Don't Starve: Pocket Edition is a phenomenal port of one of the best survival games ever made. The Tim Burton-esque art style is still hauntingly beautiful, and the uncompromising difficulty is perfectly intact. Managing your hunger, health, and sanity is a constant, stressful juggle that makes every survived day feel like a victory.
The touch controls are surprisingly competent, though they take a bit of practice for combat. What I love most is the sense of discovery—experimenting with the 'Science Machine' to see what weird tools you can build is the heart of the game. It’s a deep, dark, and endlessly replayable survival sandbox that fits perfectly on mobile.
Dinsun here. I’ve seen my share of survival titles, and Don't Starve is one of the more respectable ones, though the mobile 'Pocket Edition' tag is a bit of a mixed bag. The core loop of gathering, crafting, and trying not to lose your mind in the dark is as solid as it was on PC. It’s a game that doesn't hold your hand, which I appreciate in an era of over-tutorialized fluff. You learn by dying, and you will die often.
However, translating these precise controls to a touch screen is where the frustration sets in. Managing an inventory and kitting out enemies requires a finesse that virtual joysticks just can't provide. It’s an atmospheric masterpiece with a fantastic soundtrack, but it feels like a chore on a small screen after an hour. It’s deep and complex, but the hardware limitations keep it from being the definitive way to play.
Performance: Occasional frame drops when many entities are on screen; UI elements can feel small on iPhones.
Buy if: You enjoy high-stakes survival games and don't mind starting from scratch after a mistake.
Skip if: You get frustrated by difficult controls or games that provide zero direction.
Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod
Version 1.47Wed Jun 29 2022
-Fixed issue where the UI stopped responding after using the inventory.
***NOTE: Don't Starve requires iOS 8 and at least an iPhone 5, iPad 3, or iPad mini 2. Due to memory constraints, it will not run on older devices.***
Don’t Starve: Pocket Edition, brings the hit PC game enjoyed by over 4 million players to the iPhone and iPad. Now you can experience the uncompromising wilderness survival game full of science and magic on the go!
Play as Wilson, an intrepid Gentleman Scientist who has been trapped and transported to a mysterious wilderness world. Wilson must learn to exploit his environment and its inhabitants if he ever hopes to escape and find his way back home.
Enter a strange and unexplored world full of strange creatures, dangers, and surprises. Gather resources to craft items and structures that match your survival style. Play your way as you unravel the mysteries of this strange land.
********************************************************
Awards:
- Independent Games Festival: Grand Prize Nominee
- Independent Games Festival: Excellence in Design Nominee
- Independent Games Festival: Audience Award Nominee
- Capsule Computers: Editor’s Choice
- Indie Game Reviewer: Game of the Year
Key Features:
Optimized for Touch: New intuitive touch interface lets you explore, fight, craft and manage inventory with ease.
Uncompromising Survival & World Exploration: No instructions. No help. No hand holding. Start with nothing and craft, hunt, research, farm and fight to survive.
Dark and Whimsical Visuals: 2D characters and odd creatures inhabiting a unique 3D world.
Randomly Generated New Worlds: Want a new map? No problem! At any time you can generate a new living and breathing world that hates you and wants you to die.
Requires iOS 13.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.***NOTE: Don't Starve requires iOS 8 and at least an iPhone 5, iPad 3, or iPad mini 2. Due to memory constraints, it will not run on older devices.***
Don’t Starve: Pocket Edition, brings the hit PC game enjoyed by over 4 million players to the iPhone and iPad. Now you can experience the uncompromising wilderness survival game full of science and magic on the go!
Play as Wilson, an intrepid Gentleman Scientist who has been trapped and transported to a mysterious wilderness world. Wilson must learn to exploit his environment and its inhabitants if he ever hopes to escape and find his way back home.
Enter a strange and unexplored world full of strange creatures, dangers, and surprises. Gather resources to craft items and structures that match your survival style. Play your way as you unravel the mysteries of this strange land.
********************************************************
Awards:
- Independent Games Festival: Grand Prize Nominee
- Independent Games Festival: Excellence in Design Nominee
- Independent Games Festival: Audience Award Nominee
- Capsule Computers: Editor’s Choice
- Indie Game Reviewer: Game of the Year
Key Features:
Optimized for Touch: New intuitive touch interface lets you explore, fight, craft and manage inventory with ease.
Uncompromising Survival & World Exploration: No instructions. No help. No hand holding. Start with nothing and craft, hunt, research, farm and fight to survive.
Dark and Whimsical Visuals: 2D characters and odd creatures inhabiting a unique 3D world.
Randomly Generated New Worlds: Want a new map? No problem! At any time you can generate a new living and breathing world that hates you and wants you to die.









Don't Starve: Pocket Edition brings the hit PC game to your mobile device. Play as Wilson, an intrepid Gentleman Scientist who has been trapped by a demon and transported to a mysterious wilderness world. You must learn to exploit your environment and its inhabitants if you ever hope to escape and find your way back home. With no instructions and no help, you must craft, hunt, farm, and fight to stay alive while maintaining your sanity in a world that wants to eat you.
Uncompromising survival and exploration
Unique hand-drawn gothic 2D art style
Deep crafting system and tech progression
Randomly generated worlds for every play
Includes the 'Reign of Giants' expansion content
Your absolute priority is light. As soon as the sun goes down, Charlie will attack you in the dark. Gather grass and twigs immediately to craft a torch or a campfire before dusk ends. Spend your first day gathering flint and wood to build basic tools.
Essential resource for crafting recipes and mob stats.
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Hunger is obvious, but don't ignore Sanity. Being out in the rain or staying in the dark for too long will make Wilson start seeing hallucinations. Pick flowers or wear a top hat to boost your sanity and keep the nightmare creatures at bay.
Yes, standard play features permadeath. If you die, your world is lost unless you have found specific magical items like a Meat Effigy or Touch Stone.