Zombie Death building: barricades, turrets and spike traps
In Zombie Death you build three things: a barricade for 20 scrap, a turret for 75 scrap and a spike trap for 30 scrap. You can also move the furniture for free, fix and refill what you built, upgrade it up to level 3, and take it apart for some scrap back. This page has every cost and every number.
How to build
- Open build mode: B, Y on a controller, or the Build button.
- Pick a tool. On a controller, use LB and RB.
- Look at the floor near you. A green shape means it fits, red means it doesn't.
- Click or tap the spot. On a controller, press A to build in front of you.
A few rules:
- You must build close to where you stand. If it is too far, the game says "Too far away. Build closer to you."
- You can't build where zombies come in, on a zombie or on yourself.
- You can have up to 24 things built at the same time.
- While build mode is open you can't shoot. In the break the next wave waits, but in a wave the zombies keep coming.
All the keys are on the controls page.
Scrap: the building money
Scrap pays for everything you build. You start a new game with 150 scrap. You get 5 for each walker, 6 for each runner and 15 for each big one, whether you stop it or your turret or trap does. You get 20 more each time you finish a wave. How much each wave can give is on the waves page.
The three things you can build
| Button | Cost | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Barricade · 20 | 20 scrap | A wall piece that blocks a way in until zombies break it |
| Turret · 75 | 75 scrap | Shoots the nearest zombie it can see, by itself, until it runs out of bullets |
| Spike trap · 30 | 30 scrap | Hurts and slows every zombie that steps on it. 6 uses. |

Barricade
A barricade is a short, tough wall. Zombies can't walk through it, so they stop and bash it. It is cheap, so use it to block windows, doorways and gaps. A walker needs 12 seconds to break a new barricade alone, but a big one breaks it with two slams. You can't shoot through a barricade either.
Turret
A turret is an ammo crate with a gun on top. It turns to the nearest zombie it can see and shoots. It can't see through walls, doors or furniture, so give it a clear view. It holds 120 bullets and stops when they run out. Zombies that reach a turret can break it, so put a barricade in front.
Spike trap
A spike trap lies flat on the floor. Zombies walk over it. Each time a zombie steps on it, it hits every zombie close by and slows them down for a moment. A new trap has 6 uses. Then it needs Fix and refill, unless it is upgraded.
Upgrade: up to level 3
Pick something you built near you and press Upgrade (U, or right on the d-pad). To pick something, choose Move and click or tap it. Everything starts at level 1, and level 3 is the top. An upgrade adds the extra health of the new level, but it does not mend damage that is already there. It also fills a turret with bullets and sets a trap again. Upgraded defenses get metal bands, so you can see them from far away.
| Upgrade | Level 1 → 2 | Level 2 → 3 | What gets better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barricade | 35 scrap | 65 scrap | "Stronger wall" |
| Turret | 60 scrap | 90 scrap | "Shoots faster, hits harder and holds more bullets" |
| Spike trap | 40 scrap | 70 scrap | "Sets itself again and hits harder" |
Taking a barricade from level 1 to 3 costs 100 scrap more, a turret 150 more and a spike trap 110 more. Furniture can't be upgraded.
All the numbers by level
The game shows health, bullets and uses left next to the thing you pick. The other numbers are hidden, but they help you choose.
| Barricade | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 240 | 480 | 720 |
| Slams from a big one to break it | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Turret | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullets | 120 | 180 | 240 |
| Damage per shot | 24 | 30 | 36 |
| Time between shots | 0.4 s | 0.325 s | 0.25 s |
| Range | 8 m | 9 m | 10 m |
| Health | 160 | 240 | 320 |
| Spike trap | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uses | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Damage per zombie | 45 | 60 | 75 |
| Slows zombies for | 1.2 s | 1.5 s | 1.8 s |
| After the last use | Needs Fix and refill | Sets itself again after 4 s | Sets itself again after 4 s |
A slowed zombie moves at less than half its speed. Your own pistol does 34 damage per hit, so a level 3 trap hits more than twice as hard as you.
Fix and refill
Fix and refill · 20 costs 20 scrap. Pick something near you that is broken or empty and press it (E, or up on the d-pad). It:
- gives back health: 80 at level 1, 120 at level 2 and 160 at level 3,
- fills a turret with bullets,
- sets a spike trap again with all 6 uses.
It only works when something is missing, so you never pay for nothing. You can fix damaged furniture too.
Take apart
Take apart (X, or down on the d-pad) removes something you built and gives you scrap back. You get half of everything you paid for it, upgrades too. You get less if it is damaged, or if a trap has used some of its uses. Furniture can't be taken apart.
Move: furniture is free
Move (key 1) picks furniture or something you built, and puts it on a new green spot. Moving costs nothing. The rest stop has two counters, two cupboards and two tables, and each piece is tougher than a new barricade. Push them in front of windows and doors to make free walls. You can also move your turrets, barricades and traps if you put them in the wrong place.
To move or change something, you must stand close to it. If not, the game says "Walk closer to it first."
See also
- The rest stop: where the doors, windows and furniture are.
- Zombies: what each zombie does to your defenses.
- Advanced tips: the best order to build and upgrade.
- Tips for new survivors.
- Play Zombie Death.