Zombie work: setup and limits

Use a workstation zombie for a queued task, then add a supplier when the station should keep itself stocked. Factory chains have additional connection and gear limits. These instructions come from extracted tutorial text and game data; the current build has not been checked in gameplay.

Start a queued job

1. Put a zombie at the workstation where you want it to work.
2. Queue a recipe at a workbench or furnace. The tutorial says zombies craft queued items, but only recipes within that zombie’s talent level.
3. If the recipe cannot run, compare its required talent with the worker’s level. Better tools or unlocked talent points can raise talent; crafting earns the Tech Points used to unlock talents. Zombie workers can also use equipment and have their own talent levels and perks.
4. For automatic restocking, build a Zombie Supply Station in the area and assign a Zombie Supplier to it. The tutorial says suppliers deliver needed items to workstation zombies and load workbenches for auto-crafting.

The talent tree lists the zombie levels and perks. Check a specific task and its materials in crafting recipes; the source data does not establish a universal best worker or a measured output rate.

Diagnose a stalled workstation

• Nothing is queued: add the recipe at the workstation. A supplier does not choose a recipe for the worker.
• The recipe is above the worker’s talent: assign a worker with sufficient talent, improve its tools, or spend earned Tech Points on talent unlocks.
• Materials are missing: check that the Zombie Supply Station is in the same area and has a Zombie Supplier assigned; then check whether the requested items are available to deliver.
• A Factory workstation does not run: the tutorial says Factory workstations need zombies and must connect through conveyor belts. Inspect the chain and its assigned workers. The tutorial also says Factory gears limit capacity and operating more Carousels raises it.

These checks follow the tutorial’s stated requirements; they are not a verified exhaustive fault tree for every machine.

Read worker roles cautiously

The May 20 developer diary describes zombies as workers, factory operators and fighters, and says their individual progression suits different roles. It does not supply a skill formula or a tested assignment strategy. The game’s tutorial and talent data add specific perks and task effects; use the talent tree and recipe list for those entries rather than inferring a general productivity ranking.

Limits and version notes

The tutorial describes a zombie limit and a PR Machine: place Newspapers and Charged Hypno Devices on it every day of Gluttony to increase the limit for that week. The PR Machine I is one listed tier; its building row does not establish that every tier has identical requirements. Resurrection also reports when the limit has been reached; see the morgue workflow.

PC update 1.008 says it fixed a case where the Panic debuff failed to apply above the zombie limit. This is an official changelog claim, not a new worker-capacity rule. The October 2 future-plans announcement separately lists more conveyor gears from zombies, helpers that collect crafted resources and restart Kiln/Furnace crafts, and zombie farmers that collect Peat and start Compost Heap crafts. Those items are planned work, not features established by 1.008 or this extracted tutorial. See launch issues and update notes for the full version distinction.

The game’s data and tutorials are a local extraction; see the database overview. Developer context: Where Zombies Feel at Home (May 20, 2026) and the story development log (September 2, 2026). Neither announcement verifies the setup in a current build.