Vampire Survivors

The PC phenomenon hits 1.0 in generous form

A top-down arcade splat 'em up that’s both simple and moreish.

That doesn’t change the fact that if you own Vampire Survivors, Ode to Castlevania is utterly essential. It’s easily the best DLC for the game, which acts as an incredible tribute to one of our favourite franchises while retaining and expanding on Vampire Survivors' endlessly addictive loop. The pile of secrets waiting for you is anything but miserable, and we guarantee you'll be gobsmacked.

Vampire Survivors initially feels like a nice bite-sized adventure, something to dip into now and then for the joy of orchestrating a little mayhem as the heart of bullet hell rather than its recipient. For the first few rounds, which generally last maybe ten minutes or so, it may not even feel like much more than a fun little time waster, and then the reward path opens up. A little extra power, a new level, new characters and the satisfying feeling of growth leading to true battlefield mayhem lead deeper into the game, with each new discovery layering onto the previous ones in a way that make...

Vampire Survivors might not seem like all that much to get excited about at a glance, but what it does, it does incredibly well, making it an absolute must-play game, especially for fans of similar titles. It’s ideal for short and longer sessions, is incredibly accessible with simple controls, and there’s plenty of depth once you get familar with each character - with skill combos and weapon evolution that allows you to enhance your character's power in all sorts of exciting ways. Vampire Survivors just might be the indie game of the year and is easily one of the best games you can play on Xbo...

Vampire Survivors is the perfect introduction to the swarm survival genre. It will provide hours upon hours of fun that will leave you wanting more!

The game is so popular it garnered millions of sales on Steam alone and it spawned dozens and dozens of clones, some of which really high quality too. I personally tried over thirty of such clones myself. And while they may beat Poncle’s creation in a few individual aspects (usually the graphics at least), Vampire Survivors remains firmly at the top of the so-called “bullet heaven” genre, thanks to a highly addictive gameplay, a masterfully crafted progression and an insane amount of content and variety – all at a ridiculously low price and even part of Xbox Game Pass and Game Pass PC. You rea...

An engrossing roguelike that can win over the roguelike-avoidant.

Someone, please send help. I can't stop playing Vampire Survivors, and I'm worried it might end up ruining my life. This is pure and unadulterated gameplay that will suck away hours of your life, but you'll be loving every bit of it.

Vampire Survivors is well worth checking out, whether you’re playing it on Switch or any other platform. Its simple gameplay hides an irresistible depth. Just keep in mind that once you’re in its clutches, it can be a struggle to get free.

So, The Game Awards happened and, Vampire Survivors received a surprise release for free on mobile devices and I'd just like to say, I get it now. On a mobile device, Vampire Survivors shines. It's so easy to pull up, play for a little bit, then put down and get on with something else. The mobile interface is great as well. It can be played in landscape, or in portrait so it's easy to play one-handed, and I've been loving being able to pull it up and do a run whenever.

Vampire Survivors is a game that has inspired several other games of similar genre over the past couple of years. The minimalistic gameplay about fighting hordes of enemies seems to have become quite popular lately. It has no shortage of content and it's easy to see how its simple but enjoyable gameplay has influenced so many others.