Zombie

Zombie is one of the first monsters a player will encounter. It spawns in surface biomes at night, then runs to the nearest edge of the zone when morning breaks. It also appears in Forest Caves, Snow Caves, and Swamp Caves, making it a common early-game threat both above and below ground.

Zombies use melee attacks. They patrol until they spot a player, then begin chasing and striking once they are in range. Because of this behavior, they are straightforward to fight compared with ranged enemies, but their early appearance means they are often the first enemy that teaches players how to manage pursuit and spacing. Their movement pattern also makes them easy to lead away from other enemies or toward open ground where melee attacks are easier to avoid.

A few practical notes make them less dangerous:

• They are most active at night on the surface, so early travel is safer during the day.
• In caves, their presence can create pressure in narrow tunnels, where their chase behavior is harder to shake.
• Since they rely on melee, maintaining distance and using terrain to keep them from closing in is effective.
• At dawn, surface zombies will try to leave the active area, so time of day can determine whether a fight continues or naturally disperses.

The zombie is also notable for a small visual inconsistency tied to the One Tapped achievement image: the artwork shows a zombie with pupils, while in-game zombies do not have pupils. This appears to be an oversight rather than a distinct variation of the enemy.