Action · November 17, 2008

Left 4 Dead (2008)

trophy73 achievementslocal_offer-80% current discountgroup10M–100M ownerstrending_up774 peak concurrentrecommend55.1k recommendations
From Valve (the creators of Counter-Strike, Half-Life and more) comes Left 4 Dead, a co-op action horror game for the PC and Xbox 360 that casts up to four players in an epic struggle for survival against swarming zombie hordes and terrifying mutant monsters. Set in the immediate aftermath of the zombie apocalypse, L4D's survival co-op mode lets you blast a path through the infected in four unique “movies,” guiding your survivors across the rooftops of an abandoned metropolis, through rural ghost towns and pitch-black forests in your quest to escape a devastated Ground Zero crawling with infected enemies. Each 'movie' is comprised of five large maps, and can be played by one to four human players, with an emphasis on team-based strategy and objectives. New technology dubbed 'the AI Director' is used to generate a unique gameplay experience every time you play. The Director tailors the frequency and ferocity of the zombie attacks to your performance, putting you in the middle of a fast-paced, but not overwhelming, Hollywood horror movie. Addictive single player, co-op, and multiplayer action gameplay from the makers of Counter-Strike and Half-Life Versus Mode lets you compete four-on-four with friends, playing as a human trying to get rescued, or as a zombie boss monster that will stop at nothing to destroy them. See how long you and your friends can hold out against the infected horde in the new Survival Mode An advanced AI director dynamically creates intense and unique experiences every time the game is played 20 maps, 10 weapons and unlimited possibilities in four sprawling 'movies' Matchmaking, stats, rankings, and awards system drive collaborative play Designer's Commentary allows gamers to go 'behind the scenes' of the game Powered by Source and Steam THE SACRIFICE 'The Sacrifice” is the new add-on for Left 4 Dead. 'The Sacrifice' is the prequel to 'The Passing,' and takes place from the L4D Survivors' perspective as they make their way South. In addition to advancing the story, 'The Sacrifice' introduces a new style finale featuring 'Sacrificial Gameplay' where players get to decide who will give their life so the others may live. In The Sacrifice for Left 4 Dead owners receive 'The Sacrifice' campaign playable in Campaign, Versus, and Survival modes.

More from Valve

Valve has 29 titles indexed — top 6 by review volume below.

Action releases from 2008

28 Action titles launched in 2008 — top 6 by review volume.

Position in Action

MetricThis titleGenre position
Review volume61.9k Steam reviewsTop 10% in Action
Positive rating96% positiveGenre average: 83% — this title sits in top 9%
Metacritic89/100Genre average 77 — top 6% of Action titles
Concurrent peak774 playersTop 12% in Action by live player count
Engagement hours19 h averageTop 27% for session depth among Action

Community Tag Signals

Tag weights reflect how many Steam users voted each descriptor — larger pills = stronger consensus.

  • Zombies · 2.2k
  • Co-op · 1.4k
  • Multiplayer · 1.3k
  • FPS · 1.2k
  • Action · 1.0k
  • Horror · 915
  • Shooter · 840
  • Online Co-Op · 822
  • Survival · 685
  • Team-Based · 660
  • First-Person · 627
  • Post-apocalyptic · 560
  • Singleplayer · 455
  • Atmospheric · 340
  • Moddable · 326

Peer Action titles

Comparable titles in the same genre and review-volume band — ranked by Steam positive percentage.

Localization Coverage

Interface / Subtitles (12)

  • English volume_up
  • French volume_up
  • German volume_up
  • Spanish - Spain volume_up
  • Russian volume_up
  • Danish
  • Dutch
  • Finnish
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Norwegian
  • Polish

Full audio (6)

  • English
  • French
  • German
  • Spanish - Spain
  • Russian
  • Vietnamese

Reception Metrics

Steam community

96%Overwhelmingly Positive · 61.9k reviews

59.4k positive · 2.5k negative

Metacritic

89/100 critic aggregate

Open Metacritic page

Metacritic user score

7.9/10

Curator recommendations

55.1k

Peak concurrent players

774

Features & Capabilities

Multiplayer

  • Multi-player
  • Co-op

Community

  • Steam Achievements

Accessibility

  • Captions available
  • Color Alternatives
  • Adjustable Difficulty

Input & Comfort

  • Full controller support
  • Camera Comfort
  • Custom Volume Controls
  • Stereo Sound
  • Surround Sound

Other

  • Single-player

Engagement Profile

All-time avg

19h

moderate (15–40 hours)

Median

3h

Typical completion time

2-week avg

1h

Current engagement

Achievements

73

Steam unlocks available

Release & Availability

Release dateNov 17, 2008
DeveloperValve
Base price$1.99 -80%
PlatformsWindows
Estimated owners10M–100M
External linksOfficial site · Metacritic page · Support

Content Notes

Includes realistic violence, blood and gore involving zombie-like creatures.

Editions & Packages

  • Buy Left 4 Dead