Small steps.
Longer adventures.

Your first ten minutes

Choose a partner whose first move is easy for you to read, then spend the opening waves learning its reach and timing. The game offers starters from all nine regions, plus a few extra friends. Your first pick does not have to be the strongest on paper; a familiar attack pattern makes dodging much easier.

1. Start moving before the crowd forms. A broad loop leaves room to turn back toward experience drops.
2. Watch the active move. It fires automatically; switching the selected slot changes which move is attacking.
3. Choose a damage plan. Take upgrades that clear a path, then add survivability once the horde is under control.
4. Revisit dropped experience safely. Do not cut through the center of a pack for a few gems.
5. Keep one escape route. When the map becomes dense, a gap is more valuable than a straight line to a pickup.

Controls at a glance

There is no separate attack button for the selected move. Positioning is your main input. You can carry several moves, but only the active slot fires, unless you have a linked move setup in the game.

Movement is the real defense

The enemy wave is dangerous because it closes your options. Wide circles pull pursuers into a line. Reversing straight through that line usually gives the next group more chances to box you in. Make small course corrections and look for open ground before you need it.

Read the threats, not just the crowd

Some enemies heal or shield allies; others call reinforcements, explode, or warn of an attack with a ground marker. Step out of circles and lines that are filling up. When a healer or shield-caster is keeping a pack alive, clearing that support is often more useful than attacking the nearest enemy.

Use the map

The original game includes terrain and objects that change a fight. Water can slow movement; lava is dangerous; obstacles can block hostile projectiles. Treat the arena itself as part of your build decision, especially before entering a rift.

Build toward a move evolution

Defeated enemies drop experience. Leveling up presents three card choices: a new move, an upgrade to a move you already know, or a boost for your partner. A strong run needs enough damage to keep a path open before defensive picks can pay off.

Many moves evolve when they reach maximum level and you hold the required upgrade. The evolved attack changes more than its number: an Ember can become Fire Blast, and Bubble can become Surf. Rather than spreading every level-up across unrelated options, identify one attack you can develop into a reliable crowd clearer.

After a legendary win, the game can also offer a move-linking system that lets multiple linked moves fire from one slot. Check the in-game description before committing to a combination.

Types are softer, still decisive

PokéSurvivor uses the familiar 18 types but changes the damage multipliers for its one-active-move format. Super-effective is ×1.6, resistance is ×0.6, and an immunity is softened to ×0.3. Two target types multiply together, with a cap at ×2.4.

That means a partner with two types is not automatically fragile, and an apparently immune target is not untouchable. The same chart works defensively, so ask two questions: which selected move hurts the current threat, and which enemy attack types hurt my partner?

Open our interactive type chart and dual-type calculator to check the exact number. It is especially useful when a legendary has two types.

Weather rewrites the moment

Rain favors Water and weakens Fire; harsh sunlight reverses that. Sand favors Rock, Ground, and Steel; snow favors Ice and slows the rest; fog favors Ghost, Fairy, and Psychic. Weather acts on top of the type matchup, so reassess a fight when it changes.

Before a legendary rift

A rare portal takes you into an arena themed around one of the legendary's types. A dual-type legendary may use either type for the arena. Winning grants ten gacha tickets; losing sends you back to the map without the reward. In co-op, the room enters together.

• Check your health and movement space. A good matchup is not enough if a terrain hazard catches you.
• Check both target types. A move can be strong against one type and resisted by the other, producing an almost neutral result.
• Keep an active move for the fight. Switch to the slot that gives your best combination of damage and safe attack pattern.
• Watch the arena. Lava burns, water slows, and ice can change how far you travel.

Use the rift prep desk to see possible arenas and the best attack types for each of the 87 legendaries.

Growing the collection

Every one of the 966 species in the original game's Pokédex can be a partner. The collection spans nine regions, and each partner has its own upgrade track. Region-based gacha uses tickets earned by playing; the official game does not sell them for money.

Wild shiny encounters also give the collection a long tail. They are rare, so surviving long enough to notice and pursue one is part of the challenge. Use the searchable Pokédex to find a species, check its types and in-game stats, and compare it with another candidate.

Co-op, mobile, and progress

Online rooms support up to four players. Experience is shared, and a fallen teammate can be revived when another player stands nearby. Stay close enough to help without letting the group cluster into a single trap.

On mobile, turn the device sideways for more room to read the field. Drag to move and tap the attack you want active. The game is available in the browser on PC, phone, and tablet, with English and Spanish options. For saving and account details, follow the prompts in the original game, since guest and account behavior can change.

Your ready-for-the-rift checklist

Use this as a quick reset before you step into the next portal. The checks stay on this device.