How to Shout/Yell in Project Zomboid

Zombies are everywhere in Project Zomboid and they are out for your brains. Unfortunately for you, they have a wide variety of difference senses available to them in order to track down the unfortunate survivor. Luckily for you, there are some that you can take advantage of in order to distract your enemy. One of these, is the ability to shout.


How To Shout/Yell in Project Zomboid

To yell in the game, press the Q key on your keyboard. When you shout you will see some text appear above your character. Once you shout, zombies that are in the general area around your character will come to the location from which you shouted. As zombies are drawn to loud sounds, this will lead them to your location.

Demonstrating how to shout in Project Zomboid
Shouting can be an effective way to lead zombies to an area

Once you shout, zombies will be drawn to that area. That is unless they also see the character. If they do see the character they will chase them down so if you don’t want them to actually come after you, make sure they never see the player.

There are many different random shouts that appear above the player’s head when using the Q key to shout. There is no difference between any of them as they all function the same.


What is Shouting Good For?

Some of you may be asking what good is there in having a button that just leads your enemies towards your position. Well actually, there are quite a few good applications for the shout action. I will list some of my favorite uses for the shout to give you an idea of why the yell commands is an important hotkey to learn.

  • Leading zombies away from friendlies

If you’re playing multiplayer with a friend chances are at some stage one of you is going to be overwhelmed at some point. If someone is getting closed in on in a building, having one player shout and lead the zombies away can actually save another players life. This is especially handy when there are large groups of zombies and you want to split up the herd a bit.

  • Leading Zombies to a Fire Trap

Zombies are flammable. The player can build campfires which can then be used to light zombies on fire. See where I’m going with this?

Yelling to make zombies burn over the campfire
“That’s hot” – Zombie Paris Hilton, probably

By placing down a camp fire at a location and calling zombies over to walk over the top of it, the player can make short work of a large group of zombie. (and also an entire forest if they aren’t careful). Place a fire down, stand near it and yell until the (zombie) cows come home.

  • Clearing Buildings

Think Zombieland. If you are deciding on clearing a building and there is only one place the enemy can come from, wouldn’t you rather them come to you then get surprised around the corner? You can stand at the front door of a building and use the yell to see if anyone is home.

using the yell to clear houses in project zomboid
Is anyone home?

This will help you from getting creeped up on whilst exploring larger buildings. Just make sure someone is watching your back as zombies that are outside will also be drawn to the noise as well.


Using the Car Horn

There is also a vehicle equivalent to the shout action. If you are to press the Q key whilst inside a vehicle you will sound the car’s horn. This works in the same way as the shout on foot although the horn is a lot louder and will thus draw zombies from a lot further to your position.

On some special vehicles such as the police car and ambulance there is also a siren which functions the same way. Try out shouting in the apocalypse and see if you can find a good use for it.


Do you know any other great reasons for using the shout in Project Zomboid? Do you have any other great tactics playing the game? Leave a comment below and help your fellow survivors!


Related: How to Move Furniture – Project Zomboid | A Guide to Cars – Project Zomboid