	Range	Apocalypse	Rising	Outbreak	Extinction	Six Months Later
Climate Cycle ClimateCycleWhether weather changes or remains at a single state.	6 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal
Fog Cycle FogCycleWhether fog occurs naturally, never occurs, or is always present.	3 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal
Temperature The global temperature.	5 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal
Rain How often it rains.	5 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal
Erosion Speed ErosionSpeedNumber of days until the erosion system (which adds vines, long grass, new trees etc. to the world) will reach 100%% growth.	5 choices	Slow (200 Days)	Slow (200 Days)	Slow (200 Days)	Normal (100 Days)	Very Fast (20 Days)
Erosion Days ErosionDaysFor a custom Erosion Speed. Zero means use the Erosion Speed option. Maximum is 36,500 days (approximately 100 years).	-1 – 36500	0	0	0	0	0
Farming Speed The speed of plant growth.	5 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal
Compost Time CompostTimeHow long it takes for food to break down in a composter.	8 choices	2 Weeks	2 Weeks	1 Week	2 Weeks	2 Weeks
Nature's Abundance NatureAbundanceThe abundance of items found in Foraging mode.	5 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Poor	Very Abundant
Plant Resilience PlantResilienceHow much water plants will lose per day, and their ability to avoid disease.	5 choices	Normal	Normal	High	Low	Normal
Farming's Abundance PlantAbundanceThe yield of plants when harvested.	5 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal
Maximum Fog Intensity MaxFogIntensityMaximum intensity of fog.	4 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal
Maximum Rain FX Intensity MaxRainFxIntensityMaximum intensity of rain.	3 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal
Snow on Ground EnableSnowOnGroundIf snow will accumulate on the ground. If disabled, snow will still show on vegetation and rooftops.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On
Fishing Abundance FishAbundanceThe abundance of fish in rivers and lakes.	5 choices	Poor	Normal	Normal	Poor	Normal
Kill Crops Grown Inside KillInsideCropsWhen enabled, crops and herbs grown inside buildings will die. Does not affect houseplants.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On
Plant Growing Seasons PlantGrowingSeasonsWhen enabled, the growth of plants is affected by seasons.	On / Off	On	On	Off	On	On
Farms not on Ground Level [!] PlaceDirtAboveground<BHC> [!] It is recommended that you DO NOT change this. Changing this can result in performance issues. [!] <RGB:1,1,1> When enabled, dirt can be placed, and farming performed on other than the ground level.	On / Off	Off	Off	Off	Off	Off
Farming Speed (FarmingSpeedNew) The speed of plant growth.	0.1 – 100	1	1	1.5	1	1
Farming Abundance FarmingAmountNewThe abundance of harvested crops.	0.1 – 10	1	1	1.5	1	1
Clay chance - Lake ClayLakeChanceChance to turn a dirt floor into a clay floor. Applies to lakes.	0 – 1	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05
Clay chance - River ClayRiverChanceChance to turn a dirt floor into a clay floor. Applies to rivers.	0 – 1	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05

