SAS1 \ 2008
SAS: Zombie Assault 1: the original game and where to find it
Last checked 2026-10-29. Claims link the source that supports them.
SAS: Zombie Assault 1 is the original top-down survival shooter, published under the shorter title SAS: Zombie Assault. The series wiki dates it to 2008; Web Design Museum independently catalogs a 2008 version. It is the starting point for the numbered series, rather than a mobile edition of SAS4.
How to find the original after Flash
The practical PC starting point is Ninja Kiwi Archive on Steam, a free collection of older Flash games. Its community catalog lists the original, SAS2 and Insane Asylum separately. Inclusion of those individual titles is a single-source wiki catalog claim; a listing is not a guarantee that every old network feature works.
Ninja Kiwi’s original Kongregate listing is another useful historical entry. It currently displays a Play Now button and a release date of January 21, 2009. That is Kongregate’s own listing date, which differs from the wiki and museum’s 2008 year; it does not establish the first worldwide release day. Public listings were reviewed on October 29, 2026.
What the first game asks you to do
The original Kongregate description and the game’s wiki article both describe a twenty-wave run. The wiki names Normal, Hard and Nightmare difficulties (single-source difficulty labels). Its broader Missions article instead groups the early games as thirty-wave survival; that conflicts with the specific SAS1 article and Kongregate wording, so it is not used as the SAS1 total. Survive successive zombie attacks, improve your defenses and spend the money earned during the run on equipment. Kongregate describes the loop as surviving waves and upgrading defenses and guns. For a first run, leave yourself space to move and improve your weapon before the next attack becomes unmanageable; these are starting recommendations rather than a claim about an optimal build.
The wiki’s layout description places the original in one building with three rooms (single community source). This compact setting distinguishes it from the separate mission maps in SAS3 and the objective-based campaign in SAS4.
Which sequel to read next
Choose SAS2 and Insane Asylum for the next stage of the early survival games, or use the series timeline to distinguish browser, mobile and Steam releases. For a native co-op game, start at the SAS4 hub and its class guide.
Questions on this page
When did SAS1 come out?
The series wiki and Web Design Museum place it in 2008. Kongregate dates its own listing January 21, 2009; an exact original launch day is not established.
Where can I find SAS1 now?
Ninja Kiwi Archive is the publisher’s Steam collection; the community catalog lists SAS1. The original Kongregate listing also remains public.
Is SAS1 a mobile game?
This page covers the original browser game. For mobile store editions, see SAS3 or SAS4.