Don't Starve Pocket Edition Trailer Screenshot
Image via Klei Entertainment Inc.

10 Best Mobile Survival Games

Survival is the only goal

Everyone loves playing mobile games, but playing the same old idle RPGs over and over again can get pretty boring. If you’re looking for a more thrilling mobile gaming experience, try playing some survival games! The only goal in survival games is to survive, which is almost always a lot harder than it sounds.

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There are a lot of mobile survival games out there, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. It’s a good thing because you’ll never run out of survival games to play, but it’s a bad thing because it’s impossible to tell which ones are actually worth playing or not. Thankfully, you don’t have to! Just keep reading to find out which mobile survival games are actually worth your time (and sanity).

10 Best Mobile Survival Games

Don’t Starve: Pocket Edition

Surviving in Don't Starve Pocket Edition
Image via Klei Entertainment Inc.

Don’t Starve: Pocket Edition is the mobile version of Don’t Starve, a massively popular PC game. Don’t Starve: Pocket Edition thrusts you into a strange, uncompromising wilderness where you must forage for food, build shelters, and defend yourself from the hoards of demonic creatures out to get you! The longer you play this game, the tougher it gets; you can run from what lurks in the dark, but you can never hide from it entirely. If you want to really challenge yourself, download Don’t Starve: Pocket Edition and try to survive for as long as possible!

Terraria

Unicorn in Terraria
Image via 505 Games Srl/Re-Logic

Terraria is a classic survival game similar to Minecraft. Like Minecraft, Terraria is a sandbox survival game that allows you to explore, craft, hunt, and pretty much do whatever you want, whenever you want to do it. Terraria features an endless open world with non-linear gameplay, so you’ll never have to worry about getting bored easily or reaching the end of the game too soon! Despite its deceptively innocent appearance, Terraria is a tough survival game full of evil mobs, impossible bosses, and grotesque monsters lurking around every corner; if you’re a fan of Minecraft but want something a little more difficult, then Terraria is the game for you!

Minecraft

Minecraft Desert Biome
Image via Mojang Studios/Microsoft

Minecraft is one of the most popular survival games of all time, let alone just for mobile. Minecraft is indeed one of the most popular mobile survival games ever created, but honestly, you’d have a hard time finding a platform that this game isn’t insanely popular on. Minecraft is a sandbox survival game in which you’re thrust into an open world with zero instructions on how to survive or even how to beat the game. This game is full of terrifying monsters that are out to get you, such as zombies, endermen, skeletons, creepers, and more! Trying to defend yourself against Minecraft’s legions of the undead while trying not to starve to death is more difficult than you’d think, but if you’re up for the challenge, try giving it a download to see how long you can survive!

NEO Scavenger

Player in NEO Scavenger
Image via Blue Bottle Games

Similar to Don’t Starve: Pocket Edition, NEO Scavenger is the mobile version of a hit PC game. In NEO Scavenger, you awaken in a war-torn, post-apocalyptic wasteland with no memories of your past or who you are! You’ll have to defend yourself against terrifying enemies, forage for food, and search desperately for other survivors while you try to piece together what happened and who you are. NEO Scavenger is a roguelike strategy game that requires intelligent, strategic decisions to be made at every turn; if you falter for even a second in this game, your fate will be sealed. If you love turn-based apocalypse games, you definitely need to check out NEO Scavenger.

Among Us

Completing Tasks in Among Us
Image via Innersloth LLC

Among Us may not be the first game that pops into your head when you think of mobile survival games, but it fits the description better than you think. Among Us is a social deduction game in which a group of crewmates on a space shuttle must deduce which of them are allies, and which are foes. As more and more crewmates are picked off by the imposters, desperation for answers grow among the remaining crewmates, and false accusations are far too easy to make amidst the chaos. Among Us is a game where trust and safety are rare commodities, and false accusations lead to fates worse than death. Download Among Us to test your detective skills!

Dead by Daylight Mobile

Image Via Behaviour Interactive Inc.