Character, health and food

Option	Range	Apocalypse	Rising	Outbreak	Extinction	Six Months Later
Stats Decrease StatsDecreaseHow fast the player's hunger, thirst, and fatigue will decrease.	5 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal
Nutrition System Nutritional value of food affects the player's condition. Turning this off will stop the player gaining or losing weight.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On
Food Spoilage FoodRotSpeedHow fast that food will spoil, inside or outside of a fridge.	5 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal
Refrigeration Effectiveness FridgeFactorHow effective a fridge will be at keeping food fresh for longer.	6 choices	Normal	Normal	High	Normal	Normal
Endurance Regeneration EndRegenRecovery from being tired after performing actions.	5 choices	Normal	Normal	Fast	Normal	Normal
Free Trait Points CharacterFreePointsAdds free points during character creation.	-100 – 100	0	0	0	0	0
Player-built Construction Strength ConstructionBonusPointsGives player-built constructions extra hit points so they are more resistant to zombie damage.	5 choices	Normal	High	High	Normal	Normal
Bone Fracture BoneFractureIf survivors can get broken limbs from impacts, zombie damage, falls etc.	On / Off	On	Off	On	On	On
Injury Severity InjurySeverityThe impact that injuries have on your body, and their healing time.		2	1	1	3	2
Time Before Corpse Removal HoursForCorpseRemovalHow long, in hours, before dead zombie bodies disappear from the world. If 0, maggots will not spawn on corpses.	-1 or more	216	216	216	216	216
Decaying Corpse Health Impact DecayingCorpseHealthImpactThe impact that nearby decaying bodies has on the player's health and emotions.	5 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	High	Normal
Zombie Health Impact ZombieHealthImpactWhether nearby "living" zombies have the same impact on the player's health and emotions.	On / Off	Off	Off	Off	On	Off
Blood Level BloodLevelHow much blood is sprayed on floors and walls by injuries.	5 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal
Clothing Degradation ClothingDegradationHow quickly clothing degrades, becomes dirty, and bloodied.	4 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Fast	Normal
Rotten Food Removal DaysForRottenFoodRemovalNumber of in-game days before rotten food is removed from the map. -1 means rotten food is never removed.	-1 or more	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1
Melee Movement Disruption AttackBlockMovementsIf melee attacking slows you down.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On
All Clothing Unlocked AllClothesUnlockedAllows you to select from every piece of clothing in the game when customizing your character	On / Off	Off	Off	Off	Off	Off
Enable 'Tainted Water' tooltip EnableTaintedWaterTextIf tainted water will show a warning marking it as such.	On / Off	On	On	On	Off	On
Weapon Multi Hit MultiHitZombiesIf certain melee weapons will be able to strike multiple zombies in one hit.	On / Off	Off	On	On	Off	Off
Rear Vulnerability RearVulnerabilityChance of being bitten when a zombie attacks from behind.	3 choices	High	Medium	High	High	High
Enable Poisoning EnablePoisoningIf poison can be added to food.	3 choices	True	True	True	True	True
Corpse Maggot Spawn MaggotSpawnIf/when maggots can spawn in corpses.	3 choices	In and Around Bodies	In and Around Bodies	In and Around Bodies	In and Around Bodies	In and Around Bodies
Negative Traits Penalty NegativeTraitsPenaltyIf there are diminishing returns on bonus trait points provided from selecting multiple negative traits.	4 choices	None	None	None	None	None
Muscle Strain Factor MuscleStrainFactorFunctions as a multiplier when applying muscle strain from swinging weapons or carrying heavy loads.	0 – 10	0.7	0.7	0.6	1	1
Discomfort Factor DiscomfortFactorFunctions as a multiplier when applying discomfort from worn items.	0 – 10	0.8	0.8	0.7	1	1
Wound Infection Damage Factor WoundInfectionFactorIf greater than zero damage can be taken from serious wound infections.	0 – 10	1	1	1	2	0
No Black Clothes NoBlackClothesIf true clothing with randomized tints will not be so dark to be virtually black.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On
Easy Climbing EasyClimbingDisables the failure chances when climbing sheet ropes or over walls.	On / Off	Off	On	Off	Off	Off

