How to Survive

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How to Survive is a zombie-themed survival game where you'll need to navigate through a deadly island, scavenge for resources, and craft weapons to defend yourself against the undead. With a distinctively dark humor and a challenging crafting system, players must strategize and make difficult decisions to stay alive. Owners of the first game receive a special armor set as a bonus in this standalone version.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Co-Op Team up with friends to complete levels or missions together
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

Reviews

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,560 reviews

story234 positive mentions

stability72 negative mentions

story
1,025 mentions
23 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The story in "How to Survive" is generally viewed as minimal and predictable, primarily serving as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a focal point. Players often describe it as a series of repetitive fetch quests with little depth, although some appreciate the humor and light-hearted elements introduced by characters like Kovac. While the main storyline is short and lacks significant narrative complexity, it provides enough structure to engage players in the crafting and survival mechanics of the game.
- “I always seem to come back to this game and replay the story every so often.”
- “The story is surprisingly good while not being obtrusive.”
- “The story is very small though and they made challenges to make up for that.”
- “Limited storyline: the narrative is minimal and does not provide much depth or motivation for players.”
- “The story is empty and devoid of any real plot, the characters are undeveloped, and the quests are stuffed with backtracking through the bland cookie cutter islands.”
- “The story is incredibly boring.”
gameplay
559 mentions
39 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "How to Survive" is characterized by a blend of crafting, scavenging, and survival mechanics, which many players find engaging, particularly in cooperative multiplayer modes. However, the experience can become repetitive over time, with some users noting issues like basic graphics, frustrating controls, and a lack of depth in survival elements. Overall, while the game offers enjoyable mechanics and a fun zombie-slaying experience, it suffers from a lack of variety and polish that may deter some players.
- “Players appreciate the depth it brings to the zombie survival genre, offering more than just typical zombie smashing with its detailed gameplay mechanics.”
- “The core gameplay revolves around scavenging for materials, crafting weapons and tools, and managing vital stats like hunger, thirst, and fatigue.”
- “The gameplay is fun and the crafting is pretty intuitive.”
- “The gameplay is boring as hell; you need to shoot and dodge a ton of enemies, which die from one shot, and they come down constantly, leading to frequent deaths.”
- “The gameplay got boring after 2-3 hours into the game, and I just could not wait to finish it for the sake of finishing it.”
- “The gameplay is repetitive, but fun! However, it lacks depth and variety, making it feel like a grind after a while.”
graphics
352 mentions
45 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as functional but not impressive, often likened to those of older titles, with many reviewers noting a lack of modern polish and graphical options. While some players appreciate the atmospheric visuals and detail in environments, others criticize the dated appearance and technical issues, suggesting that the graphics do not significantly enhance the overall experience. Overall, the consensus indicates that while the graphics are serviceable, they fall short of contemporary standards and can detract from the gameplay enjoyment.
- “I was amazed by the graphics; they looked very realistic to me... the water, the trees, the animals, the little safe zones, the characters themselves, and every other graphic-related detail... you guys did a great job there.”
- “The graphics are very nicely done; I didn't find many bugs, but even those I found don't matter much.”
- “The graphics are good, love that there is some crafting in it and like the fight combinations.”
- “Basic graphics: while serviceable, the graphics are not particularly impressive by modern standards.”
- “Level design feels like it was done by an 8-year-old, sound design is non-existent - chock-full of the most overused stock sound effects, graphics are rough even by 2013's standards - other indie games that came out that year include The Stanley Parable, Gone Home, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs which is to say there's really no excuse how this game looks so 2003.”
- “The graphics are bad, even for an indie title.”
humor
273 mentions
99 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with many players highlighting the comedic elements brought by the character Kovac and the survival guide's quirky instructions. The game balances dark humor with absurdity, providing a unique tone within the zombie genre that keeps players entertained, especially during co-op play. However, some reviews note that the humor can feel forced or repetitive over time, and not all players find it appealing.
