At a glance
The short version
- Game
- Project Zomboid
- Guide type
- Maps and Bases
- Read time
- 4 min read
- Last updated
- Nov 8, 2026
Quick answer
The four classic towns still define Apocalypse and Survivor starts, but Custom Sandbox now exposes seven additional vanilla regions for a total of 11 character-create regions in the current map set.
Quick answer
Rosewood is the cleanest beginner start; Riverside is the calmer lifestyle alternative.
Muldraugh is the best logistics classroom; West Point is the high-pressure, high-loot core start.
Sandbox adds March Ridge, Valley Station, Brandenburg, Echo Creek, Ekron, Fallas Lake and Irvington; profession-specific spawns are not supported outside the four canon towns.
Guide details
Swipe horizontally to view all columns.
| Region | Mode | Relative pressure | Why pick it |
|---|---|---|---|
Rosewood | All core modes | Lower | Readable roads, civic services, easy learning loop |
Riverside | All core modes | Lower–mid | River access and comfortable housing |
Muldraugh | All core modes | Mid | Central highway, industry and route training |
West Point | All core modes | Higher | Dense loot and Louisville-side expansion |
7 additional regions | Custom Sandbox | Varies | Use them for B42 western/rural starts or special scenarios |
The current vanilla spawn list
Build 42.20.4 map indexes show 11 vanilla character-create regions: Rosewood, Riverside, Muldraugh, West Point, March Ridge, Valley Station, Brandenburg, Echo Creek, Ekron, Fallas Lake and Irvington. Louisville remains a destination rather than a standard vanilla start.
Outside the classic four, Custom Sandbox is the important mode. Official Build 42 notes also warn that occupational spawns are not supported outside the four canon starting towns, so non-canon starts are more static.
Rosewood vs Riverside for beginners
Choose Rosewood if you want the cleanest tutorial town: short routes, recognizable civic buildings and an easy mental map. Choose Riverside if you prefer a calmer residential rhythm, river access and slower expansion into specialist loot.
Both are better beginner picks than West Point because they give you more room to learn stamina, line-of-sight breaks and basic storage before dense street fights become routine.
Muldraugh vs West Point for experienced starts
Muldraugh teaches route planning. The highway spine, warehouses and industrial targets reward planned driving and fallback roads. West Point rewards confidence: downtown value is high, but so is the cost of a bad fight or blocked street.
If your goal is eventually Louisville, West Point is a natural launch side of the map. If your goal is a broad central logistics network, Muldraugh is the cleaner classroom.
When to use the Sandbox-only regions
Use the expanded list when you specifically want the new western map, rural living or a different multiplayer distribution. Echo Creek and Ekron support quieter rural directions; Brandenburg and Irvington can give a more aggressive B42-expansion start.
Do not assume their occupation spawn logic works like Rosewood or Muldraugh. Outside the canon four, the starting location is much more static.
Spawn location does not lock the campaign
Every region belongs to the same Knox Country world. Your spawn controls the first hours, not the entire run. The best spawn is therefore the place that helps the first week become stable enough to relocate later.
Pick a town you can understand, not the town with the longest “best loot” list.
Troubleshooting and common mistakes
Swipe horizontally to view all columns.
| Problem | Check |
|---|---|
Only four towns visible | Use Custom Sandbox for the expanded list. |
Occupation start looks generic | Profession-specific spawns are not supported outside the four canon towns. |
Trying to start in Louisville | It is not a standard vanilla character-create region. |
FAQ
How many vanilla spawn regions are in Build 42.20.4?
Current map references list 11 character-create regions.
Can I spawn in Louisville?
Not as a standard vanilla character-create region. Treat Louisville as a destination.
Why do I only see four towns?
Apocalypse/Survivor use the core four. Use Custom Sandbox to access the expanded spawn list.