Summary

  • The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct offers a canon prequel starring Daryl Dixon and has FPS mechanics that allow players to fight Walkers head-on.
  • Overkill's The Walking Dead has unique characters with special skills for team play, but suffers from glitches, poor matchmaking, and long loading times.
  • T he Walking Dead: Onslaught allows players to kill Walkers in VR with realistic-feeling guns, but lacks the gritty narrative charm and the gameplay can feel repetitive.

With The Walking Dead showing a visceral and raw take on how humans would try to outlast the living dead, the evolving stories of Rick and Carl Grimes, Michonne, Negan, and the rest of the survivors have met recreations and even alternate takes on various media outside the series - especially video games. It’s thanks to The Walking Dead video games that fans can get better insights into the world of the show through the lens of other characters, and there are bound to be games that outshine the rest.

character development the walking dead
The Walking Dead: 10 Characters With The Most Character Development

In a zombie-infested world, evolution is key. The Walking Dead's characters are constantly changing, but which ones have had the most development?

As such, for both the newcomer and veteran The Walking Dead fan, just how would each game from the series fare in terms of their overall performance?

Updated on October 23, 2023, by Rhenn Taguiam: With The Walking Dead: Dead City and Daryl Dixon exploring the future of the franchise from Maggie and Negan in Manhattan and Daryl in France, fans of the acclaimed post-apocalyptic zombie series may be interested in experiencing their trials for themselves - at least in the form of video games. While The Walking Dead franchise has had its fair share of strong and underwhelming titles, fans who want to explore this dimension of the series may want to look into certain advantages and disadvantages of getting into certain TWD games. In this regard, aside from the Telltale titles, certain The Walking Dead games are surprisingly must-try entries for the hardcore Walker fan.

14 The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct (2013)

Walking Dead Survival Instinct

Platforms: PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360

Fans of The Walking Dead who always wanted to hold Daryl Dixon’s crossbow can finally get the opportunity to blast walkers to oblivion in The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct. Unlike other games that feature the series’ protagonists, Survival Instinct is canon to the current story and is actually a prequel to the series.

The game focuses on siblings Daryl and Merle Dixon as they journey from Georgia to Atlanta, where series protagonist Rick Grimes will eventually meet them. Aside from being a typical FPS, the game offers a survival component where Daryl has to take note of how much fuel, ammo, and food he has. Unfortunately, the intriguing plot of the game isn’t enough to save it from the abysmal FPS gameplay.

Pros

Cons
  • A prequel starring Daryl expands The Walking Dead narrative
  • FPS mechanics give players a chance to fight Walkers head-on like the characters in the series

  • Bad enemy AI can make missions dull and uneventful
  • Resource management has potential, but the game just solves problems for players if they run out
  • The cast of NPC Companions can be one-dimensional, providing barely any reason to be invested in them

13 Overkill’s The Walking Dead (2018)

Overkills the Walking Dead

Platforms: PC

While creating a co-op zombie survival game is a perfectly reasonable next step for The Walking Dead franchise, the popularity of series such as Resident Evil and even Left 4 Dead makes it hard for a TWD game to stand out. Overkill Software attempted this with Overkill’s The Walking Dead, where players control characters Maya, Aidan, Grant, and Heather as they work together to outwit and outlast zombies with their unique set of skills.

The game is a must-try for its lore and interesting fighting mechanics, but its presence remains a source of frustration for fans. Unfortunately, the game received poor reception due to its glitches, low graphics, poor matchmaking, long loading times, and even its odd difficulty spikes.

Pros

Cons
  • Characters have unique skills to enhance team play
  • Resource management element can enhance the tower defense format of the title
  • Noise-based Horde Meter encourages players to explore various weapon types

  • The lack of solid narrative is a step away from the appeal of The Walking Dead series
  • The resource management component is lackluster
  • Co-op doesn’t have voice chat, severely limiting multiplayer options
  • Prolonged loading times can ruin the fun of matches

12 The Walking Dead: Onslaught (2020)

The Walking Dead Onslaught

Platforms: PC, PS4, VR

Fans who want to take The Walking Dead experience and see it with their own eyes might want to give The Walking Dead: Onslaught a shot. In this VR title, players get to play as various characters from the series as they encounter individual struggles similar to the ones they experienced in the series.

