Zoey is one of the four playable Survivors in Left 4 Dead. Her original design was based on Alesia Glidewell, who also worked with Valve on Portal as a model for the character Chell. However, when the character designs were updated later in development, Zoey was made to resemble actress/model Sonja Kinski instead. In official media, she is usually seen wielding dual Pistols.

Zoey, along with Louis and Francis, returns as a non-playable character in Left 4 Dead 2. Unlike her perky attitude in the first game, she comes off as somewhat more serious and, at times, angry. This is probably due to the events that transpired in The Sacrifice.