Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead — Play Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead Online Free
The famously deep open-source survival roguelike: a zombie apocalypse simulated down to individual bullets, body parts, and bacteria.
Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead is open source (CC-BY-SA content) by the CleverRaven community; this WebAssembly build is hosted by a CDDA contributor and embedded unmodified.
Keyboard Controls
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Arrows / Numpad / HJKLYUBN | Move (numpad diagonals matter!) |
| ? | Full keybinding and help menu |
| g / , | Pick up items |
| i | Inventory |
| e | Examine / interact (doors, containers, furniture) |
| s | Smash terrain |
| a | Interact with your body (wear, wield, eat, drink) |
| TAB | Cycle wielded weapon |
| Esc | Cancel / close menu |
| S | Save and quit |
Quick Answer
Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead is a free, open-source survival roguelike set after a zombie apocalypse, famous for its depth: every wound, meal, vehicle part, and crafting step is simulated in a procedurally generated world. This page runs the real game compiled to WebAssembly, in your browser with no download and no account. Progress saves to your device, and death is permanent — that is the roguelike deal.
How It Works
Click Launch, pick a starting scenario and profession, and generate a world
Scavenge nearby houses for a weapon, backpack, food, and water — check every closet
Press ? at any time for the full key reference; the in-game help is genuinely good
Die, learn, and roll a new character — knowledge is the real progression
Key Facts
- One of the deepest open-world survival simulations ever made
- Turn-based and unforgiving — permanent death, procedural worlds
- Real open-source CDDA (CC-BY-SA content), WebAssembly build by a CDDA contributor
- Vehicles, bionics, mutations, NPCs, and factions all simulated
- Saves persist locally in your browser between sessions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead?
CDDA is an open-source survival roguelike, in development since 2010 by a large volunteer community. It is turn-based and played with the keyboard: you survive a zombie apocalypse (plus worse things) in a procedurally generated world where nearly everything — car engines, infections, campfires, NPC moods — is individually simulated. It is often described as the deepest survival game ever made, and it is completely free under CC-BY-SA.
Is this the full game or a demo?
It is the full game. The WebAssembly build is compiled straight from the open-source codebase and embedded here unmodified — the same version you would get by downloading the desktop release, with the same content. Updates follow upstream releases.
How do I save my game?
The game autosaves when you quit (press S) and stores saves in your browser’s local storage on your own device. Nothing is uploaded, and your survivor will be waiting when you return to this page in the same browser. The build also offers save export from its menu if you want a backup.
Is it too complicated for a new player?
CDDA has a deserved reputation for depth, but the default start — a scout with a knife in an evacuated house — is gentle for the first in-game day, and the ? help menu explains every key. Start by looting your starting house, avoid fights you cannot win, and read the item descriptions. Dying and restarting is the intended way to learn; every character teaches you something the next one exploits.