Earn To Die

Zombies have taken over, and there’s only one way out – by driving through them!

Earn To Die puts you behind the wheel of a selection of upgradeable rides during the zombie apocalypse, where you’ll need to tune and upgrade your vehicles to help you plow through hordes of the undead as efficiently as possible.

Your (seemingly simple) mission? Survive long enough to escape!

Earn To Die is now fully modernized, running on Unity instead of the old-school Flash platform. It now offers better optimization, smoother gameplay, better physics, and (exclusively on Drifted) mobile compatibility!

Thankfully, that means no more plugin issues or error messages – just pure zombie-crushing action wherever you want to play.

If you want to learn how to make the most out of the game, choose a selection in the menu below or scroll beyond it to start with the basics.

Controls

Here’s how to control your vehicle.

Note: If you’ve upgraded to the gun, it fires automatically when zombies are in range, so you only need to focus on driving.

PC Controls

• W key/Up Arrow – Accelerate
• S key/Down Arrow – Brake/Reverse
• A key/Left Arrow – Tilt vehicle backward
• D key/Right Arrow – Tilt vehicle forward
• CTRL or Space key – Activate boost (when upgraded)

Mobile Controls

You can now play Earn To Die in the browser on your mobile device, exclusively at Drifted! Tap the mobile control buttons below the game frame to activate the mobile mode.

• Right button – Accelerate
• Left button – Brake/Reverse
• Up button – Tilt vehicle backward
• Down button – Tilt vehicle forward
• Boost button – Activate boost (when upgraded)

The boost button works best with a direct tap rather than sliding your thumb. Using your index finger is ideal.

Small quirk: In the garage in landscape mode, the money counter sometimes plays hide-and-seek. Flip to portrait to see your cash balance.

Earn To Die Basics (Getting Started)

You start as the last survivor in a scenic zombie-infested region, miles from the nearest civilians.

With only a stock Fire Truck to start, you’ll need to earn cash to upgrade this into an undead-crushing machine to advance through the game’s levels.

Each “day” (think of this as each attempt – you can have as many as you want), you’ll drive as far as possible, earning valuable currency by hitting zombies and covering the distance to get you one step closer to safety.

Your money lets you improve your ride with various upgrades, including bigger engines, better wheels, and zombie-destroying weapons.

When you eventually reach the checkpoint at the end of the level (think of this as a finish line), you’ll get given the keys to more powerful vehicles.

Every run earns you more cash (even if you don’t do as well as you hoped), allowing you to improve your zombie-slayer skills and helping you push a little further next time.

The satisfaction of transforming your basic, stock vehicle into a zombie-crushing monster, complete with rocket engines, spikes, and guns, all getting you one step closer to the finish, will keep you coming back for more!

How To Play Earn To Die

You start stranded with the Fire Truck, and you’ll need to use a variety of savvy driving tactics to get as far as you can each time.

When you run out of fuel (or accidentally flip your vehicle!), return to the garage to upgrade using your earnings to help you get a little further on the next attempt.

The upgrade garage is where the magic happens, and you’ll need to decide whether you want to fork out for a new engine or spread your cash across several smaller upgrades.

Each improvement makes your vehicle a little more capable, visibly, and in its zombie-slaying abilities. Watching your rusty stock beater evolve into a spiky death machine is half the fun!

Learning the game’s physics makes a huge difference. You’ll soon understand that utilizing the ramps, smashing through things as cleanly as possible, and slicing through zombies without losing momentum (or flipping!) is the best way to sail through the levels.

A perfect run involves timing your boosts well (we recommend flying into the sky to avoid the obstacles), maintaining ideal balance over jumps, and choosing the path of least resistance when you can’t launch yourself into space.

If you want more tips, check out the “Hints & Tips” section below.

The sweet victory (eventually) comes when you finally reach the checkpoint after “days” of failed attempts and upgrades.

Game Modes

In the game’s Story Mode, you’ll progress through several unique locations, each with (increasingly) difficult terrain challenges and tougher zombies that seem to have been hitting the gym (or buffet!).

The early levels feature relatively flat terrain with (mostly) simple situations to navigate through.

As you advance, you’ll encounter more challenging landscapes with steeper hills, deeper gaps, and increasingly difficult obstacles to smash your way through.

Each location ends with a checkpoint you’ll need to reach before you can progress. Reaching these requires significant vehicle upgrades combined with your best driving skills.

As you venture deeper into the apocalypse, the zombie difficulty increases. When they cling to the sides, keep up the momentum and slam your truck into the ground a few times – they’ll soon fall off!

Later levels introduce tougher, larger zombies that require more powerful vehicles (via upgrades) to push through without losing too much momentum.

The game is only single-player. However, if you like the concept and want to play with your friends, Clashed Metal Drifting Wars is a great alternative.

Vehicle List

Your journey starts with the basic (but free) Fire Truck. As you progress, the vehicles get increasingly ridiculous (in the best possible way!)

Fire Truck

Your stock starter vehicle is basic but easy to drive and offers a great foundation. It also has decent height clearance, which helps with some early obstacles.

Its weakness is the weight-to-power ratio, where it struggles on hills without significant engine upgrades.

Once you start learning how to master the physics, the trusty Fire Truck will soon help you reach the finish line.

When you do, you might be sad to see the ride you’ve been upgrading for so long is no longer available, but you’re moving on to bigger and better things!

Apocalyptic Big Rig

This heavy-duty beast becomes available after reaching the first checkpoint.

It comes with serious power and weight, giving it much-improved momentum over the Fire Truck, but it guzzles fuel like there’s no tomorrow. (Which, given the apocalypse, might be accurate!)

