Walking Dead: Survival Instinct

The game is played as a first-person shooter, with an option to avoid confrontations by sneaking around. Many zombies can be taken out silently using stealth melee kills or crossbows. Confrontations that get too close often require brutal melee attacks with various weapons as a quick time event. Each level has a main objective and several optional ones, and they are largely linear in design.

Travelling between locations is done with a vehicle, which the player can choose to drive fast or slow. The route can be determined by the player, but back roads offer more opportunities for plundering supplies. Highways are faster but can cause the vehicle to break down, requiring new parts to be found in mini-missions. New fuel often needs to be found to continue driving. While on a looting mission, other characters can be tasked with finding supplies or waiting by the car.

Characters are managed through menu screens, where the player can review traits, health, equip a weapon, provide a task, and determine the risk of injury. On the Xbox 360, the game uses this feature to manage inventory or play off-screen.

The game's design is largely linear, with each level having a main objective and several optional ones. The player must navigate through the game world, avoiding zombies and finding supplies to progress.