It seems to me that zombie fatigue has started to set in for a lot of people. People are tired of seeing zombies in every game, which leads to me an issue. I’m working on the world building for my next project a post apocalyptic survival game with the working title of Day 0. The original plan was to have most of the danger coming from nightly attacks by the hunger zombie like creatures. They were mutated people rather than the walking dead but I’m not sure if I want to go the zombie route anymore.

So I’m looking for ideas and suggestions on what to what to make the hunger so that they aren’t so zombieish.


Here's a brief high level idea of what I’m looking for them to be like:
• The Hunger are part of the terrors of the waste faction known as the forsaken.
• Driven by base instincts
• Practically blind rely on their sense of smell and hearing.
• Drawn to life with a nearly insatiable hunger.
• Nocturnal, thrive in the darkness and night. But can still be found during the day but in smaller numbers.
• Can only be killed by destroying their core or heavy damage to their bodies.
• Infectious they have a way to infect/corrupt/infest survivors turning them in to the hunger if it takes hold within a few days.

Here are some initial creatives in the style of a survivor journal:


Day 1: I came across a gruesome corpse today. They poor guy looked like he’d been torn apart by wild animals. His eyes were the scariest part they were a dull white with greenish veins and something had caused them to harden. But whatever happened to him looked like it had been a long time ago.

Night 1: I managed to find shelter for the night by barricading myself in the dilapidate shell of a building and I’m glad I did. I was awoken in the middle of the night by the sound of something hammering on the wall. It scratched and the clawed at the walls and bashing itself against anything that looked weak. I couldn't see it, I didn't want to I just tried to stay as quiet as possible while it wailed and roared in anguish and frustration. The dawn’s sun drove it off.

Day 3: Another night of restless sleep. More of those things I’ve name the hunger appeared last night. I think there must of 3 or 4 of them last night. I've shored up my crude shelter but I don’t think it will hold much longer. I need a weapon or someplace more secure to stay. I’ve made a crude axe out of what I could scavenge. If I run now will they follow?

Night 4: I made a run for it. I spent all day traveling and spent the night in the trunk of abandoned car. Most of the creatures didn’t follow but at least one did. It managed to break a small hole through the seat of the car leaving me with a few nasty gashes from its claws before I could hack its arm off. Luckily that was enough to drive it off. I won’t be doing that again. I was fortunate to get away with a few nasty gashes and a splattering of its tar like blood.

Day 5: I came across a group of bodies in the second floor of a building. It looked like they had been hiding out up there for a while. I wonder if there is anyone else still alive. The scene was more gruesome then the one I found a few days ago. Most of the people had been torn apart but two were different. Their skin was pale and they were split in half like human shaped cocoons. Had something bursts its way out of them? Was it the same creatures that have been chasing me? Or was it something else?

Day 6: I’ve been feeling like shit all day. I think the food I scavenged from the hideout yesterday must have gone bad.

Day 7: I found a warehouse today that looked like it would be a good shelter but when I went in to it to investigate I almost screamed in panic there was at least a half a dozen of what I can only assume is the Hunger milling about inside it. They stayed mostly to the shadows. I thought they would notice me for sure but even the ones that moved in my general direction didn't seem to see me. But at last I got a good look at them. They were short the tallest maybe 5’5”. Their skin a cracked yellowish brown and their limbs were long and thin. They all also had some kind smooth black growth on them surrounded by thick black veins.

Day 8: I feel numb my skin is almost ashen grey. It’s happening to me isn’t it? I’m becoming one of them. I’ll be hollowed out and become a hunger. Why? Why did this have to happen to me?

Below are some images for the style of world I’m building:

That could be vampires, aliens, demons, or even mutant insects. From the journal entries though it sounds specifically like a contagious disease.

Here's a brief high level idea of what I’m looking for them to be like:
• The Hunger are part of the terrors of the waste faction known as the forsaken.
• Driven by base instincts
• Practically blind rely on their sense of smell and hearing.
• Drawn to life with a nearly insatiable hunger.
• Nocturnal, thrive in the darkness and night. But can still be found during the day but in smaller numbers.
• Can only be killed by destroying their core or heavy damage to their bodies.
• Infectious they have a way to infect/corrupt/infest survivors turning them in to the hunger if it takes hold within a few days.

It seems to me that your requirements describe the familiar characteristics of Zombies.

If you want to name them something else, I don't see why not, but if you really want to get away from the 'Zombie' label, then you need to change their characteristics to be less Zombie-like...

Some quick ideas (but as others have told, your base ideas pretty much implies something zombie-like):

1. Make them fast.
2. Do away with the "mindless walking swarm" trope. Make your creatures able to actually plan attacks, hide, do sneak attacks, jump...
3. If they are fast and flee you can get away with the "only killed by bazooka" trope. They may still regenerate, but slowly - and they flee to safe place for that.
4. Give them high-level controlling mind. I.e. for each swarm of zombies there is some evil mind controlling them and using them for his own goals (evil scientist, alien, mutant...)
5. Make the "infection" active high-tech process - like injecting certain drug and then adding mind-controlling device.