- “The humor gives the game a unique tone to the zombie genre as it is self-aware and satirical.”
- “The survival videos that you find and the kovac's way tips are funny as hell.”
- “The manual is written by a loony survival expert named Kovac, and each chapter is hilariously written, narrated, and animated.”
- “Was the voice acting supposed to be funny?”
- “Other than that, the environments look rather samey after a while, the enemy models are somewhat limited, sound assets are not the best, the 'funny manual' is not funny and the controls could be better.”
- “It is supposed to be funny, but in fact it really isn't.”
music
87 mentions
28 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the eerie ambient sounds that enhance the atmosphere, particularly during tense moments, while others criticize it for being repetitive and forgettable. Many users noted that the soundtrack lacks variety, often repeating the same few tracks, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, while some find the music fitting for the game's themes, a significant number of players describe it as annoying and low-quality.
- “The sound design complements the visuals with eerie ambient noises and unsettling music that enhance the tension of the survival experience.”
- “The day and night cycle is pretty cool, and things do get very tense with the nightfall soundtrack that always puts me on edge.”
- “The music is great and sets the tone of what's happening on screen.”
- “The music on any of the screens is the same song over and over, and it's a boring song.”
- “The soundtrack was repetitive - I only heard maybe 2-3 songs in the game in total.”
- “First off, there is the god awful 'music' I very quickly had to mute it because it had quickly surpassed what was annoying.”
stability
74 mentions
3 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
97 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with numerous users reporting significant bugs, glitches, and performance issues, particularly in co-op mode. Many players experienced game-breaking problems such as freezing, lag, and corrupted save data, which detracted from the overall enjoyment. While some found the game fun despite its flaws, the consensus is that it remains unpolished and in need of substantial improvements to enhance stability.
- “It runs fine with minimal to no glitches; the actual gameplay feels tight enough and well put together.”
- “Buggy but not too buggy; nice to play with a friend.”
- “Unfortunately, the PC version of HTS is lagging, with many glitches that make it uncomfortable to play with friends.”
- “The entire game felt buggy and unpolished, which was the biggest turn-off for me.”
- “It freezes all the time, lags out, and sometimes crashes.”
replayability
62 mentions
29 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
Replayability in this game is mixed, with some players finding it engaging due to the crafting system, character choices, and various difficulty levels, while others feel it lacks depth after the initial playthrough. Many reviews highlight that while there are modes and challenges to explore, the short story and limited character progression can lead to repetitiveness. Overall, the game's replay value seems to depend heavily on personal preferences and the enjoyment of co-op play or additional DLC content.
- “Engaging crafting system: the ability to craft a wide range of items from found materials adds depth and replayability.”
- “You have a choice of different characters to play as and difficulty levels to add to the replay value.”
- “With two current DLCs, another set to release, and future expansions planned, this game packs plenty of replay value and is fun from start to finish.”
- “Nice little game, though story mode is very short and the challenge mode doesn't really add any replayability.”
- “Although, you will not find much story or replayability in this game; it is very much a one-time playthrough.”
- “The game is also rather short, so don't expect hours of entertainment out of it, and yes, it doesn't have that much of a replay value either.”
grinding
56 mentions
4 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often leading to a lack of engagement as they slog through fetch quests and survival mechanics. While some enjoy the initial gameplay and crafting elements, many express frustration with the excessive grinding required for progression, particularly in the later stages of the game. The combat and inventory management also contribute to a sense of monotony, making the experience feel more like a chore than enjoyable gameplay.
- “Overall gameplay is satisfying, killing tons of enemies is fun, inventory management is alright (not too tedious), crafting is neither too simple nor too complicated.”
- “The tasks you get just became tedious.”
- “How did zombie survival become so tedious and uninteresting?”
- “The quests started getting tedious; there were no more weapons to build, and killing zombies was not fun anymore.”
atmosphere
48 mentions
