XenoShyft in IOS

Strategy

Walkthrough, Guilds, Tips on this special game

Our Site Score

85/100

Xenoshyft brings a brutal, high-fidelity deck-building experience to mobile that captures the claustrophobic dread of sci-fi horror. Unlike many deck-builders that focus on a slow build-up, Xenoshyft throws you into the meat grinder immediately. You aren't just building a deck; you are managing a squad of soldiers and equipping them with advanced weaponry to survive waves of nightmarish hive-mind aliens. The tactical depth is immense, as you must decide whether to invest in stronger troops or immediate utility items like grenades and med-kits.

The game's difficulty is notorious, but it feels earned. Every decision—from how you position your troops in the lane to which division you choose to specialize in—carries weight. The art style is gritty and detailed, effectively conveying the grim atmosphere of a doomed mining colony. While the learning curve is steep, the satisfaction of surviving a final wave with a sliver of base health remaining is unmatched in the genre. It's a must-play for hardcore strategy fans who enjoy a challenge that doesn't hold their hand.

Reviewed on: Fri Feb 27 2026
Dinsun Avatar

Dinsun Review

XenoShyft is for people who enjoy being kicked in the teeth by RNG. It’s a brutal defense game where you’re constantly under-equipped for the horrors coming your way. I like the base mechanics—the lane-based combat is a nice twist on deck-builders. However, the app itself feels like a port done on a budget. On a phone screen, the text is minuscule, and the UI is a mess of overlapping cards. It’s much better on an iPad, but even then, the lack of an undo button in a game this precise is a massive oversight. It’s a good game buried under a mediocre app implementation.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

  • Deep strategy
  • Excellent artwork
  • Challenging co-op
  • Poor UI for mobile
  • High luck factor
  • No undo button

Technical Report

Performance: Occasional crashes when loading multiplayer lobbies.

Accessibility:

    Audience Fit

    Buy if: You love the physical board game and want a solo way to play.

    Skip if: You have a small phone screen or hate losing to bad card draws.

    Similar Games:
    • Sentinels of the Multiverse
    • Star Realms

    Reviewer Context

    • Reviewer: Dinsun
    • Hardware: iPad Pro
    • Playtime: 8 hours
    • Status: Won 2 out of 10 matches

    The Game

    Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

    Version 2.2.2Wed Apr 03 2019

    Discover the new expansion and embrace the Forbidden Sciences!


    The hit Kickstarter boardgame, now available on mobile!

    IMPORTANT: This app requires iPhone 5 or newer, iPad 3 or newer, iPad Mini

    or iPod Touch 5th generation or newer!

    Defend against waves of horrific aliens in this beautifully illustrated, base defense, deck-building game for 1 to 4 players!

    "One of the most fun co-op games I have played in a long time!" - Tom Vasel (The Dice Tower)

    "The enemies are just monstrous and difficult!" - Rodney Smith (Watch it Played)

    In XenoShyft Onslaught players take on the role of a commander in the NorTec Corporation. You're tasked with defending your division of the NorTec base as wave after wave of horrific aliens attempt to destroy the base and end NorTec's strip mining operation.

    Gameplay Features

    1 - 4 players - Single player compatible, fully cooperative gameplay.

    Strong focus on coordination and strategic planning - to overcome the game's intense difficulty players will need to work together.

    Base-Defense with deck-building elements

    Incredible art - Illustrated by three amazing artists, XenoShyft features beautiful and consistent art. All of which creates one cohesive and frightening universe.

    Inventive and exciting armor and weapon upgrade cards - You'll need to outfit your troops with the best equipment if you hope to survive.

    Xenoshyft is a game for 1-4 players, with each player controlling one of the divisions of the Nortec military: The Science Labs, Med Bay, Armory, Weapon's Research, Barracks and Command Center. Each of these divisions represents one part of the overall Nortec base, and it is your job as Commander of these divisions to protect the base while its field operations are completed.

    You and your teammates will have to work together to survive the continuous onslaught of powerful alien threats and horrors – the goal of the mission is not to wipe out these threats, it is merely to outlast them!

    Survive through nine rounds of combat with these horrors and the base will have succeeded in its mission, and you and your allies will have survived to fight another day!


    Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

    Discover the new expansion and embrace the Forbidden Sciences!

    The hit Kickstarter boardgame, now available on mobile!

    IMPORTANT: This app requires iPhone 5 or newer, iPad 3 or newer, iPad Mini

    or iPod Touch 5th generation or newer!

    Defend against waves of horrific aliens in this beautifully illustrated, base defense, deck-building game for 1 to 4 players!

    "One of the most fun co-op games I have played in a long time!" - Tom Vasel (The Dice Tower)

    "The enemies are just monstrous and difficult!" - Rodney Smith (Watch it Played)

    In XenoShyft Onslaught players take on the role of a commander in the NorTec Corporation. You're tasked with defending your division of the NorTec base as wave after wave of horrific aliens attempt to destroy the base and end NorTec's strip mining operation.

    Gameplay Features

    1 - 4 players - Single player compatible, fully cooperative gameplay.

    Strong focus on coordination and strategic planning - to overcome the game's intense difficulty players will need to work together.

    Base-Defense with deck-building elements

    Incredible art - Illustrated by three amazing artists, XenoShyft features beautiful and consistent art. All of which creates one cohesive and frightening universe.

    Inventive and exciting armor and weapon upgrade cards - You'll need to outfit your troops with the best equipment if you hope to survive.

    Xenoshyft is a game for 1-4 players, with each player controlling one of the divisions of the Nortec military: The Science Labs, Med Bay, Armory, Weapon's Research, Barracks and Command Center. Each of these divisions represents one part of the overall Nortec base, and it is your job as Commander of these divisions to protect the base while its field operations are completed.

    You and your teammates will have to work together to survive the continuous onslaught of powerful alien threats and horrors – the goal of the mission is not to wipe out these threats, it is merely to outlast them!

    Survive through nine rounds of combat with these horrors and the base will have succeeded in its mission, and you and your allies will have survived to fight another day!


    Ratings & Reviews

    3.4 out of 5 with 28 Counts
    Age Rating 13+

    Screenshots

    XenoShyft screenshot 1XenoShyft screenshot 2XenoShyft screenshot 3XenoShyft screenshot 4XenoShyft screenshot 5XenoShyft screenshot 6XenoShyft screenshot 7XenoShyft screenshot 8XenoShyft screenshot 9XenoShyft screenshot 10

    XenoShyft is a strategic deck-building game that blends base defense and resource management. Players take on the role of a commander in the Nortek Corporation, tasked with defending their base against waves of horrific alien enemies. By recruiting troops, purchasing equipment, and coordinating tactical strikes, you must survive nine rounds of increasing intensity. The game features deep strategic layers, allowing for specialized divisions and powerful equipment combinations to thwart the Hive's evolution.

    Features

    1

    1-4 player tactical gameplay

    2

    Gory, detailed sci-fi art style

    3

    Deep strategic resource management

    4

    Multiple player divisions with unique perks

    5

    Challenging wave-based progression

    Tips

    Promotion Videos

    XenoShyft Digital Trailer

    Related Videos

    Gameplays

    Q&A

    Yes, XenoShyft supports fully cooperative multiplayer for up to four players.

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