Noise

This page has been revised for the current stable version (41.78.16).

Help by adding any missing content. [edit]

Noise attracts all zombies in a general proximity towards the player's presence. The level of hearing zombies possess can be changed in the sandbox settings before starting the game. Some actions generate more noise than others, and therefore are more dangerous to perform. There are many actions that make noise that will attract zombies. These include the following:

Fortifying a door or window with a barricade.
Running.
Walking.
Fire.
Televisions, radios and alarms.
Firing a gun.
Chopping down a tree.
Using the "shout" function.
Smashing windows, doors, and walls.
(De)construction.
Knocking down a door.
Setting off a burglar alarm.
Other zombies knocking at a door.
Sneezing and coughing (can be muffled with a tissue).
Having a generator running.
Driving a vehicle.

Noise can be muffled by walls, doors, and distance between the generator of the noise and zombies.

Sometimes the metagame will have helicopters fly overhead, or random gunshots fired to move hordes of zombies around the map.