Skills, XP and reading

Option	Range	Apocalypse	Rising	Outbreak	Extinction	Six Months Later
Media List Meta Knowledge MetaKnowledgeIf a piece of media hasn't been fully seen or read, this setting determines whether it's displayed fully, displayed as "???", or hidden completely.	3 choices	Completely hidden	Completely hidden	Completely hidden	Completely hidden	Completely hidden
See Not Known Recipes SeeNotLearntRecipeIf true, you will be able to see any recipes that can be done with a station, even if you haven't learnt them yet.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On
Maximum Media XP Level LevelForMediaXPCutoffWhen a skill is at this level or above, television/VHS/other media will not provide XP for it.	0 – 10	3	3	3	3	3
Maximum Dismantling XP Level LevelForDismantleXPCutoffWhen a skill is at this level or above, scrapping furniture does not provide XP for the relevant skill. Does not apply to Electrical.	0 – 10	0	0	0	0	0
Literature Cooldown Days LiteratureCooldownNumber of days before one can benefit from reading previously read literature items.	1 – 365	45	90	30	90	90
Minutes Per Skill Book Page MinutesPerPageThe number of in-game minutes it takes to read one page of a skill book.	0 – 60	2	2	2	2	2
Global Multiplier The rate at which all skills level up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1	1	1
Use Global Multiplier MultiplierConfig.GlobalToggleWhen enabled, all skills will use the Global Multiplier.	On / Off	On	On	Off	On	On
Fitness Multiplier Rate at which Fitness skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Strength Multiplier Rate at which Strength skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Sprinting Multiplier Rate at which Sprinting skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Lightfooted Multiplier Rate at which Lightfooted skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Nimble Multiplier Rate at which Nimble skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1	1	1
Sneaking Multiplier Rate at which Sneaking skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1	1	1
Axe Multiplier Rate at which Axe skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1	1	1
Long Blunt Multiplier Rate at which Long Blunt skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1	1	1
Short Blunt Multiplier MultiplierConfig.SmallBluntRate at which Short Blunt skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1	1	1
Long Blade Multiplier MultiplierConfig.LongBladeRate at which Long Blade skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1	1	1
Short Blade Multiplier MultiplierConfig.SmallBladeRate at which Short Blade skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1	1	1
Spear Multiplier Rate at which Spear skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1	1	1
Maintenance Multiplier Rate at which Maintenance skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Carpentry Multiplier MultiplierConfig.WoodworkRate at which Carpentry skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Cooking Multiplier Rate at which Cooking skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Agriculture Multiplier MultiplierConfig.FarmingRate at which Agriculture skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
First Aid Multiplier MultiplierConfig.DoctorRate at which First Aid skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.5	1	1
Electrical Multiplier MultiplierConfig.ElectricityRate at which Electrical skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Welding Multiplier MultiplierConfig.MetalWeldingRate at which Welding skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.4	1	1
Mechanics Multiplier Rate at which Mechanics skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.4	1	1
Tailoring Multiplier Rate at which Tailoring skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.4	1	1
Aiming Multiplier Rate at which Aiming skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1	1	1
Reloading Multiplier Rate at which Reloading skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1	1	1
Fishing Multiplier Rate at which Fishing skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Trapping Multiplier Rate at which Trapping skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Foraging Multiplier MultiplierConfig.PlantScavengingRate at which Foraging skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Knapping Multiplier MultiplierConfig.FlintKnappingRate at which Knapping skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Masonry Multiplier Rate at which Masonry skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Pottery Multiplier Rate at which Pottery skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Carving Multiplier Rate at which Carving skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Animal Care Multiplier MultiplierConfig.HusbandryRate at which Animal Care skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Tracking Multiplier Rate at which Tracking skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Blacksmithing Multiplier Rate at which Blacksmithing skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Butchering Multiplier Rate at which Butchering skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1
Glassmaking Multiplier Rate at which Glassmaking skill levels up.	0 – 1000	1	1	1.2	1	1

