Rebuild 3 is arguably one of the best 4X strategy games on mobile. It takes the zombie apocalypse trope and focuses on what actually matters: community, politics, and survival. You aren't just clicking heads; you're deciding who gets the last of the food and how to negotiate with the cannibalistic 'Rievers' next door.
The depth of the simulation is incredible. Every survivor has a name, a backstory, and a set of skills that grow over time. Managing your territory—slowly reclaiming a city block by block—feels rewarding and tense. The 'Gangs of Deadsville' expansion adds a layers of faction diplomacy that makes the world feel lived-in and dangerous. It's a game of tough choices where 'good' outcomes are rare, but survival is sweet.
Finally, a game for adults. Rebuild 3 isn't just about clicking on zombies; it's about the logistics of the apocalypse. You have to decide if you’re going to be a peaceful farming community or a warlike gang. I love the complexity of the survivor management. Each person has stats and a backstory, and when they die because you sent them to scavenge without enough backup, it actually stings. That’s good writing.
The 'Gangs' part of the title adds a much-needed layer of political strategy. Dealing with the other factions feels like a simplified 'Civilization.' The interface is a bit cluttered, which is typical for a port from PC, and it can be hard to tap the right building on a small phone screen. But the depth is undeniable. It’s a slow-burn game. You won't finish a session in five minutes. It requires planning and foresight—things that are sorely lacking in 99% of the App Store. It’s a bit expensive for a mobile game, but for once, you actually get what you pay for.
Performance: Loading times can be long on older devices; UI scaling is better on iPad.
Buy if: You want a serious strategy game that respects your intelligence.
Skip if: You want fast-paced action or high-end 3D graphics.
Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod
Version 1.6.37Wed Dec 23 2020
Support for new devices.
Prevent notch from blocking menu elements in iPhone 11+
It's been a few years since the zombpocalypse turned the world's cities into graveyards and sent the few survivors into hiding. Now you must gather them up and restore civilization to a ruined city, one building at a time.
Rebuild 3 is a strategy sim game with a good helping of narrative and dark humor. It's a thoughtful game that'll make you fond of your survivors before you send them to their deaths for the greater good. As you expand your fort to new buildings, you'll decide between farms or fortifications, housing or hospitals, and make tough decisions to fend off raiders, illness, starvation, and madness. And the dead are still out there wandering the streets, hungrier than ever.
This sequel to the "unputdownable" Rebuild Mobile (aka Rebuild 2) is much MUCH bigger. Just check out these features:
- 4X style strategy and city (re)building
- Endless replayability with randomized cities and events
- Survivors with individual skills, perks, relationships, and stories
- Rival NPC forts with their own agendas, friendly or otherwise
- Campaign Mode, a journey through cities of increasing size and difficulty
- Strategic fort defense and interactive attacks
- Play in either real-time or turn-based mode
- 5 skills: defense, leadership, scavenging, building, engineering
- 10 resources and one-use items to find or craft
- 30 missions: scavenge for food, kill zombies, farm, fish, trade, bartend...
- 35 node research tree
- 50 building types with unique uses and/or scavengeable resources
- 70 types of equipment to find
- 100 survivor perks: Melee Training, Green Thumb, Light Sleeper...
- 200,000 words of event text - enough to fill two novels
Requires iOS 9.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.It's been a few years since the zombpocalypse turned the world's cities into graveyards and sent the few survivors into hiding. Now you must gather them up and restore civilization to a ruined city, one building at a time.
Rebuild 3 is a strategy sim game with a good helping of narrative and dark humor. It's a thoughtful game that'll make you fond of your survivors before you send them to their deaths for the greater good. As you expand your fort to new buildings, you'll decide between farms or fortifications, housing or hospitals, and make tough decisions to fend off raiders, illness, starvation, and madness. And the dead are still out there wandering the streets, hungrier than ever.
This sequel to the "unputdownable" Rebuild Mobile (aka Rebuild 2) is much MUCH bigger. Just check out these features:
- 4X style strategy and city (re)building
- Endless replayability with randomized cities and events
- Survivors with individual skills, perks, relationships, and stories
- Rival NPC forts with their own agendas, friendly or otherwise
- Campaign Mode, a journey through cities of increasing size and difficulty
- Strategic fort defense and interactive attacks
- Play in either real-time or turn-based mode
- 5 skills: defense, leadership, scavenging, building, engineering
- 10 resources and one-use items to find or craft
- 30 missions: scavenge for food, kill zombies, farm, fish, trade, bartend...
- 35 node research tree
- 50 building types with unique uses and/or scavengeable resources
- 70 types of equipment to find
- 100 survivor perks: Melee Training, Green Thumb, Light Sleeper...
- 200,000 words of event text - enough to fill two novels










Rebuild 3: Gangs of Deadsville is a strategy sim where you lead a group of survivors through a zombie-infested world. You must manage resources, research new technologies, and expand your territory while navigating complex social interactions with other factions. With a branching storyline and randomized cities, every playthrough offers a unique challenge in leadership and survival.
4X Strategy Gameplay
Randomized Cities
Deep Perk & Skill System
Campaign and Sandbox Modes
Always send your survivors in pairs or groups. A lone scavenger is far more likely to get injured or turned, regardless of their skill level.
Although the tide has subsided a bit, it's still pretty hard not to bump into a few zombies when playing video games or watching TV shows.
TouchArcade - Sun Apr 02 2017
I found myself rather taken with a little flash game that I played on Kongergate a few years ago called Rebuild ("Rebuild, A Game About...
PopMatters - Fri Dec 02 2016
These are the best zombie games to sink your teeth into in the year 2024.
Android Police - Mon Jun 02 2025
From Project Zomboid to Plants vs. Zombies, there are plenty of zombie games to check out of the 2D variety.
Game Rant - Wed Jul 02 2025
The mobile market is actually larger than simple games Sunday players; it's also advanced strategies for enthusiasts.
Gamepressure.com - Tue Nov 02 2021
Rebuild 3: Gangs of Deadsville is a city builder, that takes place after the zombie apocalypse. Now it's up to you to take back the streets...
Droid Gamers - Sun May 02 2021
Don't rush into wars. Trading with other gangs is often more sustainable than fighting them, at least until you have a fortified army.
Yes, from 'Easy' for a relaxed city-building experience to 'Impossible' for hardcore survivalists.