Introduction (main missions) | Walkthrough State of Decay Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
In State of Decay, there are two types of missions:
main, story related
secondary, often repeating event to help other survivors
You will meet Lily in the church, she is your primary contact and will keep you up to date on new tasks.
State of Decay is not a perfectly linear game, instead of one main chain of quests you have few separate plots. Advances in each of these chains often depends on the progress of other tasks. Some of the mission may fail due to the death of some characters, some may be delayed by the appearance of other tasks, etc.
Find Help
As soon as you start playing, you'll be attacked by a small group of zombies, kill them and go (breaking through zombies or stealth) to the Ranger Station marked on the map with icon of green house. As soon as you get there you start a brief conversation with Thomas Ritter, who is asking for your help in searching nearby cabins and climbing the water tower, where you could look around the area.
Surveying, search the area from the higher ground
The Water Tower is located right next to the ranger station, at the top use the aim button to enter the observation mode. Check the question marks to discover new places. You have to fill the bar on the left side of the screen (Surveying) by checking the area.
Once you have completed survey start searching nearby tents and huts. Pay attention to the markings on the map:
 | This icon indicates that the place is fully searched. Remember that white circle with a red stroke indicates that the area should be safe. |
Distant gunshots
Head south following the sound of shots from a distance. You'll find Maya there, she needs help with fighting the zombies. Your task is to help a stranger defend against attackers, and then come back with her to the ranger station.
After getting back you will find that most of people there were killed or disappeared. When your friend starts to search the corpse of Thomas Ritter, he will wake up and bite Ed. In this situation, together with your companions, you'll decide to leave the location in search of help. Luckily, you have the keys to the car parked nearby and walkie-talkie, through which you talk with Lily Ritter, the daughter of a recently killed zombie.
Leave Mt. Tanner and get to the church
You have to go south along the road, problem is, there is broken bridge, you probably won't be able to cross. There is a small chance to jump the bridge with a car, but it is more likely that you'll end up in the river. If you won't make the jump, you have to find a rock staircase just west of the bridge, and climb up to continue the journey.
On the radio, Lily tells you about the church in Spencer's Mill, where there is a group of people who have managed to survive a zombie attack, to get there you must go to the eastern part of town.
Along the way, avoid groups of zombies (Zombie Horde), the easiest solution is to drive the car. When you get to the church, Lily will show you around, and at the end of the tour you will get the task of finding a medical center to get medicine for your friend.
Look for a medical center
 | To find the location of the drugs you need to climb to the observation point (such as the tower, billboard) to look around the area, it is the task of a Survey. Every time you see a tower or other object, on which you can climb, try to look around the area, marking the new map will make it easier to move around the world (this way you can see a horde of zombies and stronger opponents). |
When you look around the area on the map there will probably be some new tasks (for example, save a group of survivors and bring them to the church). However, your main task is to help Ed, to do this go to the veterinary clinic, which will give you antibiotics.
Near the clinic Alan and Sam will be waiting for you. Help them find the drugs and return them to the church. Unfortunately, you can not go by car, Alan will be arguing that the noise of the engine will attract too many zombies. Going east, try to avoid the hordes (they are dangerous, even if you bring your companions).
After a while, Sam starts to complain that they are losing items out of the rucksack, so go get the car and drive Sam to the church (Alan will not go with you, but do not worry about it, he will reach the place).
Jacob Ritter
Shortly after finding the drugs you will get a mission to find Jacob, the brother of Lily. Jacob hides with Eli Wilkerson in an old barn. When you mark the mission icon on the map Jacob will contact you on the radio informing that he can not withstand long and needs help quickly.
After reaching the place and watching the cutscene you will have to distract the zombies in order to escape with Jacob to the church. Prepare your car and choose from the quick use items firecrackers (Jacob will give it to you at the end of the previous conversation) or other object causing the noise, you can also just use a car horn.
When you stand in the right location you'll see progress bar "Distraction Progress" on the left side of the screen that fills up when your make noise (eg, repeatedly pressing the car horn).
Upon completion of this mission new quest chain will be available - Wilkersons.