42 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its engaging visuals and immersive survival elements, particularly during nighttime and stormy weather, which enhance the sense of danger. However, the audio experience is often criticized for being inconsistent, with generic sound effects and a lack of compelling music that detracts from the overall ambiance. While the crafting system and environmental details contribute positively, the tonal shifts between horror and humor can create a disjointed experience for players.
- “The atmosphere is cool, but it gets a bit stale in the music department.”
- “Of course the time changes from day to night and that is when you can really notice the nice atmosphere: creeping zombies, your flashlight, the music...”
- “The journals added character and atmosphere, and the voice acting was fine.”
- “The sound effects are generic, there is practically no music in the game, and the 'songs' or 'BGM' that are present are just weird sounds that I guess the developers thought would add to the atmosphere.”
- “Despite the lackluster storyline and the confusing audio and atmosphere, I really think that How to Survive delivers quite well in terms of enjoyment, gameplay quality and, of course, hard lessons on how to survive an archipelago full of brain-hungry zombies!”
- “Much of the dark atmosphere is lost with kooky things, like your guide Kovac and a monkey.”
optimization
27 mentions
30 % positive mentions
22 % neutral mentions
48 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with users reporting severe performance issues, including lag, low frame rates, and inconsistent audio levels. Many players noted that the game is poorly optimized for PC, leading to a frustrating experience, particularly in co-op modes and during cut-scenes. While some users experienced smooth gameplay, the general consensus is that significant improvements are needed for better performance and usability.
- “The game looks beautiful, it runs smoothly and it is pure joy, from start to finish.”
- “^^ performance: 9/10 ^^”
- “The co-op is fun and seems to run smoothly.”
- “However, the PC optimization is terrible; I either can't even open/close the game, or the volume is so quiet I can't hear it, and then so loud it temporarily deafens me as soon as I hear Kovac's rules.”
- “First of all, the lags; it's very poorly optimized. In-game it's fine, I get like 15 FPS which I've gotten used to, but the cut-scenes, especially when that tutorial book is opened, lag unbelievably for some reason.”
- “The game also suffers from being ridden with bugs and is also terribly unoptimized.”
emotional
11 mentions
55 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
45 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the emotional aspect of the game lacking, citing a boring storyline and poor writing that fails to create meaningful connections with characters. While some moments attempt to evoke emotion, they are overshadowed by frustrating gameplay mechanics and a lack of emotional attachment to the characters. The difficulty of the game can lead to moments of frustration, but any potential emotional impact is largely diminished by the overall experience.
- “I laughed... I cried... I died... over and over. It's a hard game, but I like it.”
- “Somewhat frustrating as the game is relatively difficult, and when you grind for over an hour without being able to reach a save point and the game times out, you kind of want to cry.”
- “Only knowing the kid for 5 seconds, there was no emotional attachment.”
- “Incredibly boring story, horrible combat mechanics, ridiculously difficult.”
- “Boring storyline (the only reason I kept playing the missions is because I loved killing zombies with my bow).”
- “People who played Crimsonland and thought to themselves - 'yeah this is ok, but what it really needs is fewer enemies on screen, a boring storyline and some fiddly inventory management and crafting.'”
character development
4 mentions
25 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is largely criticized, with players noting a lack of background and depth for the four playable characters, which detracts from the overall experience. While some users find the character development acceptable, the general consensus leans towards it being poorly executed and underwhelming.
- “Character development is also good.”
- “You play as one of four characters, who, with no prior background or character development, are supposed to survive a zombie apocalypse on an island.”
- “Bad character development and presentation.”
- “Worst character development I've seen in a while.”
monetization
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received criticism for prioritizing advertising over gameplay, leading some players to feel it is a cash grab. Additionally, the lack of effective promotion and awkward controls have contributed to a negative perception of its value.
- “Next was the survival guide, which I know was supposed to be the point of the game, but they spend more time advertising the book than they do anything else, which quickly gets old.”
- “Making this game a cash grab. The Xbox controls also feel awkward to me as you push the right bumper to attack and B to access the menu.”