Survival Kids Reviews
Nintendo Switch 2 launch exclusive co-op game Survival Kids is one of the most tedious and repetitive games on the market today.
The experience is usually pretty smooth as a result, but that also means challenge is kept to a minimum. It's an experience with very few highs, but also almost no lows, and as such is perfect for playing with a young relative – or, if you prefer, to play as a relaxing low-stakes adventure by yourself.
Survival Kids is a thoroughly competent, cosy game of cooperative gathering and crafting. It's not much of a looker, and its ideas aren't mind-blowing, but it's all good stuff thanks to its robust controls and easy-to-grasp loop. I'm not sure I'd want to be stuck with it on a desert island, but it's good company for several happy hours with a friend – especially a less experienced gamer. If you plan to get shipwrecked with a little one and giggle your way through it, go ahead and add a point to the score.
Survival Kids is an interesting take on a popular genre, one meant for a much younger audience. At the same time, kids have been growing up on Minecraft for over a decade, so Survival Kids may not be giving the gaming youth enough credit.
While 'Survival' part of the title is clearly wrong, the 'Kids' bit is on the money. Survival Kids is a good option if you're looking for a chill game with a less-experienced partner or your kid when they get home from school. It's a colourful, amusing but altogether simple game that gets pretty samey if you're looking for even a semblance of challenge.
Survival Kids won’t win any awards for being the prettiest or flashiest game exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2 at launch, but it largely succeeds in its goal to offer younger audiences a charming and wholesome family-friendly adventure where working together conquers all.
Survival Kids doesn't take any big risks in its kid-friendly approach to survival games. Yes, it is technically kid-friendly in mood and scope, but that's also underselling the maturity and capability of children playing games. Its level-based approach doesn't evoke a sense of wonder and exciting exploration that its counterparts are known and beloved for. Its tasks are monotonous and very quickly become repetitive, almost as if they're not trusting you to understand the same thing they're teaching and showing you every few minutes. With only nine levels, but with rough pacing in those missions, it's an experience that somehow passes you by in a flash, but also feels like a slog. There's fun to be had if you're with friends in the silly and chaotic gameplay moments, also working together as a refined, well-oiled survival production machine. Still, at the end of the day, Survival Kids isn't all that much of a successful return, remaining hardly a splash in the ocean.
Survival Kids on Switch 2 is a middling game — not because it doesn't follow the template of the Game Boy original exactly, but because it fails to leverage its rules and mechanics in interesting, engaging, and dangerous ways. As it stands now, it's fine for younger and less experienced players, but not ideal for those seeking something more involved, challenging, and long-lasting.
Survival Kids will be a hard sell for long-time fans of the series, especially since it’s the same price as Clair Obscur. If you get it on sale and have children, this is a wonderful and underrated Switch 2 exclusive that’s hard to put down. Its cozy and low-stakes ambiance, combined with fun puzzles, will make it a hit with young gamers.
Survival Kids is a charming co-op romp where players work together to escape island after island. Colourful, gentle and not at all punishing. It's an ideal adventure for a wide range of players, young and old. Survival Kids is a wholesome party tale that can whisk away friends/family for an afternoon of fun on these remote islands.
The challenges are more basic than those found in Paw Patrol games, the replay value is virtually nonexistent, and the core concept feels more rough than many indie titles made with minimal resources and no major publisher backing. This isn’t the Survival Kids revival fans deserved, and it’s unlikely to attract new players to a franchise that deserved so much better.
Your enjoyment of Survival Kids is going to be heavily dependent on your appreciation of difficulty in games. If you want something breezy or you're playing alongside someone who lacks the patience for a typical survival game, then what you'll find is fine for those wanting to get some satisfaction without putting in a ton of effort. However, if you're expecting a game that builds upon the lineage of the series, prepare to be disappointed because those elements have been drastically toned down, leaving you with a very casual experience that lacks any challenge. Unless you've got young kids playing alongside you, this is a title you may want to pass on unless it is marked down.
Survival Kids has the potential to be a gateway for both of my kids, who are still early in their gaming journeys, to more advanced and challenging puzzle, action, and co-op video games. In-game achievements, various fruits, veggies, and fish, and more than two dozen hidden glyphs provide reason to revisit stages over and above earning more stars (which you'll need to unlock some of the end-game content). While veteran players will almost certainly derive more multiplayer enjoyment from Switch 2 launch titles like Split Fiction or Fast Fusion, Survival Kids provides fun for the whole family, and it plays that role to a T.
A light-hearted experience, primarily aimed at younger players, that slips a bit too quickly into repetition.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Survival Kids may just be my new go-to co-op game thanks to its multiplayer-focused elements that really come together beautifully whenever you're playing with a friend. With lovely sights, charming characters, a silly narrator, and spot-on sound effects, it's a treat to watch, too. ⛺
Overall there’s quite a lot of fun to be had with Survival Kids whether it’s solo or with friends. It’s a lot less frustrating than something like Overcooked to play with your significant other, but it’s a bit more of a “game” so it might take them longer to comprehend exactly what to do and how to play, but still a better option for these kinds of relationships than something like Split Fiction.
Survival Kids isn’t trying to reinvent anything—it just wants you to hang out, build stuff, and maybe ride a turtle or two. It’s chill, easy to pick up, and clearly made for friendly co-op.
If you’re hoping for a tough survival challenge, you won’t find it here. But if you’re after a short, puzzle-focused experience you can play alone or with others, Survival Kids fills that role well. It might not hold your attention for long, but it’s a calm, cooperative break from heavier games.
Survival Kids on Nintendo Switch 2 offers a light, family-friendly take on the survival genre. With colorful visuals and co-op support, it delivers a fun but repetitive experience focused on crafting and exploration. Ideal for casual play, especially with friends, though it lacks depth for hardcore fans.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Survival Kids is exactly what it sounds like: a game for kids. It's not reinventing the co-op gaming, but it sails along smoothly thanks to its co-op design and low-stress puzzles. It's definitely best with a buddy or two, especially one who won't lose it when you "accidentally" toss logs off a cliff. A few clunky design choices and some repetitive bits keep it from hitting a higher score, but as a family-friendly adventure, it totally nails its target. You probably won't remember the plot, but you might just crack up thinking about the fifth time your raft went belly-up.