They Hunger Mod is a free mod by Black Widow Games for the hit FPS video game Half-Life. This utility is a total conversion, turning Half-Life from an action game against aliens to a horror game filled with zombies. It features a brand new story divided into three episodes.

They Hunger Mod, released in 1999, is among the first mods ever made for Half-Life. The three chapters were released to the internet over several years. It has remained popular among fans of the franchise and has received plenty of updates to improve stability and visual fidelity.

Story, gameplay, and graphics

They Hunger Mod puts you in the shoes of a writer who goes to the countryside so he can write his masterpiece. Your car crashes and you are suddenly forced to fight for your life against zombies. Across the three episodes, you meet an evil sheriff and a mad scientist commanding an army of undead. The plot is full of intrigue and twists that make it truly engaging.

Aside from the theme and story, the mod plays the same as Half-Life. Half of the weapons are taken straight out of the base game, albeit using a different model. The other half are brand new weapons such as a sniper rifle, a flamethrower, and a wrench. It uses some original art but it borrows many of its assets from games such as Team Fortress Classic and Counter-Strike. 

The mod is now available in a better 3D engine called Xash3D, providing it with higher-quality textures and models. Smaller mods have also been bundled with it to further improve the gameplay experience. However, this version of the mod is missing some textures, so some objects will unintentionally appear white. The older versions don’t have this issue, but you will have to settle for lower-quality visuals.

Is it worth playing?

If you like Half-Life’s core gameplay and enjoy zombie-themed horror games like Resident Evil Village, They Hunger Mod is definitely worth playing. It neither tells an extraordinary story nor revolutionizes the gameplay, but it’s made well enough to make it worth your time. It retains the gameplay experience that made Half-Life so enjoyable while also putting you on a brand new, horrifying adventure.