Vehicles and fuel

Option	Range	Apocalypse	Rising	Outbreak	Extinction	Six Months Later
Vehicles EnableVehiclesIf vehicles will spawn.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On
Vehicle Spawn Rate CarSpawnRateHow frequently vehicles can be discovered on the map.	5 choices	Low	Normal	Normal	Low	Low
Easy Use VehicleEasyUseWhether found vehicles are locked, need keys to start etc.	On / Off	Off	Off	Off	Off	Off
Initial Gas InitialGasHow full the gas tank of discovered vehicles will be.	6 choices	Low	Normal	Normal	Low	Low
Infinite Gas Pumps FuelStationGasInfiniteIf enabled, gas pumps will never run out of fuel	On / Off	Off	Off	Off	Off	Off
Initial Minimum Gas Pump Amount FuelStationGasMinThe minimum amount of gasoline that can spawn in gas pumps. Check the "Advanced" box below to use a custom amount.	0 – 1	0	0.7	0.5	0	0
Initial Maximum Gas Pump Amount FuelStationGasMaxThe maximum amount of gasoline that can spawn in gas pumps. Check the "Advanced" box below to use a custom amount.	0 – 1	0.8	1	0.9	0.7	0.7
Initial Gas Pump Empty Chance FuelStationGasEmptyChanceThe chance, as a percentage, that individual gas pumps will initially have no fuel.	0 – 100	20	10	20	25	20
Locked Vehicle Frequency LockedCarHow likely cars will be locked	6 choices	Sometimes	Rare	Rare	Very Often	Never
Gas Consumption CarGasConsumptionHow gas-hungry vehicles are.	0 – 100	1	0.6	1	1	1
General Condition CarGeneralConditionGeneral condition discovered vehicles will be in.	5 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Low	Very Low
Car Damage on Impact CarDamageOnImpactThe amount of damage dealt to vehicles that crash.	5 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal
Player Damage From Vehicle Impact DamageToPlayerFromHitByACarDamage received by the player from being crashed into.		1	1	1	1	1
Car Wreck Congestion TrafficJamIf traffic jams consisting of wrecked cars will appear on main roads.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On
Vehicle Alarms Frequency CarAlarmHow frequently discovered vehicles have active alarms.	6 choices	Rare	Rare	Rare	Sometimes	Never
Player Damage from Crash PlayerDamageFromCrashIf the player can get injured from being in a car accident.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On
Chance Has Gas ChanceHasGasThe chance of finding a vehicle with gas in its tank.	3 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Low	Low
Recent Survivor Vehicles RecentlySurvivorVehiclesWhether a player can discover a car that has been cared for after the Knox infection struck.	4 choices	Low	Normal	Normal	Low	Low
Vehicle Sirens Attract Zombies SirenEffectsZombiesIf zombies will head towards the sound of vehicle sirens.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On

Firearms

Option	Range	Apocalypse	Rising	Outbreak	Extinction	Six Months Later
Firearms Use Damage Chance FirearmUseDamageChanceReplaces Chance-To-Hit mechanics with Chance-To-Damage calculations. This mode prioritizes player aiming.	3 choices	Zombies only	Zombies only	Zombies only	Zombies only	Zombies only
Firearm Noise Multiplier FirearmNoiseMultiplierA multiplier for the distance at which zombies can hear gunshots.	0.2 – 2	1	1	1	1.25	1
Firearm Jam Multiplier FirearmJamMultiplierMultiplier for firearm jamming chance. 0 disables jamming.	0 – 10	1	1	1	1.25	0
Firearm Moodle Multiplier FirearmMoodleMultiplierMultiplier for Moodle effects on hit chance. 0 disables Moodle penalty.	0 – 10	1	1	1	1.25	1
Firearm Weather Multiplier FirearmWeatherMultiplierMultiplier for the effects of weather (wind, rain and fog) on hit chance. 0 disables weather effect.	0 – 10	1	1	1	1.25	1
Firearm Headgear Effect FirearmHeadGearEffectEnable to have headgear like welding masks affect hit chance	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On