Again, choose your favorite upgrades (the gun isn’t entirely necessary!), and before you know it, you’ll progress to the next level with the ultimate new ride.

While the upgrades are more expensive, your earnings become higher with each new level, so don’t panic!

Army Tank Hauler

You’ll get gifted the perfect zombie-destruction machine on the third level.

While it’s huge, long, bulky, and awkward, it’s an unstoppable force that will crush anything ahead once fully upgraded.

Consider the long-wheelbase aspect here, as it’s known for getting stuck in some of the trickier terrain. It’s nothing a bit of boost can’t fix, though!

Upgrades for the Tank Hauler seem super expensive, but again, the pay increases once you reach this level, so it evens itself out (somewhat!)

Vehicle Upgrades & Customization

Each vehicle gets a selection of potential improvements (upgrades), some of which have multiple levels you’ll need to consider:

Engine Upgrades

• Stock engine – Won’t be enough to get you to the finish
• Mid-tier engine – 20-30% more oomph, but likely not enough (unless your skills are fire!)
• Top-tier engine – Nearly double the stock power, ensuring you’ll make it to the checkpoint (with the right supporting mods, of course!)

For example, the Army Tank Hauler progresses from a 12.0L Diesel (stock) to a monstrous 18.0L Turbo Engine that can power through obstacles like they’re not even there.

Transmission Upgrades

Better transmissions transfer engine power more efficiently to the wheels, helping you get further faster:

• Stock transmission (5-speed)
• Uprated transmission (7-speed) – Improves acceleration and hill-climbing ability
• Performance transmission (9-speed) – Maximizes the power delivery in all situations

Wheels/Tires

Important for traction and improved obstacle (or zombie) clearance:

• Stock All-Terrain (AT) tires – Adequate for flat terrain but struggle with obstacles
• Upgraded mud-terrain (MT) tires – Improved grip and moderate obstacle-climbing abilities
• Oversized MT tires – Maximum ground clearance and superior traction

Weapons & Armor

• Zombie Kit – Front attachments that slice through zombies without slowing you down too much
• Guns – Shoot the zombies before you reach them. This is limited to 10 upgrade levels and fires automatically (which can sometimes be annoying!)

Performance

• Rocket Engine – Temporary boost for your engine that’ll need to be used wisely (up to 10 upgrade levels)
• Fuel Tank – Extends your journey before the inevitable return to the garage (up to 10 levels). A maxed-out fuel tank is a recommended (cheap) early upgrade to earn cash for other mods.

If you’re enjoying the tuning aspect of Earn To Die, you’ll love the most popular game at Drifted – Drift Hunters MAX.

Earn To Die Hints & Tips

After countless hours of playing the game, here are some suggestions to help you master it in no time:

Upgrade Priorities

Focus first on fuel tank and engine upgrades. More fuel = more distance, and better engines provide the power to maintain momentum through zombie hordes.

This allows you to start racking up the cash for more upgrades as quickly as possible.

Sure, the weapons look cool, but you’ll soon realize they’re not a huge help with progression (and they’re not cheap, either!)

Master The Lean

Hold the back arrow to tilt your vehicle backward (think bike game wheelie-style!) when approaching obstacles. This helps ‘collapse’ them without slowing you down too much.

The softer impact will allow you to maintain your speed, and a perfectly angled lean can leave you slicing through just about anything!

Get Airborne!

Use every ramp, plank of wood, or steep hill to your advantage as an opportunity to launch into the sky.

When getting air, you’re flying over the obstacles and zombies below, and there’s nothing to slow you down!

Use your boost before takeoff, then keep it held down mid-air, and you’ll soar even further. Proper timing lets you clear entire sections of difficult terrain in a single jump.

Boost Management

Once upgraded, don’t waste your limited boost on the flat, open sections. Save it for ramps, steep inclines, or groups of zombies.

Here are some specific scenarios for when it’s most useful:

• Just before hitting a ramp for maximum air
• Approaching a steep incline
• When entering a dense zombie cluster
• If you’re about to lose momentum in difficult terrain

Explosive Barrels

The red explosive barrels scattered around the place aren’t just for show, but don’t be scared of them!

Hitting them correctly can propel you forward like a makeshift nitrous boost (while also killing the surrounding zombies!)

For maximum impact, try hitting them at an angle rather than head-on. A well-angled explosion can be super helpful.

Vehicle-Specific Navigation

Be aware that the “superior” vehicles you unlock, while more powerful, are often harder to navigate across the trickier terrain in later levels.

The Tank Hauler is much longer than the Fire Truck, so you need to avoid getting it stuck in tricky areas. These aspects add new layers of difficulty as you progress.

Dealing With Zombies

Although the early levels feature pushovers that barely slow you down, the zombies get increasingly problematic with each new level.

Some will cling to your ride, so try advanced techniques such as slamming your vehicle into the ground to shake them off.

In the later levels, you’ll soon face huge behemoths that are like crashing into a brick wall. More speed and better weapons help you smash your way through these!

Spend Your (Upgrade) Money Wisely

As mentioned, prioritize upgrading the engine and fuel tanks over the gun, followed by transmission, tires, and armor.

While the gun is fun, it doesn’t help much, especially if you prefer the “lean” method – it just sprays bullets into the sky! Games like Grand Shift Auto are better if proper aiming is your thing.

Sure, once everything else is complete, feel free to give it a try. However, remember that when you advance to the next level, all your upgrades will (sadly) vanish when your new vehicle is delivered!

---