Best Project Zomboid Traits: Best Traits to pick when creating your character

You'll want to know the best Project Zomboid Traits to pick when creating your character, as they can add hugely useful buffs and bonuses that make surviving the apocalypse a bit easier.

As a hardcore zombie survival RPG, Project Zomboid gives players various ways to specialise their character, with the Trait system being one of the best representations of this. It essentially lets you pick either positive or negative traits, which have adverse effects on your stats and gameplay, but picking them has a point cost that needs to be balanced.

So, if you want to know which Traits are worth picking, check out our list of the best Project Zomboid Traits.

• We also have a list of Project Zomboid tips.

Best Project Zomboid Traits: How Do Traits Work?

In Project Zomboid, traits give you additional skills and passives, with positive and negative traits defining whether you gain a permanent buff or debuff.

You start with a pool of eight points to pick your traits from, and each trait has a numerical value associated with it. This is so you can't select all the best traits and make your character overpowered, and it means you will need some negative traits to balance them out.

The traits system also adds a lot to the role-playing aspects of the experience, and you can very well choose to select only negative traits to impose a challenge on yourself.

Ultimately, the traits help to define your character more, but with so many to choose from, it's hard to know which are the best ones.

• Don't forget to check out our guide on Project Zomboid foraging.

Best Project Zomboid Traits: Positive Traits

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Wakeful 

The Wakeful trait will help you stay awake longer, and means your character requires less sleep. Sleeping obviously takes up valuable time that can be used to perform other activities, and it leaves you vulnerable if you're not secure enough. It only costs -2 trait points, making it quite cheap despite its great effect on your game.

Dextrous

This is another cheap trait, only costing -2, but it's also extremely useful and will save so much time throughout your game. The Dextrous trait reduces the time it takes to transfer items between yourself and containers, and will leave you more time for other things.

Lucky

The Lucky trait makes it easier to find the rarer items when looting, and will often make your walkthroughs much easier. This is especially useful earlier in the game when it's more difficult, and you need to find specific items for survival. Lucky costs -4 trait points, which is perfect is a mid-tier cost positive trait.

Strong

The Strong trait can be hit-and-miss mainly because of its obscene cost, but if you know how to use it, it will make combat and carrying items much easier. Your carry weight is increased by four points, and you gain an extra knockback effect to your attacks. The trait costs -10, so you will need to balance it out with a negative trait.

Fast Learner

This trait will gain you experience from reading skill books and watching the Life and Living TV channel at a much higher rate, giving you better levels in your skills much quicker than usual. At -6 points it can be somewhat steep, but you don't need to select a negative trait to balance it out. 

Brave

With the amount of fighting you can potentially take part in during your Project Zomboid playthrough, the Brave trait can sometimes be imperative to a long survival time. It makes you panic less, and during combat when your chance at panicking is high, it can be a lifesaver. It costs -4 trait points.

Cat's Eyes

This trait gives you better sight during the nighttime, letting you spot zombies and items before you typically would. This means you can avoid danger much easier, and your chances of finding better loot is improved with the extra vision. It costs -2 points, which is excellent for its effect.

• Here's our list of the Project Zomboid VHS stores and tapes locations.

Best Project Zomboid Traits: Negative Traits 

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Negative traits are hard to turn into a positive, but sometimes the negative effects that can be felt from them can be mitigated to the point of nullifying them. They also allow you to acquire more positive traits, and can ultimately make your character stronger if played correctly. 

Smoker

Costing +4 points, the Smoker trait means you need to satisfy your nicotine addiction during gameplay somewhat regularly. There are many cigarettes littered around the Project Zomboid map, and finding enough to nullify the Smoker trait isn't too much of a challenge.

Weak Stomach

This trait makes it that dangerous food will affect you more severely. Dangerous food counts as rotten food and even burnt food, so avoiding these are imperative to survival, however, stocking up on enough food can nullify the effects of this trait, and give you a handy +3 points to utilise. 

Slow Healer

The Slow Healer trait will make any wounds or illness' you pick up harder to get rid of, requiring more rest and recuperation. With enough resources and a safe base to sleep in, you can still effectively heal and see little of the negative effects, and the +6 points you will receive will allow you to choose more positive traits. 

That's our rundown of the best Project Zomboid traits, and you should know which ones to choose during character creation to make your survival against the undead hordes a little easier.

Make sure to check our Project Zomboid hotwire car guide too so you know how to get yourself some wheels.