10 Best Survival Games on iOS & Android (November 2025)

Looking for the best survival games to enjoy on mobile in 2025? Survival games have become a favorite for players who enjoy adventure, crafting, and exploring. These games put you in exciting situations where smart moves and quick thinking help you stay alive. You can build shelters, collect resources, and face new challenges in every session. Whether you like fast action or slow planning, there’s something fun for everyone. These are some of the best premium and free-to-play survival games available right now on Android and iOS.

What Defines the Best Survival Mobile Game?

For me, the best survival mobile game should offer more than just crafting and building. It needs to keep things interesting through exploration, smart progression, and freedom to play your way. Some games give full control with open maps and deep resource systems. Others focus more on managing people, making quick choices, or surviving tough situations. What matters most is how the game keeps you hooked every time you jump in. To choose the games for this list, I looked at variety, gameplay depth, replay value, and how well the survival element is done on mobile.

List of 10 Best Survival Games for Android & iOS

Every game listed here brings its own flavor to survival.

10. Vampire Survivors

Vampire Survivors looks deceptively simple at first, but this game eats your time like nothing else. You control a single character who auto-attacks while hordes of monsters flood the screen. Your job is to survive as long as possible by upgrading weapons and building powerful attack combos that turn you into a walking demolition machine. The gameplay is insanely addictive because it hooks you with fast leveling and nonstop action. You do not get a break, not even for a second. The longer you stay alive, the more intense it becomes. Honestly, if someone asked me for one of the best survival mobile games for short play sessions, this would be it.

Price: Free-to-play

9. Granny

Granny is straight-up nightmare fuel. You wake up trapped in a creepy old house. Why you’re there, you have no clue. All you know is that a crazy old woman called Granny roams around with a baseball bat, and she definitely wants to kill you. The catch is that she can hear everything, and you only have five days to escape by finding tools and unlocking hidden doors. It’s basically a stealth survival puzzle with heavy horror vibes. The fear of being caught keeps you sweating the entire time. There’s no music, no fancy story, just raw tension and silence. Plus, it’s lightweight and runs smoothly even on budget phones. So if you’re looking for one of the best survival horror games on Android or iOS, Granny is an absolute must-play.

Price: Free-to-play

8. Raft Survival: Ocean Nomad

Imagine waking up alone in the middle of an endless ocean with nothing but a tiny raft and a hook. Welcome to Raft Survival: Ocean Nomad. Your mission is simple: do whatever it takes to stay alive. Use your hook to grab wood, rope, plastic, and any random debris that floats by. Craft weapons, build tools, and slowly expand your floating home. But do not get too comfortable. Hunger and thirst are always pushing you to the limit, and just when you think you are safe, a giant shark appears to ruin your day. This game delivers that classic survival struggle feeling and is one of the best mobile survival games for players who prefer long term progression instead of pure combat.

Price: Free-to-play

7. Forager

Forager looks cute at first glance, but do not underestimate its survival intensity. This game combines survival, crafting, farming, and light combat with a grind that is genuinely addictive. You begin on a tiny island with nothing but a pickaxe, mining rocks, chopping trees, gathering berries, and slowly unlocking new lands. The joy of Forager lies in its freedom. You are never pushed in any specific direction, yet you always find something meaningful to do. It delivers a peaceful vibe without removing the survival challenge completely. It also earns a solid spot among the best survival games on Android and iOS because it balances exploration, adventure, and resource management perfectly.

Price: Premium ($4.99)

6. The Bonfire: Forsaken Lands

The Bonfire: Forsaken Lands delivers one of the cleanest and most atmospheric survival experiences on mobile. You run a small settlement in a snowy wilderness where night brings deadly threats. Your job is to gather resources during the day and prepare defenses for what creeps in the dark. It starts quiet and peaceful, but the game slowly introduces tougher challenges and mysterious enemies. You recruit workers, build structures, and make decisions that affect your chances of survival. You are always balancing between expanding and protecting yourself. That weight of decision-making puts it among the finest survival experiences on iPhone and Android.

Price: Premium ($3.99)

5. Don’t Starve: Pocket Edition

Don’t Starve: Pocket Edition is the definition of brutal survival because there is absolutely no hand-holding at any point. You spawn alone in the wilderness and instantly feel lost as you scramble for resources, while food remains scarce and strange creatures stalk you from the shadows. Your sanity slowly slips away if you aren’t careful. The quirky Tim Burton–inspired art style makes everything look twisted but strangely charming. The game punishes mistakes without mercy, which makes each victory feel legendary. This one is all about learning from failure and coming back smarter. In this world, nothing is predictable, which keeps you alert and always planning ahead. If you enjoy real challenge and intense survival pressure, Don’t Starve: Pocket Edition will become your new obsession.

Price: Premium ($4.99)

4. Fallout Shelter

Fallout Shelter brings survival strategy into a post-nuclear world. Instead of just trying to live on your own, you manage an underground vault full of survivors. You are basically the overseer, and your mission is to keep your people alive by assigning jobs, building facilities, and defending the vault from raiders and monsters. You must manage resources like energy, food, and water. The more your vault grows, the more people join, which means more responsibilities. For players who like planning, resource management, and long-term survival strategy, this is one of the best survival mobile games that still holds up years after its release.

Price: Free-to-play

3. This War of Mine

This War of Mine is a rare survival game because it does not put you in the boots of a hero soldier. Instead, you control a small group of everyday civilians trapped in a destroyed city, just trying to stay alive during a brutal war. The gameplay is slow, emotional, and grounded in reality. During the day, your group hides inside a damaged shelter, crafting tools, cooking food, and trying to stay healthy. At night, one person sneaks out to search for supplies in dangerous locations while the others rest or guard the shelter. Overall, this game is easily one of the most intense survival titles you can find on mobile.

Price: Premium ($13.99)

2. PUBG Mobile

PUBG Mobile is a popular battle royale that needs no introduction. You and 99 other players are dropped onto a massive map where only one person or squad survives. Loot weapons, armor, and supplies, and fight to stay inside the shrinking safe zone. Every match is full of adrenaline and tactical choices. Do you play aggressively, or survive by staying hidden until the end? The gunplay is solid, and the maps are well designed, which keeps matches exciting. PUBG Mobile is more than a shooter. It is competitive survival with real stakes and real hype. No list of the best mobile survival games is complete without it.

Price: Free-to-play

1. DYSMANTLE

And taking the #1 spot is DYSMANTLE, a criminally underrated open-world survival masterpiece. The world is overrun by infected creatures, and you are one of the last survivors. What makes it special is that you can break almost everything in the world to gather resources. If you can swing a weapon at it, chances are it will break. The game features exploration, base building, crafting, combat, and even puzzles. In short, this is hands down the best survival game on Android and iOS right now if you want a full open-world experience on your phone.

Price: Premium ($9.99)