Summary
What type of games do you typically find available on iOS? Tower defense,endless runner, and platformer, are just three of the gaming genres that monopolize the app store. While it doesn’t seem as workable on the limited mobile device framework, survival is another genre that is prevalent in the Apple gaming landscape.
Even though you’re not likely to find anything that genuinely rivals the leading survival releases like Subnautica, No Man’s Sky, or Grounded, mobile game developers have still put out some great survival titles that provide you with a fulfilling endurance experience on your handheld iOS device.
10Evil Hunter Tycoon
A Charming Pixelated Survival Adventure
Since iOS devices lack the hardware necessary for cutting-edge graphics, that leaves game creators with two options, push the boundaries or go for a stylized, more optimized look. Pixelated graphics are a great substitute for the hyper realism you’d find on consoles or PC.
Evil Hunter Tycoon obviously has more going for it than just its polished pixel graphics. Between its balance of simulation, base-building, crafting and survival mechanics, Evil Hunter Tycoon has a little something for everyone.
9Pocket Zone
An Immersive Grounded Durability Simulation
It may not seem like the ideal platform for it, butRPG games have actually been well represented on iOSand mobile devices. Consoles and PC might always play host to the best of the best the genre offers, but there have still been some quality RPG titles released on the App Store.
Developed by Evgeny Grishakov, Pocket Zone is a co-op survival game set in the background of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Thanks to its unique mix of text-based and RPG elements, Pocket Zone stands out among the sea of alternative iOS RPG titles.
8You Are Hope
Work Together With Others To Rebuild Civilization
There have been numerousquality multiplayer games released on iOS. Clash Royale and Roblox are just two of the many titles which have accumulated a substantial player base on mobile devices. One of the more overlooked releases you’re able to find on the app store is You are Hope.
Based on an old PC game, You are Hope is an ambitious multiplayer project, which tasks you and your fellow players to rebuild civilization from scratch. Concentrating more on nonviolent teamwork than griefing, You are Hope is a singular survival adventure.
7All Is Lost
For decades, the cold, airless vacuum ofouter space has been the setting for countless excellent science fiction video games. From System Shock to Dead Space and Prey, the sheer amount of fantastic space-centered titles is lengthy.
All is Lost may not have the pedigree of its genre brothers, but for a game available on the app store, it’s far above the norm. As you race to save the lives of humans dispersed across space stations, it’s hard not to be memorized by this sci-fi gem.
6Out There: Omega Edition
Where Roguelike Meets Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Meets Resource Management
Occasionally, success on an app-sized scope isn’t enough. As good as some mobile games are, there will always be a stigma that these titles aren’t “good enough” to be released on bigger platforms like home consoles or Steam.
Out There: Ω Edition is an ambitious fusion of various genres that was so well received that a mere one year after its mobile debut, it was released on Steam. Out There: Ω Edition takes survival, rogue-like, and tactical gameplay and drapes it in an opulent space opera cloak.
5Crashlands
An Outlandish Survival Action RPG
Suffice to say that survival and crafting go hand in hand. Building mechanics are typically at the core of survival games as a vital aspect of the gameplay. As such, it’s paramount for a worthwhile survival game to emphasize satisfying creation.
Crashlands not only boasts an engaging crafting loop, but surrounds it with an intriguing narrative and endearing visuals. While Crashlands would be ported to other platforms, it’s made its introductory impression on mobile devices.
4ALONE…
A Lonely Venture Through The Cosmic Abyss
If you’re not someone that is looking for a survival game with complex mechanics and a steep learning curve, rest assured there are a plethora of options out there. In fact, some of the better survival titles have nothing more than a basic premise and eternal re-playability.
ALONE… is a game that may not be deep, but is nonetheless incredibly gratifying. Not only is the central experience of sailing a ship through space fun, but the musical score does wonders in making this elementary trek feel grandiose.
3Don’t Starve
The Critically Acclaimed Title, Pocket-Sized
To say Minecraft has altered the gaming industry would be an understatement. Mojang’s juggernaut title has become one of the most universal and successful video games of all time. As a result, it has influenced many to design their own creative vision.
On the surface, Don’t Starve and Minecraft couldn’t look more different. However, the heart hook of surviving in a randomly generated world remains the same. Don’t Starve is set in a darkly twisted and beautiful world that takes clear inspiration from the works of Tim Burton and H. P. Lovecraft.
First-person shooters aren’t optimal to play on a phone. Without reliable controls, analog capability, or high frame rates, FPSs just aren’t viable for apparatus which exist primarily for non-gaming purpose. However, there have been a few anomalies.
Don’t Trigger 2 is one of the rare FPS games available on iOS devices that actually plays remarkably well. While its zombie apocalypse setting is hardly revolutionary, if you’re looking for the pinnacle of FPS survival on mobile devices, Don’t Trigger 2 is the best you can find.
1This War Of Mine
A Haunting Tale of Bleak Perseverance
In pretty much all video games set during a time of war, you play from the POV of a solider or someone else directly contributing to the bloodshed. After all, it’s more thrilling to play a part in the battle. War of Mine sees that benchmark and subverts it.
War of Mine has you step into the shoes of civilians living during a time when conflict rages around you. Not only is War of Mine an outstanding survival game, but is ripe for emotionally charged moments that are unrivaled by anything else on the iOS store.
Looking for a new and exciting survival game to try?Nightingale is available on Steamin Early Access starting June 12, 2025!
Survival Week
Welcome to the home of TheGamer’s Survival Week, a celebration of all things, well, survival. Here you’ll find features, interviews, and more dedicated to this popular genre, brought to you by Inflexion Games' upcoming open-world survival crafter, Nightingale.
