Riverside is one of the safest towns in Project Zomboid and is often recommended for new players. Its low zombie density, clear street layout, and proximity to the river make it a great starting location. The town offers solid looting opportunities as well as access to water and fishing, making it a good choice for long-term survival.
Best Places to Loot in Riverside in Project Zomboid
The map below highlights the most important points of interest in Riverside to help you plan your exploration and looting routes.
1. Car Junkyard
The Car Junkyard is an ideal location for training the Mechanics skill, as it contains a large number of wrecked vehicles that are perfect for practicing repairs, dismantling, and salvaging parts without the risk of damaging a functional vehicle. It is one of the best places to gain Mechanics experience and a reliable source of spare car parts.
2. General Store
The General Store is a universal location with a wide variety of loot. You can find food, drinks, seeds, clothing, and everyday items such as light bulbs and VHS tapes. Because of this, it is a great place to visit early in the game.
3. Morris’ Bait Shop
Morris’ Bait Shop in Riverside is a useful location for players planning survival based on fishing. You can find fishing gear such as rods, lines, hooks, and other essential accessories. Additionally, bait often spawns in the fridges, while shelves may contain small utility items. It’s a great place to start your fishing journey.
4. Fossoil
Fossoil in Riverside is one of the key locations, as it provides fuel pumps that allow you to refuel vehicles and fuel containers. Inside the station building, you can find snacks, drinks, and other small utility items.
5. Police Station
The police station in Riverside allows you to equip yourself with firearms, ammunition, weapon attachments, and bulletproof vests. The building may also contain an armory secured with reinforced doors. Outside the station, you can often find parked police vehicles with additional combat equipment.
6. Riverside Suites
Riverside Suites is a great place for training skills, as every room contains a bed and a wardrobe, and often a TV and other furniture. This makes it an ideal location to train carpentry by dismantling furniture. Additionally, rooms usually contain curtains that can be torn into improvised bandages or used as tailoring materials.
7. Nails & Nuts Tool Store
Nails & Nuts Tool Store is a location for players focused on base building and gardening. You can find various construction tools, carpentry equipment, and items used for growing plants. Additionally, work and protective clothing often spawn here, which can be useful during construction tasks.
8. Enigma Books
Enigma Books is an ideal place for developing character skills, as you can find various skill books and recipe magazines, as well as regular literature that helps reduce boredom.
9. Pharmahug
Pharmahug is a useful location when it comes to medical treatment and basic supplies. You can find medications such as painkillers, bandages, beta blockers, disinfectants, as well as hygiene items. Additionally, snacks and drinks always spawn there, making it a good place to restock supplies.
10. GigaMart
GigaMart in Riverside is one of the most important shopping locations in the town. On the ground floor, you can find the main store area with huge amounts of food, ranging from fresh items in the early stages of the game to long-term products such as canned food, pasta, snacks, and drinks. GigaMart also offers kitchen equipment, electronics, tools, office supplies, and farming-related items. Due to its large size and rich resources, it is a must-visit location to secure supplies for the future.
11. School
The school in Riverside is a good location if you need skill books and backpacks. Food can sometimes be found in the cafeteria, and the large amount of furniture available to dismantle makes it a great place to train carpentry skills.
12. Gated Community
The gated community in Riverside is one of the most profitable locations, as even individual houses offer large amounts of useful loot, ranging from bookshelves with skill books to weapons, military boots, and repair materials. Kitchens provide large food supplies, while garages often contain welding tools, carpentry equipment, and weapons. Bedrooms usually contain plenty of clothing and may sometimes spawn firearms.
13. House with Farmland
This house located on the outskirts of Riverside is a great choice for a base, as it features a fenced chicken coop and is situated away from major zombie concentrations. This makes the area much quieter and reduces the risk of unwanted encounters. The combination of existing farming infrastructure and a safe location makes it ideal for long-term survival.
Riverside is a good town for starting out and long-term survival. Thanks to solid loot opportunities and lower zombie density, it offers strong potential for progression and a safer playthrough.
