Project A-Life [ALIFE NPCS]

PROJECT A-LIFE - LIVING WORLD NPCS

Project A-LIFE brings a persistent, living world to Project Zomboid, inspired by S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'s A-Life system.

NPCs and factions keep moving whether they're right beside you or three towns away. They patrol, scavenge, raid, hold territory, and regroup, all simulated both on-screen and off-screen. They remember you, and your next encounter might be a conversation, a warning, or a robbery.

Talk to NPCs, interact with the people you meet, or tune your radio to hear what's happening out there. Their stories keep unfolding even when you're not around.

You're not the only one trying to survive.

Quick info & installation

Current version: 1.4.6 Latest release: 23 October 2026 Supported build: B42.21 Game modes: Single-player, co-op, and multiplayer

Subscribe, enable the mod, and play. No PowerShell scripts, external programs, or separate ZombieBuddy/Java installation required.

Join our Discord to explore more features, share your encounters, and help shape A-Life.

[hr][/hr]

A world that keeps moving

Persistent simulation Squads keep travelling and fighting beyond your view. They follow actual roads at walking speed, and hostile factions can clash with casualties while off-screen. Survivors remember previous fights and can return days later with reinforcements.

148 factions Families, deputies, Guard remnants, trappers, fire crews, jail escapees, and more. Less than half are hostile. Some warn you before shooting, some leave you alone, and friendly groups such as Station 14 can help you.

Some groups rob you instead of killing you. They'll demand that you raise your hands, search you, and take valuables. Pulling a gun during a robbery can turn things ugly.

Squad tactics & survival Leaders give orders. Squads stack on doors and clear houses, gunners fire at your last known position, and medics treat the wounded. NPCs bleed and can bleed out without help. Groups occupying a house can barricade it from inside and stay overnight.

Outposts & territory Nine outpost types span different tiers, from barricaded houses to larger compounds. Every outpost has a radio. Cut its communications and it stops sending squads out, although someone may investigate the silence.

Radio communications Listen to activity or contact factions yourself. Calling a faction that hates you might bring the wrong kind of attention. Reinforcements can arrive by car and sometimes by helicopter.

Encounters Outpost scavengers, patrols, highway ambushes, roadblocks, crashed cars, occupied buildings, snipers, hit squads, and raids on player bases.

Explore the full feature list on our website

[hr][/hr]

Create your own factions

The Creator lets you edit NPC appearance, clothing, weapons, attachments, behaviour, relationships, and eligible encounters.

Press COPY CODE to export a faction as text. Share it with another player, who can import it using LOAD CODE. If required modded clothing is missing, the Creator tells them what's needed.

Over 100 sandbox options let you adjust the experience, including population, encounter frequency, raid frequency, and loot condition. Server admins also get a map overlay showing squad locations.

[hr][/hr]

Compatibility & FAQ

Can I add it to an existing save? Yes. Back up your save before changing its mod list.

Can I remove it? Yes. A-Life does not place custom world objects, and remaining NPCs revert to normal zombies. Default NPC loadouts use vanilla items; custom equipment still depends on the mods that provide it. Back up your save first.

Can I use another NPC mod alongside it? We recommend one NPC mod per save. NPC mods often use zombies as their underlying bodies and can conflict over them.

Can I recruit survivors? Not in the current release. Companions and allies are planned; see the roadmap below.

Does it support gun and clothing mods? NPCs use vanilla guns by default. Assign modded weapons and clothing through the Creator. Guns of Marz and Gael's Guns are supported as vanilla weapon replacements.

Do NPCs talk? They shout and warn you through text. Recorded voice lines are not included yet. Interested voice actors are welcome to contact us.

Why are weapons on corpses damaged? It's a balance setting, so a few defeated squads don't provide an arsenal of pristine weapons. You can adjust this in the sandbox settings.

[hr][/hr]

What's coming next

Development update: 1 November 2026 We're working on 1.5: The Major Update, our biggest A-Life update yet. Bug fixes remain a priority.

Work underway includes NPC driving, companions, allies, and expanded outpost gameplay. Our broader plans include joining a faction or leading your own, managing your group, and eventually building outposts that your people defend while you're away.

These are upcoming features, not features of version 1.4.6. Follow development progress and test builds on Discord.

[hr][/hr]

Bug reports & community

Join the A-Life Discord

Report issues in the bug forum and attach console.txt when possible. A description of what happened and a short clip help us investigate.

Share faction codes, tell us about your encounters, and try test builds before they reach the Workshop. Find unofficial translations through Discord and the Steam Workshop.