Poke Survivor guide: starters, gacha and co-op
PokéSurvivor is a free Pokémon survival game in the style of Survivor.io and Vampire Survivors that you play in your browser: pick a partner, roam an endless map and your moves fire on their own while hordes of wild Pokémon try to surround you. How long can you last?
How to play
- On PC: move with WASD or the arrow keys. Switch moves with 1–4, Q/E or by clicking their icon. Pause with Esc.
- On phone or tablet (landscape): drag your finger anywhere to move, tap a move to switch to it and the top-right button to pause.
- Your Pokémon attacks on its own with the active move. Your job is to dodge and position yourself well.
- Collect experience to level up and pick one of three cards: new moves, upgrades to the ones you have, or boosts for your Pokémon.
Features
- 966 Pokémon from all 9 regions (see the Pokédex), each with its own moves and permanent upgrades.
- Moves evolve: at max level with the right upgrade, Ember becomes Fire Blast, Bubble becomes Surf…
- Enemies with personality: some Pokémon heal, shield their allies, summon help, explode or fire telegraphed beams.
- Bosses and rifts with 18 legendary arenas, one per type.
- Weather and type chart: in the rain Water gets stronger and Fire weaker; plus sun, sand, snow and fog.
- Wild shinies (1 in 4096) and in the gacha.
- A slot-machine gacha for each region, with tickets you earn by playing.
- Held items such as Leftovers, Choice Band and Life Orb.
- Online co-op for up to 4 with your friends list.
- Daily and weekly missions, 130 achievements with medals and titles, a public profile and leaderboards.
- English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese, in a browser on PC or mobile.
Tips to survive longer
- Don't stand still: move in wide circles so the hordes follow you in a line.
- Use the type chart: switch to the move that's super effective against what's in front of you.
- Markers on the ground (circles and lines filling up) are attacks about to land: step out of them.
- Take out healers and shield-casters first.
- Spend your coins on upgrades for your favorite partner.
Choose your first Pokémon
Compare three Kanto starters by their opening move and starting stats. Choose the attack pattern you enjoy; permanent upgrades and level-up cards develop your build during a run.
| Pokémon | HP | Speed | Attack × | Opening move | Lv.1 damage | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulbasaur | 90 | 97 | 1.06 | Vine Whip | 19 | 0.62 s |
| Charmander | 88 | 105 | 1.03 | Ember | 18 | 0.52 s |
| Squirtle | 90 | 96 | 0.97 | Water Gun | 14 | 0.44 s |
- Vine Whip: a wide melee arc with knockback.
- Ember: a projectile aimed at the nearest enemy, with burn.
- Water Gun: a faster projectile that pierces an additional target.
Starting stats without permanent upgrades. Move damage and cooldown are level 1 values before partner damage multipliers, stat cards and type matchups. Original game data.
Gacha rates, tickets and pity
Choose the regional banner containing the Pokémon you want. Base rarity odds are shown below, before the ten-pull guarantee or five-star pity.
| Rarity | Base chance |
|---|---|
| 1★ | 45% |
| 2★ | 30% |
| 3★ | 17% |
| 4★ | 6.5% |
| 5★ | 1.5% |
- One pull costs one ticket. Ten pulls cost ten regular tickets or one ×10 ticket.
- A ten-pull includes at least one 4★ or 5★ result.
- Each region has its own five-star pity counter. A 5★ result resets it; if none arrives earlier, pull 70 since the last 5★ guarantees a 5★.
- Rarity is selected before the Pokémon. If a regional rarity pool is empty, the game uses the closest available pool.
- Tickets are earned through play, missions and achievements. They cannot be bought with real money.
Mobile play and four-player co-op
- On a phone or tablet, turn the screen sideways, drag to move and tap a move icon to change the active attack.
- Create a username-and-password account, then add friends by nickname in Friends.
- Invite friends to your room. The host waits for everyone to connect before starting; a room holds up to four players.
- During the run, experience is shared. Stand near a fallen teammate to revive them.
Use the same account to continue your cloud save on another device. Guest progress is not saved, and accounts from the original game are separate.
Beginner guide · Moves and evolutions · Shiny collection · Play PokéSurvivor
Frequently asked questions
Is PokéSurvivor free?
Yes. This is a free, noncommercial fan-game edition with no ads, payments or in-game purchases.
Do I need to download an app?
No. Play directly in a browser on PC, phone or tablet. The browser edition does not require a separate download.
How do I play on my phone?
Use landscape orientation. Drag anywhere to move, tap a move icon to change the active move, and use the top-right button to pause.
Which languages are available?
English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese. Use the language links or change the language in Settings.
Can I play with friends?
Online co-op supports up to four players. Create an account, add friends by nickname, and invite them to a room. Wait for everyone to connect before the host starts. Experience is shared; stand beside a fallen teammate to revive them.
Is my progress saved?
Create an account with a username and password to save your collection and progress in this edition’s cloud service and continue on another device. Guest play does not save progress. Accounts and saves from the original game are separate.
Which starter should I choose?
Compare the three starters above: Bulbasaur begins with melee Vine Whip, Charmander with burning Ember projectiles, and Squirtle with piercing Water Gun projectiles. Pick the attack pattern that suits your movement.
How many Pokémon can I play?
This edition includes 966 Pokémon from nine regions, from Kanto to Paldea. Pokémon with an available shiny form can also use that appearance once owned.
How do I unlock more Pokémon?
Earn tickets by playing and use them on regional gacha banners. Tickets cannot be purchased with real money.
What are rifts?
Rifts lead to legendary battles in one of 18 type arenas. Win for rewards; a failed challenge returns you to the map.
What happens at 30 minutes?
Arceus brings the run to the Judgment Ruins. Dodge the invulnerable Arceus and increasingly powerful legendary enemies for as long as you can.
Is this an official Pokémon game?
No. It is a noncommercial fan project and an independent edition of JPTER78’s game, unaffiliated with Nintendo, Creatures, GAME FREAK or The Pokémon Company.
Are there PokéSurvivor redeem codes?
This edition has no redeem-code system. Earn tickets and coins through runs, missions and achievements. Pokémon Survivor Burst is a separate game.
Why will my move not evolve?
Reach the move’s maximum level, take its required stat card during this run, then pick its golden evolution card at a level-up. Menu upgrades alone do not meet that requirement.
Does five-star pity guarantee a shiny?
No. Five-star rarity and the shiny roll are separate. Eligible gacha pulls use a 1/100 shiny roll, while five-star pity controls rarity.
Is this Pokémon Survivor Burst?
No. This site hosts an independent multilingual edition of JPTER78’s PokéSurvivor browser game. Pokémon Survivor Burst is a different fan game.