As someone who grew up on flash games many years ago, I frequently ran into horde survival typing games. These were often as simple typing words that slowly moved toward my character. Which could be moving enemies or just words and nothing more. Nowadays we have more creative takes on typing games and I put together a list to highlight them.
At the time of publishing this list, not all games have been released yet. But, they may have a demo for you to try if you check each Steam page. That aside, the games below aren’t listed in any particular order. And if you think a game should be included in this list, feel free to leave a comment below for us!
Cryptmaster
| Steam Store Page | https://store.steampowered.com/app/1885110/Cryptmaster/ |
| Developer / Publisher | Paul Hart, Lee Williams, Akupara Games / Akupara Games |
| Release Date | May 9, 2024 |
Cryptmaster is a dungeon adventure game full of personality. As you explore, the Cryptmaster will guide you while making comments about everything you do. This leads to funny and interesting situations when you push their buttons by typing random words. Especially when trying to figure out what an unknown item or creature is by using their senses. You can ask the Cryptmaster to lick an item or smell it to try and unravel the mystery.
Typecast
| Steam Store Page | https://store.steampowered.com/app/2536650/TYPECAST/ |
| Developer / Publisher | Gutter Arcade, Official Electric |
| Release Date | November 7, 2023 |
Typecast is a cool twist on typing games where you don’t have to type long words for once. This can make it so this arcadey action game is a more approachable experience. Even though the chaotic action can still be tough to keep up with at times. Fortunately, the developer has some useful difficulty settings to help customize your playthrough. We gave it an 8.5 out of 10 in our review.
This can make it a more approachable experience. Even though the chaotic action can still be tough to keep up with. Fortunately, the developer has some useful difficulty settings to help you out.
Epistory – Typing Chronicles
| Steam Store Page | https://store.steampowered.com/app/398850/Epistory__Typing_Chronicles/ |
| Developer / Publisher | Fishing Cactus / PID Games |
| Release Date | May 30, 2016 |
Epistory – Typing Chronicles is an adventure game that follows a girl riding a giant fox. You’ll come across many different objects and creatures to interact with via typing. As you make progress, the narrator tells a story. Epistory gives off a Bastion vibe since the world builds itself as you explore. One interesting bit about the difficulty is that it’s supposedly adaptive and adjusts based on your typing skill.
Glyphica: Typing Survival
| Steam Store Page | https://store.steampowered.com/app/2400160/Glyphica_Typing_Survival/ |
| Developer / Publisher | aliasBLACK / Squeaky Wheel |
| Release Date | Q3 2024 |
Glyphica: Typing Survival reminds me of the many flash typing games I’ve played but it’s much deeper. While you’re still shooting incoming words, it feels more like a Vampire Survivors game. As you level up you’ll unlock new abilities alongside passive upgrades too. This can be a giant spinning blade or a bunch of little drones that chase enemy words. Alongside the many abilities, there are also unique enemies to deal with too. Glyphica was highlighted in our video on the June 2024 Steam Next Fest.
Blood Typers
| Steam Store Page | https://store.steampowered.com/app/2790330/Blood_Typers/ |
| Developer / Publisher | Outer Brain Studios |
| Release Date | Unknown |
Blood Typers is a unique survival horror game that revolves around typing. And to make things even better, it’s multiplayer too. While it isn’t out yet, I played the demo with my brother and it works relatively well. You can type words along the floor to move while typing words on enemies to take them out. As you make your way through the cursed film studio, you’ll find new weapons and collectibles to try and escape.
The Typing of the Dead: Overkill
| Steam Store Page | https://store.steampowered.com/app/246580/The_Typing_of_The_Dead_Overkill/ |
| Developer / Publisher | Modern Dream / SEGA |
| Release Date | October 29, 2013 |
I grew up on The House of the Dead so seeing a typing game for it is a neat idea even if it’s dated at this point. Unfortunately, you probably won’t get many of the silly references made throughout the game anymore. But, it is still comical to see a sprinting zombie with UNICORNS in all caps. Or even just short sentences that perfectly represent the chaos, “Too Many Enemies”. All that aside, the gameplay and story make for a grindhouse vibe.
Touch Type Tale
| Steam Store Page | https://store.steampowered.com/app/909470/Touch_Type_Tale__Strategic_Typing/ |
| Developer / Publisher | Pumpernickel Studio / Epic Games Publishing, Mythwright |
| Release Date | March 3, 2023 |
I haven’t tried Touch Type Tale but it looks like a neat typing game RTS. While it isn’t available yet on Steam, it was originally released in March 2023 on the Epic Games Store. Touch Typer Tale revolves around typing to generate resources, hire workers, and command your troops.
Nanotale – Typing Chronicles
| Steam Store Page | https://store.steampowered.com/app/944920/Nanotale__Typing_Chronicles/ |
| Developer / Publisher | Fishing Cactus / PID Games, 2PGames |
| Release Date | March 31, 2021 |
Nanotale is a good follow-up to Epistory that plays similarly. It’s an adventure game where you’ll learn more about your world by typing near plants and facing hostile creatures. As you get deeper you’ll unlock spells that function as cool modifiers to your attacks and abilities. Like creating a large ray that pushes creatures away. This works well for fighting enemies as well as clearing a path.
Outshine
| Steam Store Page | https://store.steampowered.com/app/1288410/Outshine/ |
| Developer / Publisher | Fishing Cactus / PID Games |
| Release Date | November 3, 2022 |
Outshine is what Audiosurf would be if it were a typing game. Fishing Cactus already has a few games on this list and there’s a reason for it, they create fun typing games. In this one, you’ll run along a path typing away incoming enemies. While also using a few different abilities to survive. It can get a little chaotic at times trying to dodge enemies as you strafe across lanes. But there are many difficulty choices to suit your experience.
Be sure to let us know in the comments if you try any of these typing games. I’d love to hear what you think of them even if you’ve already played them before!
Jeff is a journalist with over 10 years of experience writing, streaming, and making content about video games. With an associate degree in journalism, he’s a sucker for RPGs, survival games, roguelikes, and more.