In the past few years, survival games have been picking up speed in terms of popularity in the world of video games. This subgenre has always existed in one form or another, although in recent times, we’ve seen it become way more popular thanks to one of the most important titles in history: Minecraft. The title created by Markus Persson “Notch” clearly defined what works in these types of games: an open world, a game experience without final objectives and crafting as a way of life. We can enjoy these features to a greater or lesser extent in these 12 awesome survival games for Android. As always, we’re trying to offer variety on the list, so we’ve left out the different Battle Royale games that are plaguing mobile devices and that we’ve probably already talked enough about.
LifeAfter
What you get with this title from NetEase is an extensive survival experience on several different levels. The game covers everything from building houses and crafting materials to trading with other players in common areas. Not to mention the real-time PvE confrontations with enemies spread out around its enormous world. Plus, the story progresses each time the game is updated. It’s an all-around must-have that also looks spectacular. [Download]
Last Island of Survival
Formerly known as Last Day Rules, Last Island of Survival brings you a survival experience where you have to obtain resources and build your shelter in dangerous natural habitats. It’s a spot-on adaptation of Last Day on Earth, but transferred to completely 3D environments with a camera you can move around freely. [Download]
Prey Day
Fans of MMORPGs have found a new wave of games that combine mechanics from MMORPGs with the basic gameplay of survival games. Prey Day is one of the latest games to jump on the bandwagon and it stands out from its peers thanks to its more urban setting. Yes, you have to fight against zombies once again, but at least its settings are a breath of fresh air. [Download]
Mini DAYZ
This miniaturized adaptation of the legendary DayZ is one of the most interesting concepts you can find in terms of pure survival. Don’t let its retro-pixel looks fool you…it’s a really complete game. We recently mentioned Mini DayZ in reference to the most outstanding open-world games and we’re talking about it again on this prestigious list. It’s obvious that we’re head over heels for this one. [Download]
The Last Maverick
We didn’t want to include just any one of the million Minecraft clones that exist, but we do want to give this nice survival game some love. No, there aren’t any voxels here, but what you do have is a raft to build your story on as you explore the seas. Special mention goes to its excellent pseudo-cel-shading and carefully designed sharks. [Download]
Alive In Shelter
It would be boring to put together a list of the best of the genre and only include titles that we all know inside and out. We’re here to play and forage through the Android catalog, given that there are gems like Alive In Shelter that deserve our attention and admiration. Not for its graphics (think LOTS of pixels), but for its difficult gameplay that has us staring at the “game over” screen over and over again. Surviving a nuclear disaster is never easy though, especially when you have a family to defend and provide for. [Download]
Black Survival
Before the words “Battle Royale” referred to a subgenre that PUBG and Fortnite are currently celebrating, we talked about a legendary Japanese movie that many of us still maintain even in our imagination. It’s time to survive on an island full of danger, although in Black Survival the action is somewhat slower since it’s a game that mixes concepts from strategy and role-playing. Its strong manganime accent is sure to motivate a good part of the gamer community, but the real greatness is found in its complex inner workings. [Download]
Shadows of Kurgansk
Once again, we’re talking about the Zone. Once again, we’re talking about Shadows of Kurgansk. We return to zombies once again in a survival game, but at least here you find yourself in a different setting than what you’re used to: you get a first-person experience in a post-apocalyptic world that looks like it’s straight out of the excellent S.T.A.L.K.E.R. It’s an awesome game with tension oozing out of every nook and cranny. [Download]
Grim Soul: Dark Fantasy Survival
Among the many clones of Last Day on Earth that we’ve found on Android, Grim Soul is probably our favorite. It’s not every day we find ourselves before a game that embraces dark fantasy, and that’s considering that everyone has danced to the tune of Dark Souls, but Grim Soul does a stand-up job of it. The game from Kefir doesn’t really innovate in terms of gameplay, but it’s impossible to resist this bleak world that’s more like it came from the mind of Kentaro Miura. [Download]
Day R
Classics are forever and Day R has been hanging out on people’s smartphones and tablets for a good while now. You’re not going to discover anything new in this Fallout offspring, but we should note that the game continues to be updated and improving its features to stay ahead of the curve. [Download]
ARK: Survival Evolved
We thought the day would never come, but we can finally say that ARK: Survival Evolved has arrived on Android. We don’t know if it took too long or not (hello Fortnite), but we’ve had a good time enjoying its many clones. In any case, we welcome the arrival of ARK: Survival Evolved, the game that experienced success on Steam that’s now bringing its prehistoric world to our mobile devices. [Download]
Last Day on Earth
We’ve already dedicated a few lines to talk about games based on Last Day on Earth, but the original is still king. You already know what it’s about: collecting materials until the end, craft and craft some more, and take down any enemies who get in your way. One of our faves of 2017. [Download]