Compared to Saints & Sinners, however, Onslaught didn’t get to match the same VR experience as the title. If anything, Onslaught is a must-play for the performances of the cast, but its story and approach aren’t that far from a typical fan fiction entry.

Pros

Cons
  • Killing Walkers in VR can be fun with the variety of attack options
  • Guns feel realistic to shoot, making the game fun for VR shooter fans
  • The mini resource management component for Alexandria adds variety to the gameplay

  • Extreme action-oriented title lacks the gritty narrative charm of The Walking Dead
  • Gameplay loop, especially when unlocking the Main Story, can make the game feel repetitive
  • The lack of challenging gameplay can make surviving hordes of zombies dull

11 The Escapists’ The Walking Dead (2015)

Escapists the Walking Dead

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One

Coming from The Escapists strategy game, The Escapists’ The Walking Dead is a light-hearted yet zombie-filled puzzle experience. Taking cues from the original The Escapists, the game is a strategic take on the prison escape formula where players need to use various items around the map to find the most viable exit point for a stage.

In The Escapists’ The Walking Dead, players instead take the role of survivors as they navigate level after level as they escape hordes of zombies on their way. Despite the light-hearted take and the totally different “mood” compared to the rest of the series, The Escapists’ The Walking Dead seems abit too ordinary to wow gamers.

Pros

Cons
  • Solving areas in puzzles while loosely telling the story of the TV Show fits the game’s format
  • Sandbox nature gives players freedom to “enjoy” this mini-The Walking Dead world, especially when it comes to securing their compound

  • Lighthearted graphics leave much to be desired in terms of visuals
  • The lack of heavy combat mechanics does miss the mark on zombie action

10 The Walking Dead: Road To Survival (2015)

Walking Dead Road To Survival

Platforms: Android, iOS

One of the more “ordinary” games in the franchise, The Walking Dead: Road To Survival is a 2D tactics game more akin to the lines of Marvel: Avengers Alliance, where players take the role of various characters in side-scrolling tactical fights against enemies. In Road To Survival, players do the same - “collect” characters and fight against both zombies and hostile human groups in a simple tactical title.

However, what perhaps makes Road To Survival stand out compared to other games is how it allows players to acquire and create teams from characters who are also from the novels, comics, and even the Telltale series. Unfortunately, the game’s simplistic gameplay doesn’t make it as attractive compared to other titles.

Pros

Cons
  • Top-down isometric visuals give a unique larger-scale look at the world not always present in the series
  • Icon-clicking combat can finish fights quickly, helping players make progress in the gameplay loop faster
  • Base-building mechanics make the game more accessible to players

  • Mechanics are too similar to other base-builders that only the zombies see its unique element
  • RPG component is lackluster in terms of customization and progression

9 Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead (2020)

Bridge Constructor The Walking Dead

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android

Taking cues from a “game within a game” spinoff, Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead adds crazy physics to the zombie-filled franchise. Whereas Bridge Constructor needs players to aid various vehicles traversing a ravine through properly constructed bridges that follow physics, The Walking Dead iteration needs players not just to aid survivors crossing ravines but also to make sure walkers aren’t there to follow them.

top sad deaths the walking dead
The Walking Dead: 11 Saddest Deaths In The Series, Ranked

The Walking Dead and its cast of characters are no strangers to tragedy; any have died along the way, but some deaths were much sadder than others.

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As such, aside from creating bridges for survivors, this Bridge Constructor installment allows players to use baits, explosives, and objects to ensure that walkers are permanently dead on their tracks. Sadly, the humorous nature of the game doesn’t add a lot of value to a fan’s love of the franchise.

Pros

Cons
  • Building bridges to escape a horde of Walkers fit The Walking Dead’s premise
  • Post-apocalyptic graphics are a change of pace from the original Bridge Constructor games

  • The lack of action gameplay misses the trademark violence in The Walking Dead
  • Nothing noteworthy from a zombie game standpoint aside from the title, as the game is purely about creating bridges

8 The Walking Dead: Our World (2013)

Walking Dead Our World

Platforms: iOS, Android

Players who love augmented reality (AR) experiences like the ones in Pokemon GO will appreciate being transported into the world of The Walking Dead from the perspective of their mobile phones. In The Walking Dead: Our World, players take on the role of survivors as they fight walkers and survive the series’ harsh post-apocalyptic landscape by exploring their surroundings and leaving their marks for players to find.

