These days if you can find an electronic gizmo that can bleep and flash, chances are, there are at least a couple of zombie games written for it. This isn’t a bad thing. After all … zombie games can be wonderfully fun. I got a good solid years worth of Left 4 Dead 1 alone. Yet, as a gamer, I’ve been finding the genre to be growing a little … er, moldy. It’s a lot of running and gunning, without much time put in the thinking department.

Well, it seems like the folks over at Double Bear have been listening to my thoughts and writing some of them down, because it was just announced on Destructoid’s blog that a zombie role playing game is set to be released sometime in the future. There’s a lot of info at their site. Here’s some of the juicer bits:

- Strategic turn-based gameplay: combines single-player character control with streamlined ally AI management, allowing for innovative party control

-Open-ended gameplay: Large explorable world and non-linear storyline allow players to explore the landscape of Dead State freely, and encounter new challenges each time they play

-Compelling player choice: Players not judged by a linear morality scale, but asked to make difficult and challenging decisions to keep themselves and their fellow survivors alive

-Innovative mechanics: Noise mechanic affects how zombies track prey by sound, resource management within player shelter allows for streamlined upgrades and organization of ally tasks

For those of you wondering when this might appear on your XBox … you’re going to be a little disappointed. This game is slated for a PC release only, and I’m guessing since this is a small shop, it will probably only be a digital download. While it may lack the budget busting oommphf of bigger titles, it sounds like it will make up for that in terms of creativity and expression. In short, I’m sure you can expect a pretty intense experience.

Hopefully there are fewer days to release than since the project started, but development being development, things can change in but a flash. If you are looking to help this team out, head over to their site and join their forums. You just might be selected to be beta tester.

Dead State is Doublebear’s new zombie roleplaying game
Dead State at Double Bear Productions (deadstate.doublebearproductions.com <- new window)