What began as Robert Kirkman’s acclaimed comic series has spread, much like the “Wildfire Virus”, to become a zombie-fueled empire. Rick Grimes and Michonne have returned to the apocalyptic chaos recently in the seriesThe Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, but let’s not forget the catalog of games that spawned from the IP before the spin-off.
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From the AR/VR titles to the critically acclaimedTelltaleseries, the harrowing tales of survivors have accumulated over 10 games within the franchise with enough brain splatter to make Negan flinch. Paying homage to one of the most successful horror properties, here are 10 of the best The Walking Dead games ranked.
4.0 Metacritic Score Cements It To The Bottom
More about The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct:
This single-player ride following the Dixon brothers arrived during the live-action show’s infancy, set in the Georgia countryside as they travel towards Atlanta. The story is considered canon to the television series, and despite channeling the distinct atmosphere of The Walking Dead, problematic features hindered its success.
Boasting the same replayability spirit asCall of Duty,Survival Instinctcaptured the vibe of The Walking Dead through its stealth and survival mechanics, pleasing fans with repetitive zombie bashing. However, frustrating bugs and a below-par story keep this entry at the bottom - Norman Reedus’ crossbow hero deserved better.
The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct
WHERE TO PLAY
9Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead
Poor PC Controls Contribute To A 4.6 Metacritic Rating
More about Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead:
Somebody once pitched the marriage of Bridge Constructor and The Walking Dead. The response? Sure, why not? The challenging puzzle elements of the ClockStone series make sense during a zombie outbreak, where you use the bridges, objects, and explosives around you to take out hordes in creative ways.
Even though Daryl, Michonne, and Eugene make an appearance, the simplicity of this puzzler isn’t for everyone. Discounting one of the worst-reviewed tutorials, the nature of this construction title during the zombie apocalypse adds an interesting spin, and it’s a unique concept to indulge for fans of The Walking Dead brand. Survival Instinct has its pocket of followers, but Bridge Constructor alsoappeals to strategistsand has an original premise on its side, awarding it a higher rank.
Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead
8Overkill’s The Walking Dead
A Slightly Higher 5.2 Metacritic Score For Thrilling Difficulty
More about Overkill’s The Walking Dead:
The design ofOverkill’s The Walking Deadechoes thefailed The Day Before, presenting a grungy, devastated Washington D.C. as the setting this time around. Before this title could be brought to consoles, Skybound Entertainment ended its contract with Starbreeze Studio, which led to the game’s discontinuation.
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Despite receiving an average critics' score, fans developed a soft spot for this forgotten entry but emphasized the importance of playing co-op to get the most out of the content. Slightly underwhelming gun action and repetitive puzzles keep this title in the lower ranks, but the premise is at least much closer to The Walking Dead experience than Bridge Construction.
Overkill’s The Walking Dead
Critics Favored This iOS Title Over Users With A 73 Metacritic Score
More about The Walking Dead: Road To Survival:
The real hook of Road to Survival is its large roster of characters from The Walking Dead franchise. Not only do you have your favorites from the source material - comic-accurate Rick, Negan, and Michonne - but there are also imported protagonists from the Telltale video game series, including Lee and Clementine.
This mobile game shot straight to number one on the iOS App Store when it was released back in 2015 and even drew comparisons to the popular titleClash of Clans. Uninspired mechanics with rinse-and-repeat gameplay failed to get this game into the high ranks, but for the genre it was born into, mobile gamers enjoyed applying their resource management skills to the zombie apocalypse.
The Walking Dead: Road to Survival
A Slightly Higher 4.9 Metacritic User Score For The Companion Game
More about The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land:
The second of three mobile games on this list features another healthy roster of iconic characters, this time based on their appearance from the television series. Battles feature parties of three that you choose from six different classes, but one big downer of this game is the features hidden behind a paywall.
