Parents' Guide to

Survivalcraft

By Dana Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Suspenseful building, but iffy content in community mode.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android , Kindle Fire Paid Adventure Games
Survivalcraft Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Survivalcraft App Screenshot #1
  • Survivalcraft App Screenshot #2
  • Survivalcraft App Screenshot #3
  • Survivalcraft App Screenshot #4
  • Survivalcraft App Screenshot #5

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 3 parent reviews

xyzzer
xyzzer Adult
January 9, 2019
age 2+

Better than Minecraft on mobile

This isn't Minecraft, but has all the building elements of Minecraft in a slightly less fantasy setting. It also has much better mobile touch controls, graphics and quality. I'd been playing and building out the same world since its creation 8 years ago and it's a home away from home where you get to realize your inner explorer, architect, hunter, gardener, urban planner or adventurer. My kids have really enjoyed it too, building many amazing creations over the years and it's always been the go-back-to game for them as you get to keep and evolve the world you created for years. The best spent $4 or $5 for a mobile app. Knowing the quality, the content and value for time spent - I would pay $50 or more today.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
David whatever
David whatever Adult
August 23, 2018
age 9+

This game does not get the appreciation it deserves.

First, this game can be pretty scary. Going into dark caves and getting attacked by animals without warning can be pretty scary. That being said the graphics are so much better than Minecraft. I have stopped while playing this game just to watch the sunset. The animals look like animals even the fish. While this game may be a bit intense for younger players, it is definitely worth a look for teens and even adults. I have done little with Community content but I did not run across anything the least bit offencive.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
Too much violence
See all 3 parent reviews

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What’s It About?

After being marooned on an island, players begin to build worlds in SURVIVALCRAFT. In a new world, players choose creative, harmless, challenging, or cruel (character can't respawn after dying), then press play, and a world appears. Viewing the screen from a first-person perspective, players either start building things in creative mode or in survival mode (all modes are survival other than creative) and must start collecting tools and weapons right away. To survive, players must watch their hunger levels and kill animals -- everything from sharks to elephants -- to eat meat, or they start to get sick and die. To build a building, players tap where they want to place a block and begin to build. As players move through the world, they collect things such as wood, precious stones, electric elements, and more to help them throughout the rest of the game. Players can build multiple worlds and share them or keep them private. There's no authorized multiplayer mode at the time of review.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (3 ):

Though it's a lot like Minecraft, this app may strike some kids as more suspenseful and scary and more focused on survival. Though there's a creative mode without threats and Minecraft has its own share of threats and enemies, this sandbox adventure seems to have even more realistic bad guys. It's generally OK for kids who aren't scared by herds of animals stampeding their character or sharks circling -- and sometimes eating -- him (there's only a male character). For younger kids, single-player/creative mode is the best because they can explore and craft without violence or roaming around older players' creations. In the Community Content area, it's anyone's guess as to what kids will find, and some of it has been found to be overtly violent, sexual, or both -- definitely not for kids. Though there's a setting to block access to this area, it isn't locked with a parent password, so kids can simply change it back. Also, gameplay isn't as smooth here as it is on Minecraft: The controls are much more difficult to use and can be clunky and slow. On the other hand, there are more tools for building in Survivalcraft than Minecraft, which can be a plus. For teens and adults, the differences may be a matter of taste, but for younger players, single-player Minecraft may be a better bet.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about your family's rules about online servers and content created by other people (potentially adults). Discuss what to do if your kid is allowed to view Community Content on this game and comes across inappropriate content.

  • Discuss the difference between suspense and spookiness vs. cruel and gratuitous violence.

  • Talk about what kids can learn from this type of game. What types of creativity and problem-solving does you kids use while playing?

App Details

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