Project Zomboid is one of those survival games with a lot more depth than the appearance would tell you. Despite being a simple isometric adventure, it’s one of the best zombie games out there right now. There’s just so much fun to be had.
There are many different skills you need to master in your time with the game. Learning to cook to keep yourself fed is just the start. You also need to keep yourself in tip-top physical shape, and so much more. But as you dodge the undead horde, you might be a bit rushed. Exploring in PZ is key to both finding the good loot, and clearing out the undead. Sometimes, you even encounter a locked door that stymies your intrepid exploration. So how do you get past these obstacles? The first inclination of many is to pick the lock. After all, that’s a thing in many video games.
Is there lockpicking in Project Zomboid?
This would be especially helpful for getting into gun shops and the like, which tend to be locked up tight. If you are wondering if there is lockpicking in Project Zomboid, the answer is no. Project Zomboid does not feature a function to bypass the locks on doors in the vanilla game. There is some hope though.
There are mods that can add the function to singleplayer and multiplayer games. Better Lockpicking adds the mechanics of breaking the locks of doors, windows and cars using a bobbypin or crowbar. The mod also adds the ability to check for alarms when breaking into homes. This can literally save your life as you avoid drawing attention to yourself. There’s more to it as well, but that’s beyond the scope of this post. You may find other mods that change this behavior as well.
Also, with the planned additions of NPC survivors in future updates, the feature could be added to the vanilla game. But for now, vanilla players have one option.
The only option in Build 41 by default is to use a sledgehammer to break your way in. Breaking down walls is possible, but it takes a ton of time and energy. it’s better to knock out windows instead of doors though, as that just opens up a big hole the undead can follow you through. Just make sure to clear away the broken glass before climbing in. And if you have wood and nails handy, board up that window behind you.