We Love It's Guide to…
Lead four survivors through zombie-filled routes to safety, using teamwork and firearms as the game adapts its attacks to your run.
Released 17 Nov 2008
Escape Zombie Hordes
Play as Infected
Fight Four-on-Four
From Valve (the creators of Counter-Strike, Half-Life and more) comes Left 4 Dead, a co-op action horror game for the PC and Xbox 360 that casts up to four players in an epic struggle for survival against swarming zombie hordes and terrifying mutant monsters.
Developed by Valve · Published by Valve









In the aftermath of a zombie outbreak, you play as one of four survivors trying to reach safety through devastated cities, towns, and wilderness. The campaign unfolds across linked stages, with safe rooms marking progress toward escape.
Fight through infected hordes with firearms and limited supplies while completing objectives and helping teammates who are overwhelmed or incapacitated. Staying together and coordinating your actions are central to surviving the journey.
The AI Director adjusts the frequency and intensity of attacks to the team's performance, changing the pace between runs. Play the campaign alone or with up to three other players, take part in four-on-four Versus matches as survivors or special infected, or try to last as long as possible in Survival Mode.
Players often praise Left 4 Dead for making cooperative survival tense and memorable: teammates must cover and rescue one another as infected attacks disrupt the group's progress. Reviews also repeatedly appreciate the AI Director's changing encounters, the grim atmosphere, and the straightforward, replayable shooting. Some players particularly enjoy Versus, while others note that the game can feel less active or less extensive than its sequel.
"The Sacrifice” is the new add-on for Left 4 Dead.| Platforms | Windows |
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| Achievements | 73 |
| Age ratings |
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| Players | 1–8 |
| Play modes |
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| Other modes |
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| Multiplayer | Left 4 Dead supports solo play and online multiplayer. Campaign/survival can be played by 1 to 4 human players, with AI bots filling empty survivor slots. Versus Mode supports 4v4 play, for up to 8 players total, and Survival Mode is also listed. Reviews also mention drop-in joining, online lobbies, dedicated servers, LAN play, and modded servers that can exceed the default player counts. |
| Multiplayer & mods | The game is moddable and includes the Source SDK. Reviews mention custom maps/campaigns, manually downloaded mods, dedicated servers, and modded servers with expanded player counts such as 8-player co-op and 8v8 versus. Default official descriptions only support up to 4-player co-op and 4v4 versus. |
| Controller support | PlayStation, Xbox |
| Controller required | No |
| Content notices |
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| Metacritic | 89/100 View on Metacritic |
| Website | Official website |