PokeSurvivor How to Play

Start the first run

The first decision is the partner. The game can suggest one through a personality test, and you can reject that suggestion and choose another from the starting board. The starter roster has 29 partners: the three traditional starters from each of nine regions, plus Psyduck and Slowpoke.

You do not need to download anything for the browser version. The official guide describes PC, tablet and phone play, and the site can be installed to a home screen as a web app. Choose an account if you want cloud progress; choose guest if you only want to try the game.

1. Open the official game. Use pokesurvivor.com, not a copy site with its own account database.
2. Pick guest or sign in. A guest session starts faster but is not saved. A name-and-password or Google account can save progress in the cloud.
3. Choose a partner. The suggested partner is not binding. If you want to compare starting moves first, read the starter guide.
4. Enter the map and move. Attacks fire on their own. Keep a lane open instead of standing in the middle of the horde.
5. Take a level-up card. Pick one of the three cards, then continue moving. The run pauses for the choice.

PC and mobile controls

On a non-QWERTY keyboard, the labelled W/A/S/D keys may not be the keys that move. The game binds physical key codes, so the arrow keys are the layout-independent fallback. If nothing responds, click inside the game window first; the keyboard and controls guide covers focus, layout and gamepad alternatives.

Mobile play is designed for landscape. Settings → Controls lets you drag the attack, pause and joystick buttons, and choose a fixed joystick. The Android and mobile guide covers installation and the APK status.

How combat works

Only the active move fires. Switching moves changes which attack is running; it does not make all four slots attack at once. A bond is the exception: defeated rift legendaries let you fuse moves so two or more fire from one slot, up to four fused moves.

Your job is positioning. Wide circles keep the horde behind you instead of letting it close from every side. Ground circles and lines are telegraphed attacks: step out before they fill. Healers and shield-casters are worth killing early because they make the rest of the wave harder to clear.

Type matchups matter in both directions. Super effective is ×1.6, not very effective is ×0.6, and an immunity becomes ×0.3. The full table is in the type chart guide. Weather can shift Fire, Water and other damage further; the weather guide lists the exact multipliers.

Level-up cards

A level-up offers three cards. They can add a move, upgrade an existing move, or boost the partner’s stats. Moves level up to level 5. A maxed move can evolve if you have taken the stat card it asks for and the golden evolution card appears.

There are four move slots. A practical first run fills one reliable attack and one area or coverage move before adding more options. The build guide explains the slot and evolution rules; the move evolution guide lists every transformation and its required card.

What persists

There are three different save situations:

• Guest: the run exists in memory and is not saved. Reloading or closing the tab can lose it.
• Official online account: progress is stored in the cloud and can be continued on another device. Two-device saves merge collections and take the maximum of upgrades and stats.
• Offline package: the downloadable ZIP is solo only and saves in the browser’s local storage. It does not include co-op, cloud saves or leaderboards.

Before clearing browser data, changing accounts or moving to another device, read the save and account recovery guide. The cloud layer is restricted to the official hosts, so a copy site cannot log in to the official account database.

Your first two minutes

Spend the opening minute learning the active move’s range and cooldown. Keep moving in a wide loop, collect experience, and take a second damage option rather than three low-value stat cards. Do not chase a chest through a closing pocket; the first boss arrives at 3:00, and a clean escape lane matters more than one pickup.

If a rift opens, it is optional. The portal stays open for 45 seconds and the arena fight can last up to 120 seconds. A first attempt is reasonable with a defensive item, but the legendary is a separate fight from the normal wave. The legendary rifts guide explains the entry, rewards and loss rules.

Once you can reach the first boss consistently, move on to the survival tips. They focus on positioning, target priority and stage-specific decisions rather than repeating the controls.