DayZ is noteworthy insofar as it rejects a moral baseline inherent in the diegesis it denies players a pre-scripted narrative, instead relying on open-world mechanics that allow player interaction with little algorithmic limitation. In adding the threat of a zombie attack, the game further emphasizes the existential nature of these decisions and foregrounds player agency as the determining factor for game experience. By modeling a postapocalyptic world, the game forces players to make moral decisions regarding scarcity, survival, and social order. The simulated space of the game foregoes sf-typical centering on historic narrative progression and accumulation of knowledge about the diegetic world for an active exploration of space and the accumulation of lived experience. In this article, I argue that the video game DayZ is an engaging representation of the zombie apocalypse, moreso than any cinematic or literary forms, specifically because of its status as digital medium and interactive simulation.
