
Ghat is one of Father-Mother's children, who turned on it after discovering its secret. The game commences with Ghat, the game's protagonist, regaining consciousness after setting off an explosion which kills Father-Mother, an ostensibly hermaphroditic creature, which has raised a large and influential family. The story takes place in a fictional fantasy world called Zenozoik, and begins in a town called Halstedom. The results are ranked through Steam every time the player beats a tower floor's final boss. In addition to the single-player story, Challenge Mode allows the player to defeat enemies while climbing a tower or descending into a pit.

Intermittent segments of gameplay happen similarly to a linear progression shooter.

While there is a strong focus on unarmed combat, Ghat can also obtain unconventional melee and ranged weapons by several means, such as disarming enemies. Ghat is proficient in martial arts, and can dodge or counter enemy attacks.

When the player enters certain areas, it triggers a scripted sequence, initiating a battle in which the player must defeat all enemies to proceed. Gameplay is presented in a first-person perspective, with occasional cutscenes in a third-person perspective. In the main story mode, players assume the role of Ghat and progress through the world of Zenozoik, visiting various locations in a linear sequence. Zeno Clash places a heavy emphasis on first-person combat. It was a finalist for Excellence in Visual Art at the 2009 Independent Games Festival, was named 2009's Independent Game of the Year by PC Gamer, and PC Game of the Month by IGN in April 2009. Critics praised its strange yet robust setting and unique character designs. The Xbox 360 version was also praised and gained an average 74/100 at Metacritic and 75.46% at GameRankings. The PC version of the game was favorably received and received an aggregate score of 77/100 on Metacritic and 77.50% on GameRankings. The game is set in the fantasy world of Zenozoik, and follows Ghat, a young man who is on the run from his vengeful siblings, and Deadra, his female companion, as they travel through strange and exotic lands. The Xbox 360 version, entitled Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition, was released and contains additional features not found in the PC version. It was released for download through content delivery service Steam on 21 April, 2009.

It is the debut game of developer ACE Team and uses the Source engine. Zeno Clash is a first-person fighting video game with elements of a first-person shooter.
