The action of the game takes place in a post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. The city, like many others across the globe, has been ravaged when a sudden outbreak caused the dead to come to life. The story of the game is told in 10 segments – here called “episodes”. It begins when Anderson Banks, a survivor who lost his family, wanders around the capital of the United States in hopes of being killed by the walkers – the game’s term for a zombie.
Instead, he meets Heather Campbell, another survivor, with whom he bonds. Together, they form a camp, bringing in survivors from around the area, and scavenging for provisions. Soon the inhabitants of Camp Anderson find out that the walkers are not the only threats that await them out there, when they clash with The Family and The Brigade – two other survivor groups.
The gameplay of OVERKILL’s TWD combines FPS action and multiplayer mechanics based on cooperation. The players can choose from four playable characters, each of whom possesses a separate skill tree. Characters are divided into four categories: scout, tactician, support and tank. Each of these categories has their specific uses: support character serves as team medic, while a tank is perfect for situations requiring the use of a significant amount of force. Each of the characters is equipped with primary, secondary and melee weapon, which are specific for a given category.