No Man’s Land cashed in on The Walking Dead experience and delivered satisfying cameos for devout fans alongside entertaining weekly missions that were based around the events that happened in the show. As a decent timewaster for zombie fans, this mobile title exists in the shadow of better, more impactful games but takes Road to Survival out of the ranking for its familiarity.
The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land
More about The Walking Dead: Our World:
Similar to the premise of Pokemon Go and Wizards Unite, players were encouraged to walk around their real-world surroundings to encounter and defeat single-round walkers and infestations or to rescue one to three survivors from hordes. Contesting raiders and collecting rewards from safehouses and supply stashes also gave players the incentive to return.
Unfortunately, Our World’s servers shut down in January 2023 despite its four-year run, but the memory of Our World mixing with Kirkman’s deserves a fairly middle ranking on this list. It’s also a much more immersive experience than the confines of a mobile game, which is why this title sits higher than No Man’s Land.
The Walking Dead: Our World
A 7.0 Metacritic Score Proved Fans Loved Stepping Into The Heroes' Shoes In VR
More about The Walking Dead: Onslaught:
Onslaught’s VR gives you a first-hand experience of the zombie apocalypse, where you’ll feel the pressure of mounting hordes. Upgrading player stats, customizing weapons, and trading resources contribute to the plight of survival, and you can even play as Daryl within the title’s original campaign story.
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Existing as one of the better-looking VR games on the market,Onslaughtalso delivers on the gore front backed by immersive world-building and a half-decent story. Since the novelty of Our World wears off fairly fast, Onslaught maintains the entertainment and keeps you engaged, which is why it takes a higher place.
The Walking Dead: Onslaught
3The Escapists: The Walking Dead
Metacritic’s 7.3 User Score Favors Chibi Pixels
More about The Escapists: The Walking Dead:
Now, it’s time for something completely different. The hook of this survival strategy game is the pleasing 8-bit pixel art of the main The Escapists indie game and, of course, the opportunity to play as Rick Grimes. Maggie, Hershel, Glenn, Michonne, and many more join the sheriff’s mission to establish a safe base away from the undead.
There’s no denying this title is the original The Escapists game with The Walking Dead skin, but this repurposed spin-off has entertained a host of fans. The base game already had pleasing strategy mechanics against the retro aesthetic, but the zombified version of the prison-break title plunged fans into the daily grind of being a survivor, and this unique take gets extra points for being an irresistible, cozy affair over Onslaught.
The Escapists: The Walking Dead
An Impressive 8.4 Metacritic Score Promotes This VR Achievement
More about The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners:
Perhaps the most popular The Walking Dead game around these days isSaints & Sinners, the virtual reality first-person shooter where you need to survive the rotting masses once again. “Braining” is the aim of the game to effectively down walkers, and in addition to scaling buildings, you also have access to an arsenal of throwing weapons, bows, and long-range firearms.
Considered to be a must-have VR experience, Saints & Sinners undoubtedly beats Onslaught with added content, mechanics, and modern graphics. This title also has a compelling story to follow, and new content is being added frequently to keep gameplay fresh. When it comes down to an authentic The Walking Dead experience with riveting gameplay, Saints & Sinners beats The Escapists in second place. Check out ourinterviewwith the devs from The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners to delve into the importance of realistic combat and moral choices.
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
With The Highest Metacritic Score Of 8.8, We’ve Found Our Winner
More about The Walking Dead: A Telltale Game Series:
If you’ve followed this list in search of the best The Walking Dead game, Telltale’s four-season story-driven epic is the pinnacle of the source material’s game adaptation. Before you indulge in the three-episode Michonne spin-off and the A New Frontier storyline, the relationship between Lee and Clementine established in season 1 will set the tone and stakes for upcoming episodes.
Packed with emotion, heart-racing action, andpivotal decision-making, Telltale’s series also has a distinct art style that hones the grungy, barbaric qualities of the zombie apocalypse and makes the blood and gore pop. As fun as the Saints & Sinners VR experience is, it has nothing over the raw emotion and narrative weight ofTelltale’s The Walking Deadlegacy.
The Walking Dead The Game
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