Animals and rats

Option	Range	Apocalypse	Rising	Outbreak	Extinction	Six Months Later
Stats Reduction Speed AnimalStatsModifierSpeed at which animals stats (hunger, thirst etc.) reduce.	6 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal
Meta Stats Reduction Speed AnimalMetaStatsModifierSpeed at which animals stats (hunger, thirst etc.) reduce while in meta.	6 choices	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal
Pregnancy Time AnimalPregnancyTimeHow long animals will be pregnant for before giving birth.	6 choices	Normal	Fast	Fast	Normal	Very Fast
Aging Modifier Speed AnimalAgeModifierSpeed at which animals age.	6 choices	Normal	Normal	Fast	Normal	Fast
Milk Increase Speed AnimalMilkIncModifier	6 choices	Normal	Normal	Fast	Normal	Fast
Wool Increase Speed AnimalWoolIncModifier	6 choices	Normal	Normal	Fast	Normal	Fast
Animal Spawn Chance AnimalRanchChanceThe chance of finding animals in farm.	7 choices	Often	Very Often	Very Often	Sometimes	Always
Grass Regrowth time AnimalGrassRegrowTimeThe number of hours grass will regrow after being eaten by an animal or cut by the player.	1 – 9999	240	240	240	240	240
Meta Predator AnimalMetaPredatorIf a meta (ie. not actually visible in-game) fox may attack your chickens if the hutch's door is left open at night.	On / Off	Off	Off	Off	On	Off
Breeding Season AnimalMatingSeasonIf on, animals will only mate during their breeding season (if any). Otherwise they can reproduce/lay eggs all year round.	On / Off	On	On	Off	On	On
Egg Hatch Time AnimalEggHatchHow long before baby animals will hatch from eggs.	6 choices	Normal	Normal	Fast	Normal	Fast
Animals Attract Zombies AnimalSoundAttractZombiesIf true, animal calls will attract nearby zombies.	On / Off	On	Off	On	On	Off
Animal Tracks Chance AnimalTrackChanceThe chance of animals leaving tracks.	6 choices	Sometimes	Sometimes	Often	Sometimes	Sometimes
Animal Paths Chance AnimalPathChanceThe chance of creating a path for animals to be hunted.	6 choices	Sometimes	Sometimes	Sometimes	Sometimes	Sometimes
Maximum Vermin Index MaximumRatIndexThe frequency and intensity of eg. rats in infested buildings.	0 – 50	25	25	25	25	25
Days Until Maximum Vermin Index DaysUntilMaximumRatIndexHow long it takes for the Maximum Vermin Index to be reached.	0 – 365	90	90	90	90	90

Map, basements and clean-up

Option	Range	Apocalypse	Rising	Outbreak	Extinction	Six Months Later
World Item Removal List WorldItemRemovalListA comma-separated list of item types that will be removed after HoursForWorldItemRemoval hours.	text	1 items	1 items	1 items	1 items	1 items
Hours for Removal List HoursForWorldItemRemovalNumber of hours since an item was dropped on the ground before it is removed. Items are removed the next time that part of the map is loaded. Zero means items are not removed.	0 or more	24	24	24	24	24
Removal List as Whitelist ItemRemovalListBlacklistToggleIf true, any items not in WorldItemRemovalList will be removed.	On / Off	Off	Off	Off	Off	Off
Light Bulb Lifespan LightBulbLifespanThe higher the value, the longer lightbulbs last before breaking. If 0, lightbulbs will never break. Does not affect vehicle headlights.	0 – 1000	2	3	2	1	1
Blood Splat Lifespan Days BloodSplatLifespanDaysNumber of days before old blood splats are removed. Removal happens when map chunks are loaded. 0 means they will never disappear.	0 – 365	0	0	0	0	0
Maximum Fire Fuel Hours MaximumFireFuelHoursThe maximum hours of fuel that can be placed in a campfire, wood stove etc.	1 – 168	8	8	12	8	8
Basement Spawn Frequency Basement.SpawnFrequencyHow frequently basements spawn at random locations.	7 choices	Sometimes	Sometimes	Sometimes	Sometimes	Sometimes
Allow Mini-Map Map.AllowMiniMapIf enabled, a mini-map window will be available.	On / Off	Off	On	On	Off	Off
Allow World Map Map.AllowWorldMapIf enabled, the world map can be accessed.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On
All Known On Start Map.MapAllKnownIf enabled, the world map will be completely filled in on starting the game.	On / Off	Off	Off	Off	Off	Off
Light Needed To Read Map Map.MapNeedsLightIf enabled, maps can't be read unless there's a source of light available.	On / Off	On	On	On	On	On