Survivor.io | Tips and Tricks

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Survivor.io is a mobile strategy game that has taken the world by storm. It involves controlling your survivor through multiple waves of enemies and bosses whilst upgrading your skills and equipment. Equipment can be upgraded by using gold and merging equipment together. The game can be a lot of fun but also very frustrating at times if not played in the correct way.

In this article, we will share some of our tried and tested tips and tricks to help you out in Survivor.io both if you are new to the game or have found yourself stuck on a particular level or challenge. Learning these tips and tricks can give you the edge and better your chances of completing missions!

We hope by the end of this article you will be able to complete those hard-to-beat levels and continue your journey in Survivor.io.

1. Movement is key

An image showing the survivor moving in-game
Always keep on the move and do not stay still.

When starting out on Survivor.io it can be tempting to stay in one location during the first few waves of enemies. By doing this you actually will kill enemies at a slower rate and also collect XP at a much slower rate which will slow down your leveling progress.

Always be on the move. This involves moving towards enemies on the lower levels and also on the higher levels. As the levels progress it will get tougher to move but by moving you will collect more XP and ultimately kill more monsters.

2. Always use the best equipment

Image showing a range of different equipment in Survivor.io
There are a number of different grades of equipment in Survivor.io

Using the best equipment in Survivor.io can really give you the edge. Weapon choice can be down to personal preference but other pieces like legendary gloves, belts, boots, necklaces, and armor should always be used over equipment that is a lower grade.

In the early stages of the game always ensure that you use the highest-graded equipment that you have. This will give you extra powers and the edge in those harder-to-complete missions.

As you progress through the game you can be more selective with the different equipment you equip to face certain bosses and challenges.

3. Do not get boxed in by zombies

An image showing a player being surrounded by zombies on Survivor.io
Do not let too many monsters surround you, try to move in one direction.

Getting boxed in by zombies is never a good idea… this is exactly the same in Survivor.io. Whilst it can be tempting to surround yourself with zombies at the chance of gathering endless amounts of XP, this is generally considered a bad tactic.

When trying to clear a hoard of zombies try to stick to one direction, this will ultimately focus your weapon attack in the direction of travel. This can however depend on weapon type (as some weapons will auto-aim).

4. Ham is your friend

An image showing ham in Survivor.io
Collect ham to restore some of your health.

HP is a critical aspect of the game, keeping an eye on your HP will ultimately decide if you pass or fail a mission. If you have not gathered the Energy Drink then collecting Ham is your only chance at recovering HP.

Ham can be found after defeating bosses and also in crates that are scattered across the map. Once you also reach the max level (where all skills are upgraded) you will have the option to heal by 30% if you gain enough XP.

5. Complete daily and weekly missions

An image showing the daily and weekly tasks in Survivor.io
Complete daily and weekly tasks to unlock gems, coins, and equipment.

By completing daily and weekly missions you have the chance to earn extra coins, gems, and equipment by completing simple objectives. These generally come in the form of logging in for a number of days, defeating enemies, opening chests, and playing the main story.

These extra chests can contain equipment that can be used to upgrade your inventory or be used to upgrade existing equipment.

6. Collect free gems, gold, and equipment by watching ads

An image showing where you can watch ads to unlock free equipment and loot
Watch ads to unlock free equipment, gems, and coins.

Whilst in the shop there will be a number of chests, coins, and gem packages that will be unlocked by watching an advert. There will also be some gems, coins, and crates that can be collected for free on a daily basis.

Whilst this may seem tedious, the reward you will gain from this is essential in the early stages when you need to upgrade your equipment. The small reward that you receive all adds up and helps you in your quest to become the ultimate survivor!

You can check out our full guide on the best ways to collect gold in Survivor.io here.

7. Choose your supplies and weapons wisely

An image showing the skills choice page on Survivor.io
Always chose your skills wisely, and keep the end game in mind when your skills can reach EVO level.

In Survivor.io you can obtain a number of different weapons and survival skills as you progress through a level. Planning these picks early on can result in the ability to master your weapons and turn them into EVO weapons (top tier). Always ensure that you pick a combination of weapons and supplies that will allow you to upgrade to EVO weapons.

Each supply will have its associated weapons located at the bottom of the image. You will only need one star on the supply to upgrade the associated weapon to its EVO level once it has reached a 5-star rating.

8. Upgrade your player/equipment after every run

An image of a weapon in Survivor.io
When a weapon reaches a higher level they unlock different grade skills.

There are going to be some times in the game when you simply cannot beat a level after trying endless tactics and combinations of weapons/supplies. This can be down to your equipment or survivor being too low level.

Always upgrade equipment, survivor, and evolve abilities after each run if possible. This will not always be possible (especially when starting out) but will always give you a much-needed boost to beat the higher levels. Equipment, weapons, and tech parts can be upgraded by merging them.

We found that boosting the ATK stat on equipment was much more important on the lower levels than the HP stat. When you progress further through the game your equipment should all get upgraded at the same rate.

9. Change up your tactics if you are failing

An image showing weapon skills and supplies in Survivor.io
Try switching up your choice of weapon skills and supplies now and again.

Some levels will require different tactics to pass. This is because levels can focus on a range of different factors such as bosses, hoards, and spawn rate. Try changing up your tactics and selection of weapon skills and supplies for some of the levels that you are failing to pass.

Some of the skills are more suited for bosses and mobs with higher HP whereas some skills are suited for killing mobs that spawn in numbers at a much faster rate. As you progress through the game you will learn which skills will benefit you on a level on levels that feature harder bosses or fast-spawning mobs.

10. Don’t spend gems on normal equipment

An image showing the S grade supply crate
Save gems up to purchase the s grade supply crate x10.

Gems can be earnt in the game for completing achievements, daily and weekly tasks, and by completing time-based events. Try not to spend these on standard equipment from the shop.

Instead, save the gems up for the 10-crate bundle in the shop. This is your best tactic for upgrading equipment and also they have the chance of supplying you with some high-quality items.

We have created a guide on the best ways to get gems in Survivor.io here.

11. Don’t ignore tech parts

An image showing tech parts in Survivor.io
Upgrade tech parts for additional perks and boosts.

Tech parts are a part of your inventory that can sometimes get overlooked. When tech parts reach a high enough level they can enhance your weapon skills and give you an extra edge.

Tech parts follow the same process as equipment in Survivor.io. They can be collected by beating bosses, completing events, and in some chests. Once you have collected enough tech parts you can merge them into higher-grade items. As they are merged to higher levels abilities can be unlocked that will enhance different skills and weapons.

You can check out our article on the best tech parts currently in the game here.

12. Gold and blue crystals = more XP

An image showing blue and gold XP crystals in Survivor.io
Collecting crystals in Survivor.io will give you XP. Gold crystals are the most valuable followed by blue then green.

When you defeat an enemy in Survivor.io they will leave behind a crystal that once collected rewards you will a set amount of XP. Green crystals are the ones that you will come across at the beginning of each stage followed by blue and gold crystals.

Green rewards the lowest amount of XP followed by the blue crystals and gold rewards the highest amount of XP.

Some zombies that are harder to defeat will generally drop a blue or gold crystal. Collecting more blue and gold crystals will result in you leveling up at a much faster rate.


We hope you have enjoyed our article on the best tips and tricks in Survivor.io. Taking these tips and tricks on board will level up your game and hopefully help you progress in the game. Equipment is another key part of the game Survivor.io, if you would like to check out our article on how to merge equipment click here!

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