Dead Nation is a top-down arcade game. Players receive score multipliers and cash when zombies are killed. Money is used to purchase and upgrade weapons at checkpoints, and multipliers are used to increase points. Every time players get hit, they lose multipliers and health. Players fight their way through ten levels using weapon shops that allow them to upgrade weapons and change armor. Throughout levels, players can find crates containing ammo, multipliers, money, or armor pieces, as well as loot cars and trunks for money. However, if the car is blown up before it is looted, the loot will be lost. At times, players find themselves trapped in areas where they must survive until they achieve a certain goal (such as waiting for an elevator while fighting a zombie, or killing all the zombies in that area). Armor sets affect strength, stamina and agility.