Dead by Daylight is one of the most popular PC survival games of all time, so it stands to reason that it would also be one of the most popular mobile survival games as well. Dead by Daylight is an asymmetric survival/horror game in which a group of terrified survivors must escape a merciless killer. The survivors have to work together if they want to be free from the killer’s uncompromising clutches, but evading the killer while trying to figure out a way to escape is a lot harder than you’d think. If you haven’t already, try downloading Dead by Daylight to find out how long you can last!

Town of Salem – The Coven

Meeting in Town of Salem - The Coven
Image via BlankMediaGames

Long before there was Among Us, there was Town of Salem. Town of Salem is like the OG version of Among Us, so if you’ve been looking for games to play that are similar to Among Us, then you need to check out Town of Salem! Town of Salem is a classic social deduction survival game, it features a town full of terrified people that are desperately trying to figure out which of them are villains and which of them are allies. You’ll need to resort to your flawless deduction skills if you want to figure out who the killers are before you become their next victim, or kill anyone who suspects you if you’re one of the villains. Try playing Town of Salem if you want to put your deduction skills to the test!

Mini DAYZ: Zombie Survival

Shooting Zombies in Mini DayZ
Image via Bohemia Interactive a.s.

If you love playing DayZ on PC or console, then you’ll love playing DayZ’s mobile version, Mini DAYZ: Zombie Survival! Mini DAYZ: Zombie Survival is almost like an arcade version of the original game, but don’t let its innocent, pixelated appearance fool you; this game is hard. If you thought fighting back hoards of the undead while foraging for supplies was hard in the original game, just wait until you experience the zombified hellscape that is Mini DAYZ: Zombie Survival. Every map in this game is randomly generated, which means all of the enemies and supplies will be different every time you play. You can’t rely on memory to win this one, just raw skill. Download Mini DAYZ: Zombie Survival today to see how long you can survive the undead!

Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead

Attacked in Cataclysm Dark Days Ahead
Image via CleverRaven

Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead is a bit of a different mobile survival game in the sense that it’s very heavily text-based, rather than combat based. In addition to seeing the physical representation of what’s happening to you on your screen, you’ll also be able to read about what’s happening to you and what the consequences are on the side of your screen. Every new game you create in Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead will feature a completely randomized post-apocalyptic world, along with your character, who will have predetermined advantages and disadvantages to whatever environment you happen to spawn in. Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead is probably one of the hardest mobile survival games ever created, let alone on this list; only download this game if you’re ready to die on the first few 1,000 playthroughs.

60 Seconds! Atomic Adventure

Family in 60 Seconds Atomic Adventure
Image via Robot Gentleman

60 Seconds! Atomic Adventure is a very popular post-apocalyptic survival game that’s been adapted for multiple platforms, including mobile. In this game, you play as Ted, who’s a run-of-the-mill dad that’s just been informed that a nuclear apocalypse is upon him and his family! As Ted, you’ll only have 60 seconds (hence the name) to shove your family and whatever supplies you can carry into the fallout bunker underneath the house. You’ll survive longer depending on what you grab, but you won’t be able to survive on canned soup and bottled water forever. Venturing out back into the nuclear wasteland that used to be your home is just about as dangerous as it gets, but what other choice do you have? Download this game and see how long you can survive in 60 Seconds! Atomic Adventure!

Related: Best Roblox Survival Games


Surviving in mobile survival games is tough, but surviving in mobile horror games is tougher. If you like playing survival games but want a more thrilling experience, check out Gamer Journalist’s exhaustive list of all the best horror games for mobile!

Author
Image of Allysen Pierce
Allysen Pierce
Allysen Pierce is a freelance writer with a passion for gaming who has been a part of the Gamer Journalist team since May 2022. Her main passions are horror games and dating sims (especially combinations of the two), but she has been known to play literally anything that is put in front of her. Her current favorite games include Skyrim, I Was a Teenage Exocolonist, Cult of the Lamb, Slaughter Horse, and Dragon Age: Inquisition. When she's not playing games (or writing about them), she can be found reading, baking, watching horror movies, or playing with her cat.