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Game guide
Dead Meals Guide: The daytime loop
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About
OverviewDead Meals puts you behind the wheel of a food truck in a zombie-infested world. By day you serve burgers to zombie customers and earn money; by night you flee hostile zombies while keeping your engine running and your sanity intact. This guide covers both phases of play and the distance badges that track your progress.
What is on this page
Contents
01
The daytime loop — serving and spending
Step
In short
Everything you earn during the day goes toward surviving the night.
When the sun is up, zombie customers approach the food truck and you serve them burgers to earn money. That money has two jobs: refueling the truck so you can keep moving, and buying or upgrading appliances.
- Serve burgers attend to every zombie customer who walks up to top up your earnings.
- Refuel spend money at the pump before nightfall so the engine does not die mid-run.
- Buy appliances use cash to upgrade the truck's equipment before dark.
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02
What happens at night
WarnIn short
Getting caught at night destroys your appliances, so keep moving no matter what.
Once night falls, the zombies stop being customers and start being threats. They chase you, and if they catch you your appliances are destroyed. On top of that, zombie contact chips away at your sanity, so you need to track your infection level while you run. Stopping at any point is dangerous.
Worth watching out for
Never stop the truck at night.
Watch your sanity
infection from zombie contact drains it.
Protect your appliances
they get destroyed if hostile zombies catch you.
Reach dawn
your only goal once night begins is to still be running when morning arrives.
03 Live and upcoming events
Events
Events running now or coming soon. They have fixed dates, so check them first.
Upcoming
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Upcoming
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??? (TONS OF NEW STUFF 3)
Upcoming
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????? (TONS OF NEW STUFF)
04
Distance badges and long-run goals
Summary
In short
Simply keeping the engine alive earns you badges all the way to 70 km.
There are distance badges, one every 5 km starting from 5 km and going up to 70 km. Because the badges unlock automatically as you travel, staying alive and moving is all the work they require.
- First badge awarded at 5,000 meters (5 km)
- Spacing a new badge unlocks every 5 km after that
- Final badge awarded at 70,000 meters (70 km)
- How to earn them keep the engine running
05
Alpha-stage expectations
Tips
In short
The game is in active development, so play with that in mind and report anything broken.
Dead Meals is still in alpha, with large updates announced but not yet released.
Tips worth knowing
- Expect rough edges — the game is in heavy development and bugs are part of the experience right now.
- Report bugs on the group wall — your report directly helps the developers fix the game.
Glossary
Glossary- Sanity
- A stat that falls when zombies infect you at night.
- Appliances
- Equipment fitted to your food truck that gets destroyed if hostile zombies catch you at night.
- Food truck
- Your base and vehicle — a burger stand by day and your only escape route by night.
- Alpha
- An early development stage where core gameplay exists but bugs are common and big changes can still happen.
Common questions
FAQWhat happens if zombies catch me at night?
Your appliances get destroyed.
How do I unlock the distance badges?
They unlock automatically as you travel — one badge every 5 km from 5 km all the way to 70 km. Keep the engine running and survive long enough to cover the distance.
Is the game complete?
No — Dead Meals is currently in alpha. The developers have warned that bugs are present and have announced large updates on the way.
Updated Oct 19, 2026
Game updates can change what is on this page. If you spot something, get in touch and let us know.
Game updates can change what is on this page. If you spot something, get in touch and let us know.
