DEM Games’ 2026 survival RPG puts players in charge of a fortified shelter, scarce resources, and the brutal call of who gets in and who stays outside.
From The Bunker appears to be an attempt to make a zombie survival game that focuses on the psychological effects of collapse and the damage a collapse causes to a group of individuals.
The game takes place in a small Southern town after a virus (presumably) created by a pharmaceutical lab escapes the lab and spreads outward, allowing players to take control of survivors who find a secured, bunkered location in order to survive.
This premise is similar to other games that have used the bunker/shelter model, however the unique aspect of this game is the idea that you’re managing a shelter and making decisions regarding entry into the shelter; rationing limited resources, managing morale among the survivors, and maintaining their physical/mental health.
These factors can ultimately lead to the demise of the group, or even the shelter, as much as the actual zombie threat.
DEM Games indicates that they plan to use structure and routine to tie survival mechanisms together.
There are four rooms in the bunker and a courtyard area. Each room serves a specific function such as; sleeping, cooking, water filtration, crafting, defending against zombies, farming food, and providing energy using generators. As such, the game provides a resource management layer that is akin to a shelter simulation.
When the players venture outside of the bunker, they’ll be searching through abandoned buildings/stores/military bases for medical supplies, tools/weapons, and other essential items while facing threats from both zombies and desperate human enemies. Overall, the gameplay is designed to be a loop based upon immediate needs and longer term security needs. Every time players exit the bunker they’re intended to provide resources back to support the systems within.
Choices made throughout the game have significant impacts on the group, specifically which members are able to enter the bunker, how limited resources are distributed, and how survivors react to leadership.
Additionally, DEM Games frames morale as a direct measure of physical/mental condition and states that these conditions will impact the effectiveness of the group during battles. The game will feature 300+ possible events, greater than 100 items, and 7 biomes, each having its own ecosystem and danger.
From The Bunker has just launched a closed beta; you can submit through the Steam Page. The release is planned for 2026 in early access, and it will stay in that state for at least one year.
Some planned developments for when the game reaches full release include: additional events, new items/characters/factions/biomes, character/location customization options, and new modes/mechanics. Below is the Gameplay Trailer.
