PokéSurvivor is a free browser survival game by jpter78. It is not a main-series Pokémon battle system and it is unrelated to Pokémon Survivor Burst. Your partner moves around an open map while wild Pokémon form increasingly dangerous groups. You do not press an attack button for every hit. Instead, the currently selected move attacks whenever its cooldown and targeting rules allow.
Start from the official game
Open pokesurvivor.com/en/ for the recommended published version. It provides cloud authentication, cross-device saves, friends, rooms, co-op, profiles, and leaderboards. This guide does not host the game, ask for your account details, or read your save.
You can register with a player name and password or use Google. The source also supports a guest button, but guest progress is temporary. If you launch a downloaded copy with a file: address, or if cloud configuration is unavailable, named accounts fall back to browser-local storage instead of Firestore.
- Choose a persistent mode first. Use a published account when you want cloud sync or online features.
- Complete the personality test. It suggests a partner from the starter list. You can reject the result and choose another.
- Review the starting move. It defines your first attack pattern before level-up cards expand the build.
- Enter the run. Focus on movement and experience collection before optimizing every card choice.
Desktop and mobile controls
The control scheme separates movement from attack timing. Switching changes which slot is active; it does not turn automatic attacks on or off.
| Action | Desktop | Phone or tablet |
|---|---|---|
| Move | WASD or arrow keys | Drag anywhere in landscape orientation |
| Select a move | 1-4 or click a move icon | Tap a move icon |
| Cycle moves | Q and E | Tap the move you want directly |
| Pause | Esc | Use the top-right pause button |
The first-run loop
At the start, your partner has one move unless a permanent upgrade grants a second. The move checks for a target and fires on its own. Your job is to create safe distance, guide enemies into manageable groups, and collect the experience they leave behind.
The map contains more than enemy waves. The checked game documentation describes breakable rocks, chests, tall grass, healing springs, altars, hazards, weather, bosses, and rare rifts. You do not need to chase every optional object. Staying alive and maintaining room to move is a sound early priority.
Choose a partner you can read
The personality test includes 29 starting partners across the nine regions, plus Psyduck and Slowpoke. A beginner comparison should start with game HP, movement speed, attack multiplier, types, and the starting move. It should not pretend those values prove a complete combat ranking.
Bulbasaur
#190 HP 97 speed 1.06× attack
Charmander
#488 HP 105 speed 1.03× attack
Squirtle
#790 HP 96 speed 0.97× attack
Psyduck
#5492 HP 101 speed 1.06× attack
Slowpoke
#79110 HP 84 speed 1.06× attack
Bulbasaur starts with a broad melee Vine Whip, while Charmander and Squirtle start with straightforward projectiles. Psyduck and Slowpoke both start with the homing move Confusion, but their movement profiles differ sharply. Slowpoke has more base HP and less speed. Those are source facts. Whether that tradeoff feels easier depends on how you position and what cards appear.
Open the starter comparison for the methodology and limitations, or use the Pokédex foundation for the full roster once its filters are implemented.
Know what each card changes
New move
Adds a move you do not already know, as long as a slot is available. Normal-type moves are available to every Pokémon; its own types add more options.
Move upgrade
Advances one learned move by a level and applies that behavior family's next modifier. A move reaches its normal maximum at level 5.
Run stat
Changes the current run through HP, global attack, movement speed, cooldown, defense, regeneration, pickup radius, or experience gain.
Move evolution
Appears as a golden card after an eligible damaging move reaches level 5 and its required run-stat card has been taken at least once.
A stat card can therefore do two jobs: improve your current run and unlock a specific move evolution. Taking Power does not evolve every maxed move. Each evolution path asks for its own stat ID, so check the Move Evolutions page when a golden card does not appear.
Basic survival decisions
Keep moving before you need to
Movement is the main direct control. Starting early leaves more space than waiting until enemies already surround your partner.
Read the attack warning
The official guide identifies filling circles and lines as attacks about to land. Leave the marked area rather than relying on damage recovery.
Switch for range and shape
A melee arc, beam, projectile, orbit, aura, or dash solves a different positioning problem. The active slot should match the space you have.
Prioritize dangerous roles
The official guide recommends dealing with healers and shield casters early. The game also includes summoners, exploders, and telegraphed boss attacks.
Collect on a safe pass
Experience matters, but crossing a dense group for one pickup can cost more health than it returns in progress. Circle back when a lane opens.
Treat type advantage as one factor
Type effectiveness changes damage, but cooldown, reach, targeting, status effects, and enemy movement still affect the result.
Co-op, accounts, guests, and offline saves
These modes are easy to mix up because several of them use the browser. The fixed source makes their persistence boundaries different.
| Mode | Where progress lives | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Published account, online | Firestore plus a local browser cache | Cross-device merging, friends, rooms, co-op, profiles, and leaderboards. |
| Published account, temporarily offline | Existing local cache until upload succeeds | A cached save can continue and later merge, but online services are unavailable. |
| Downloaded or local fallback account | localStorage in that browser | Solo play and persistent local progress. Clearing site data removes it; there is no cross-device cloud sync. |
| Guest | Memory only | Fast entry, but no save commit and no cloud features. Reloading or leaving loses progress. |
Online co-op supports up to four players. Add friends by nickname, invite them to a room, and start together. Experience is shared. A fallen teammate can be revived by standing nearby for three seconds, according to the checked player implementation. If the cloud connection is unavailable, play remains solo until online services return.
Frequently asked questions
Does my Pokémon use every learned move automatically?
No. Only the active slot fires automatically. You can switch among slots, and a later bond can group several moves so they fire together from one active slot.
Can I keep a guest run?
No. Guest state exists only in memory in the pinned source. Choose an account mode before investing time if you want progress to survive a reload or return visit.
Can I play offline?
A downloaded copy or local fallback supports solo play and browser-local named accounts. An existing online account may also open its local cache when the cloud is unavailable, then sync later. Online rooms and leaderboards still need cloud connectivity.
Do higher stats guarantee the best starter?
No. HP, speed, attack multiplier, and starting move describe a starting profile. They do not measure player comfort, later card luck, type matchups, or tested survival outcomes.
Why did my max-level move not evolve?
Most damaging moves also require one specific run-stat card. Check the move evolution page. If several evolutions are ready, only the first ready candidate is guaranteed into the next offer.
Guide sources
This guide uses the same pinned source commit as the site's data layer, plus the official English guide, official update log, and developer itch.io page checked on October 14, 2026. Controls, save behavior, move execution, card rules, and co-op details were compared with their implementation rather than copied from unrelated Pokémon games.