The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct is a first-person shooter video game developed by Terminal Reality and published by Activision. It is based on The Walking Dead television series, in contrast to the video game by Telltale Games, which is based on the comics.[5] The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct acts as a prequel to the TV Series; it is set in the Georgia countryside and focuses on Daryl and Merle Dixon as they make their way to Atlanta during the early days of the zombie apocalypse.

The player assumes the role of Daryl Dixon, who can either fight the walkers or stealthily sneak past them. As he travels, he meets other survivors, who can either help or leave. He will have to be cautious of how much fuel, ammo and food he has, and think very strategically of who and how many he chooses to take in to his group. When he travels, he can either choose to take the highway, and save fuel, or take the small roads, where he will be able to scavenge from small villages.