The game allows players to have single-rounded Encounters against walkers, multi-round Infestations, and other modes. Fans who love walking around will have a lot to do in Our World, but not much else to those who love a more casual, sitting-down experience.

Pros

Cons
  • Straightforward FPS gameplay can make the game more enjoyable for casual The Walking Dead fans
  • Challenges are fairly straightforward and encourage players to explore both the game’s mechanics and roster of characters

  • The game can be played in a single location, with moving around only an option unlike in other games like Pokemon GO
  • AR aspect of the game tends to be buggy, making the base version of the game the more optimal way to play

7 Michonne: The Walking Dead (2016)

Michonne The Walking Dead

Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, iOS, Android

Of all characters in The Walking Dead, it’s katana-toting Michonne Hawthorne that serves as the definitive icon of badass in the series. However, Michonne: The Walking Dead from Telltale Games proves that there’s more to Michonne than meets the eye, and it’s her past experiences that forged her into a warrior of today’s zombie outbreak.

While fans love the way the game finally deep-dives into Michonne’s motivations in the past and the forces that drive her, the chapters in her game add up to be yet another misery-fest that doesn’t do anything but just subject Michonne’s character to further suffering. While others justify that these contributed to her character development, the bleakness of the story just adds a whole lot of gray to the already-middling reception of the show’s more recent episodes.

Pros

Cons
  • Michonne’s independence is explored greatly in the story, improving a fan’s relationship in the character
  • Death is handled well in the game, making each choice meaningful

  • Certain characters tend to be archetypal, making some chapters predictable for Telltale savants
  • Some choices tend to lead to the same conclusion, making them lose their value at times

6 The Walking Dead: A New Frontier (2016)

The Walking Dead A New Frontier

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, iOS, Android

After Clementine’s adventures in the original Telltale experience, here comes another episodic adventure title from Telltale, this time with The Walking Dead: A New Frontier starring Javier “Javi” Garcia. While Clementine returns as a companion, it’s through Javi’s eyes that much of the game is told. Javi must work together with Clementine to save their families from the New Frontier, a seemingly-benevolent group with sinister intentions.

underrated walking dead characters
The Walking Dead: 10 Underrated Side-Characters

Everyone watching The Walking Dead knows Daryl Dixon and Rick Grimes but there are some fantastic side characters that deserve more attention.

Taking cues from the original Telltale series, Javi now serves as the younger companion of an older Clementine and once again has players decide on difficult choices to ensure the survival of their families. Unfortunately, A New Frontier just doesn’t live up to the sophistication of the original series.

Pros

Cons
  • Improved cinematography helped make QTEs more impactful whenever they arrive
  • A larger family unit navigating post-apocalyptic politics is a fresh take on The Walking Dead concepts

  • Aging Telltale tech is showing on overall graphics
  • The expanded cast has transformed some of its members into archetypes
  • The game may experience bugs that don’t always carry over decisions from one episode to the next

5 The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land (2015)

Walking Dead No Mans Land

Platforms: iOS, Android

Fans of zombie games would’ve likely encountered a game where characters have to barricade their base, venture on quests, and collect both resources and other characters. However, what better franchise to have a base-management game than The Walking Dead? And this is exactly what The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land does.

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In this base management game, players have to collect resources and fortify their base against zombies, all the while rescuing survivors, doing quests, and augmenting their arsenal. Fans who want to get immersed in the world of The Walking Dead without being railroaded into getting involved with Rick and the show’s survivors will appreciate No Man’s Land.

Pros

Cons
  • Tactical turn-based RPG format provides a more strategic take on the franchise
  • Base-building mechanics give a more realistic take on creating a settlement

  • Difficulty spikes in some stages can halt the overall progression of the game
  • Specific upgrades tie into in-game purchases
  • The timer-based system can heavily pause some aspects of the game