The chilling survival horror game, Zoochosis, developed by Clapperheads, is set to release on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on October 24th. Players can brace themselves for a terrifying experience managing a zoo overrun by grotesque, parasite-infected creatures. The game blends elements of bodycam-style horror with creature management simulation, creating a unique and unsettling experience for players.
What Is Zoochosis?
Originally available on PC, PS4, and PS5, Zoochosis plunges players into the role of a night-shift zookeeper facing a zoo ravaged by a mysterious parasite. This parasite transforms the animals into horrifying versions of themselves, hungry for blood and desperate to escape.
The Setup
You’re a night-shift zookeeper at a seemingly ordinary zoo. But tonight is different. A mysterious parasite has begun spreading through the animal population, transforming them into grotesque, bloodthirsty versions of themselves. Your job: identify the infected, create vaccines, and administer treatment before the infection spreads beyond control, or before you become the next victim.
Unique Genre Blend
“Zoochosis blends bodycam horror with creature management, creating a unique and terrifying experience.”
This combination of survival horror with simulation mechanics sets Zoochosis apart from traditional horror games, requiring both strategic thinking and nerve-wracking moment-to-moment survival.
Xbox Release Details
Clapperheads has officially announced the impending release of Zoochosis on Xbox platforms, accompanied by a chilling trailer showcasing the gruesome creatures players will encounter.
Platform Availability
Xbox Series X|S
Optimized for next-gen consoles with enhanced performance
Xbox One
Full compatibility with previous-generation Xbox consoles
Release Date
October 24th
Available for download from Xbox Store
What the Trailer Reveals
The game promises a tense and terrifying experience as players struggle to survive the night. The trailer offers a glimpse into several key aspects:
- Grotesque Transformations: Unsettling mutations the animals undergo, highlighting the disturbing nature of the parasite’s effects
- Limited Visibility: Claustrophobic environments that players will navigate using their bodycam perspective
- Atmospheric Horror: Dark, confined spaces that amplify the sense of dread and vulnerability
- Creature Variety: Multiple infected animal species, each with unique threats and behaviors
Core Gameplay: Survive the Night
The core gameplay loop revolves around identifying infected animals, creating vaccines, and administering those vaccines before the infection spreads beyond control. The game emphasizes player choice, with decisions directly impacting the narrative and ultimately shaping the ending.
The Survival Loop
Observe and Identify
Carefully observe the animals in your care, looking for signs of infection. These signs may include:
- Changes in behavior patterns
- Physical deformities or mutations
- Unusual aggression or erratic movement
- Visible symptoms of parasitic transformation
Sample and Analyze
Once an infected animal is identified, gather samples and analyze them to determine the type of parasite and the appropriate vaccine formula.
Create the Vaccine
Gather resources and carefully combine them in the correct proportions. Creating the vaccine requires precision and understanding of the infection.
Administer Treatment
Administer the vaccine to the infected animal, hoping it will cure the creature before it’s too late—or before it attacks you.
Manage Resources
Throughout this process, manage the zoo’s resources, such as food, medicine, and security measures, to ensure the safety of both yourself and the remaining healthy animals.
Key Features and Mechanics
What Makes Zoochosis Unique
Bodycam Perspective
The bodycam perspective adds a layer of vulnerability, forcing players to confront the horrors directly and increasing the sense of immersion. Limited visibility and realistic camera movement create an authentic found-footage horror experience.
Strategic Creature Management
The creature management aspects require players to learn the behaviors of the infected animals, strategize their movements, and carefully allocate resources to contain the outbreak. Understanding each species’ transformation patterns is key to survival.
Choice-Driven Narrative
The game’s focus on choices and consequences adds replayability, encouraging players to explore different strategies and make difficult decisions that impact the story and the fate of the zoo.
Difficult Decisions:
- Sacrificing certain animals to save others
- Experimenting with different vaccine combinations
- Allocating limited resources between safety and research
- Choosing between containment and extermination
Ambiguous Narrative
The game’s narrative is designed to be ambiguous, leaving players to piece together the origins of the parasite and the events that led to the zoo’s downfall. Environmental storytelling and scattered clues reveal the full picture.
