Deadly Days: Roadtrip is a new survivor title from developer Pixelsplit and publisher Sidekick Publishing. The game is a sequel to the 2021 title Deadly Days, and continues the premise of surviving in a zombie-infested apocalyptic world. It’s out on Steam in early access, and we’ve been trying out the first few hours of gameplay. As with all games in this genre, players will need to survive waves of enemies while upgrading their character by picking up loot.
Each run is broken down into different days, and you’ll need to survive it before heading out back on the road as the sun comes up. Stay in a day too long, and the zombies will start to descend, so time management is an important factor. To finish a day, a certain number of gas canisters need to be collected to fill the tank up and drive to the next area. This mechanic works very well, and Deadly Days: Roadtrip has a perfectly balanced risk system that rewards players who dare stay on a level for longer and those who play it safe and get back to the bus as soon as enough gas is collected.
Controlling your character in Deadly Days: Roadtrip couldn’t be simpler, as he autofires toward the nearest zombie while the left stick is used to move about. He can also boost out of danger, but this powerful maneuver must be used sparingly as it depletes after each use before refilling. The other important gameplay aspect in Deadly Days: Roadtrip is managing your backpack, where your collected loot is held. You cannot advance to the next stage without first selling items that make you encumbered or making room in your main equipment area. Furthermore, you slowly build up your backpack space to be able to equip more items.
This part doesn’t sound fun, but it actually feels like a puzzle game as you use mental gymnastics to squeeze every last amount of space from your pack. This puzzle is made even greater by certain items getting a boost if aligned next to other items that act as buffs for the main gear. Adding even more depth to the loot management is the large number of different items available to find. You’ll get used to exploring the vast reaches of each level in Deadly Days: Roadtrip to find rare items that will have the greatest effect on your character. Many also need to be repaired, so picking up as much currency as possible is vital.
The presentation in Deadly Days: Roadtrip is also well done with bold pixel art used in a 2.5D environment. The levels are quite tightly packed, and there is always somewhere to explore. Sometimes, there are obstacles on the roads between levels that must be cleared before gaining access, and these mini games have basic objectives such as killing a certain number of large zombies or unblocking wreckage on the road. The flow of the game loop is perfect, and everything feels very balanced and purposeful. You’ll also die many times before finishing a run, but once your character is built up enough, you’ll soon be flying through levels.
Overall, Deadly Days: Roadtrip is a fun survivor game that stands out in a crowded genre. Its use of days and having to finely balance collecting and managing loot is brilliant, and the presentation is top-notch. Even in early access, this is shaping up to be a fine game with lots of scope to improve with new levels, loot, and zombie types in the future. It’s not surprising to see that this has already received a lot of positive reviews from gamers on Steam, and this feels like an indie hit in the making. Anyone who is a fan of roguelites and survival games will love the grind in this one.
