What are the different starting locations in Project Zomboid?

There are a few different Project Zomboid maps to start your game in, though these all connect to a much wider world, technically making them all part of one map in mid-90s Kentucky.

Project Zomboid is a survival RPG that sees you attempt to last through an apocalyptic zombie event while making use of various skills such as cooking, electrics, trapping, first-aid, and much more. If you survive for a long time, you'll likely wander through a few of the Project Zomboid maps, so here's our breakdown of all the game's starting locations. 

Muldraugh

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The first of the Project Zomboid maps is Muldraugh, which is a small town in the middle of Kentucky and is seen by many as the standard beginner town because it's easier to survive in than the other locations. It's also the starter location for many of the challenge game modes.

The town of Muldraugh is full of low-income inhabitants, so there is a lack of plentiful resources for survival, but also a lack of zombies, as many of the people of the town had abandoned it before the Knox Event began. This means there are a lot of mobile homes littered around, and abandoned shops, but the northern area of the town does have some larger homes and wealthier inhabitants.

Rosewood

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Rosewood is a slightly smaller area, surrounded by lots of rural ground and forests, with the middle largely consisting of suburban homes. The town is a local community hub, and it contains a prison, courthouse, fire department, and police station, meaning there are lots of places to find high-quality loot and items.

Most of these are packed into the center, which can be heavy with zombies, but the prison is found on the outskirts and can be less risky.

Rosewood also has a secret military base toward the southern area, which can be found through dirt roads, though there is a horde nearby that will have to be dealt with.

West Point

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The third starting location is West Point, which is another small town, sits on the Ohio River and is surrounded by rural farmland, which increases the map size by quite a bit and allows for a more mobile hunter/gatherer play style.

West Point also has some of the best looting locations in the game, thanks to the Enigma bookshop and the gun store, the latter of which will allow you to do some more daring looting.

This location is also the closest starter location to Louisville, which is the most populated area in the game, and has some of the best loot if you can survive the city.

Riverside

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The last of the current starting locations in the game is Riverside. It's another smaller town, that hugs the Ohio River.

Riverside is split by the east and west sides of the town, with the wealthier areas on the latter side, along with the country club which is a large area with some interesting loot. Riverside is also one of the more isolated starter locations and is far away from the other areas that can be explored.

Check out our Project Zomboid homepage for more guides. We've also covered the best traits, the best base locations, and the TV schedule.