Survival Mode

Survival Mode is a game mode which was released in the Downloadable Content from Valve Corporation; the Survival Pack. This game mode throws waves and waves of the Infected at the Survivors until they die. There is no way to really win this through surviving, but instead the goal is to survive as long as you can and set new records.

There are currently thirty-one different maps to play on in Survival Mode, thirty come almost directly from the campaign mode while a new map called The Lighthouse, which was released with the pack, but appears to be attributed with something called The Last Stand. All of the maps have been modified to essentially trap the Survivors into the designated area. Doors have been blocked off, and most choke points such as closets have been removed, leaving the players out in the open. It is possible that, in the future, more maps will be released for the gametype, perhaps filling out the campaigns in entirety.

Regardless of the Left 4 Dead game, Survival Mode is always played on Normal Versus. This means that Tanks will have 6000 health and the stumble effect that Hunters and Jockeys have in Versus will be used.

Left 4 Dead
Each survival match starts with a setup time, allowing time for you and your team to scour the map for useful items. The teams will find health kits, tier 2 weapons, pipe bombs and molotovs, pills, propane tanks, oxygen tanks, and gas cans scattered around the area. Each Survivor holds on to pills, a health kit and dual pistols at a spawn point of each map(before starting the match), right after loading the Survival game. You can take as much time as you want, as the timer at the top of the screen doesn't begin until someone hits the button that alerts the horde. Once the button (typically in the form of whatever the chapter's Crescendo Event is in the campaign) is activated, the action gets off to a furious start and escalates from there.

Left 4 Dead 2
Survival mode gameplay in Left 4 Dead 2 is very much the same related to Left 4 Dead's survival mode. Differences include being given adrenaline, bile jar, new weapons, and having to deal with a wider variety of different special infected. On Dark Carnival's Stadium Entrance, you can also have another way to summon the Horde. Also in Left 4 Dead 2, there is a new mutation mode called "Versus Survival" which is a mix of both Survival, and Versus mode. In Versus, the Survivors' objective is the same as the normal Left 4 Dead 2 Survival Mode, with the added difficulty of player-controlled Special Infected. The teams take turns playing as the Survivors, and the goal is to beat the other team's survival time.

Strategy
As always, teamwork and staying together are necessary for survival. Beyond that, survival strategies vary from map to map and from team to team. It is possible to obtain a Gold Medal achievement by staying in one area of a map, but some may find it more advantageous to move from room to room in order to get more items, ammo and avoid the Tank. Difficulty increases with time as supplies dwindle, and surviving often involves fending off multiple Special Infected and at times, multiple Tanks. As with Versus mode, the melee fatigue cooldown applies. If players have well prepared themselves (e.g hoarding gas cans and propane tanks, special ammo, have a set plan and coordination), they can last for a very long amount of time before being overwhelmed.

Various Special Infected spawn at first with Common Infected. After 42 seconds in-game, a Tank will spawn and attack. There are "grace" times where you will only be facing Special and Common Infected, without a Tank harassing you as much during the first 42 seconds to 5 minutes.

No Mercy

 * The Generator Room
 * The Gas Station
 * The Hospital
 * The Roof Top

Crash Course

 * The Alleys
 * The Truck Depot

Death Toll

 * The Floodgate
 * The Church
 * The Street
 * The Boat House

Dead Air

 * The Crane
 * The Construction Site
 * The Terminal
 * The Runway

Blood Harvest

 * The Warehouse
 * The Bridge
 * The Farmhouse

The Sacrifice

 * Traincar


 * Port Finale

The Last Stand

 * The Lighthouse

Dead Center

 * Mall Atrium

The Passing

 * The Riverbank
 * The Underground
 * The Port

Dark Carnival

 * Motel
 * The Coaster
 * Stadium Gate
 * Concert

Swamp Fever

 * Gator Town
 * The Shantytown
 * The Plantation

Hard Rain

 * Burger Tank
 * Sugar Mill
 * Mill Escape
 * Town Escape

The Parish

 * The Waterfront
 * Bus Depot
 * Bridge

The Sacrifice

 * Traincar
 * Port Finale

No Mercy

 * The Generator Room
 * The Roof Top

Achievements

 * See Main Article: Achievements

Left 4 Dead

None of the Survival Achievements are present in the Xbox 360 version of the game since it is free DLC.

Left 4 Dead 2

Tips and Tricks
These tips are general, not for specific maps.
 * Always stick together; breaking off will cause a large problem to the team and severely weaken them.
 * Try to find everything you can find in the map. Throw Gas cans and Propane tanks in a place where you won't shoot them by accident, but have a backup supply of "Molotovs" if you do not have any Molotovs.
 * Place everything you need in the area you plan to hold out in. This is useful as you do not have to run to a nearby supply area and get attacked easily.
 * Players playing with bots will have a slight disadvantage over a team of players. Bots cannot carry throwables, nor are they good in teamwork. Be careful when setting up ammo boxes as they will grab them regardless if they have just picked the other one you had laid down even if in full ammo.
 * Try to find a melee weapon in the map. This is useful when you are surrounded by Infected or when killing Tanks. Most maps tend to have a couple of melee weapons scattered throughout the area.
 * A Defibrillator will be extremely useful in case the Infected manage to kill someone.
 * Have a Molotov in handy to deal with the Tanks, espically when the Director sends two of them coming at you. Bile Bombs and Pipe Bombs are also useful for getting the Common Infected away from you.
 * Within 9-10 minutes after starting the clock, one can execpt around eight or nine Tanks to be defeated. More Tanks spawn, usually at the same time the Horde renews again.
 * Always try to find a spot where it has the advantages you need there. Try to prevent Infected from attacking more than two ways, and always find a spot where you can leave in an emergency.
 * Survival mode has similar effects to Versus mode. Jockeys and Hunters can stumble nearby players at the target, and may cause them to fall off causing someone to get them back up. However, a Smoker's drag does not cause damage to players.