Horror Influences and Design Philosophy
Standing on the Shoulders of Horror
The game’s premise draws inspiration from classic horror tropes, such as parasitic infections and monstrous transformations, while also incorporating elements of animal horror, a subgenre that explores the fear of animals turning against humanity.
Genre Inspirations
- Bodycam Horror: The use of bodycam footage, popularized by games like Outlast and Resident Evil 7, offers a realistic and immersive way to experience horror
- Parasitic Horror: Drawing from films like The Thing and video games exploring infection mechanics
- Animal Horror: Tapping into primal fears of familiar creatures becoming threats
- Cosmic Horror: Mysterious parasite origins that challenge understanding
Grotesque by Design
The grotesque designs of the infected animals are intended to be disturbing and unsettling, evoking a sense of revulsion and dread in players. The transformations corrupt familiar animals into nightmarish versions that retain just enough recognition to be deeply unsettling.
The Indie Horror Advantage
Innovation from Independent Developers
The survival horror genre has seen a resurgence in recent years, with indie developers like Clapperheads pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with limited resources. Games like Zoochosis often experiment with unique mechanics and perspectives to create memorable and terrifying experiences.
Indie games often push boundaries by:
- Experimenting with unconventional gameplay combinations
- Taking creative risks larger studios might avoid
- Focusing on atmosphere and tension over production values
- Creating intimate, personal horror experiences
The combination of bodycam perspective with creature management elements sets Zoochosis apart from other survival horror titles, offering something fresh in a genre often dominated by familiar formulas.
What to Expect: Experience Overview
Gameplay Experience
Xbox players should prepare for a harrowing experience when Zoochosis launches on October 24th. The game promises a blend of intense horror, strategic decision-making, and a chilling atmosphere that will keep players on the edge of their seats.
Atmosphere
Claustrophobic zoo environments, limited lighting, and unsettling audio design create constant tension
Challenge
Resource management, time pressure, and hostile infected creatures demand strategic thinking under stress
Replayability
Multiple endings, different infection patterns, and varied strategies encourage multiple playthroughs
Immersion
Bodycam perspective and realistic audio create authentic horror immersion
Ideal For
Zoochosis aims to provide a challenging and rewarding experience for players who enjoy:
- Survival horror games with atmospheric tension
- Strategic decision-making under pressure
- Creature management and simulation mechanics
- Indie horror with unique gameplay twists
- Choice-driven narratives with consequences
- Fresh takes on the survival horror formula
Getting Ready for Release
How to Prepare
Watch the Trailer
Watch the official Zoochosis trailer to prepare for the horror and get a sense of the game’s atmosphere, creatures, and mechanics.
Mark Your Calendar
Set a reminder for October 24th to download Zoochosis from the Xbox store as soon as it becomes available.
Get the Game
Prepare for a night of terror and survival! Download from the Xbox Store and enter the nightmare.
Tips for Your First Night
- Observe Carefully: Learn normal animal behaviors before infection to spot changes quickly
- Manage Resources: Don’t waste vaccine components—gather and use them strategically
- Stay Calm: Panic leads to mistakes; methodical observation saves lives
- Experiment Safely: Test different approaches, but have backup plans
- Accept Consequences: Not every animal can be saved—focus on containment
Key Takeaways
Zoochosis launches on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on October 24th, bringing indie developer Clapperheads’ unique blend of bodycam survival horror and creature management simulation to console players. The game casts players as a night-shift zookeeper battling a mysterious parasite that transforms animals into grotesque, bloodthirsty monsters. Core gameplay involves a strategic loop of observing animals for infection signs, gathering samples, creating vaccines, and administering treatment while managing limited resources—all from a vulnerable first-person bodycam perspective that amplifies horror and immersion. Player choices directly impact the narrative and ending, with difficult decisions about resource allocation, animal sacrifice, and containment strategies adding replayability. The game draws inspiration from bodycam horror titles like Outlast and Resident Evil 7 while carving its own niche through creature management mechanics and animal horror elements. As part of the indie horror resurgence, Zoochosis experiments with unconventional genre combinations that larger studios might avoid, creating a fresh take on survival horror that challenges players to think strategically while confronting disturbing transformations and claustrophobic zoo environments.
