With its full release on PC happening back in October 2022, Vampire Survivors has quickly become a runaway success. Already, there are imitators popping up trying to duplicate the game’s special sauce. As with many games that have spurred a sudden explosion of similar titles, it tantalizes developers with its simple but malleable gameplay.

I did play the PC version a few months back and was lucky enough to eventually claw my way from its grips. But with the Switch version dropping, I felt it was time to fall back into its embrace for the sake of the review. Hopefully, I can one day escape again.

[caption id="attachment_396801" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Vampire Survivors (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch [Reviewed])
Developer: Poncle
Publisher: Poncle
Released: October 20, 2022 (PC), August 17, 2023 (Switch)
MSRP: $4.99

Vampire Survivors looks like a bootleg. It has an appearance like someone took one game, then changed all the characters to look like another game to capitalize on people’s affection for the property. In this case, it looks like a bootleg with Castlevania sprites.

The character movements also feel like they’re unchanged from that game developer milestone of putting a sprite on the screen and having it react to input. They just glide across a sparse, repetitive background. It’s minimalistic. Extremely so. Your character attacks automatically based on a growing number of cooldown timers, and you’re just left in charge of navigating the enemy-infested environments.

You don’t even have to press a button unless you want to skip the chest-opening animation. You just slide your character around the background, having them pick up items and slipping through the cracks that open between groups of enemies. It’s dead simple, but weirdly, there’s a learning curve and strategizing to be done.

https://youtu.be/ZZZArNBLrsA

Holy water, Batman

For the main levels, you pick your hero and get dropped into a big open area. Enemies start streaming in from all sides. As you defeat them, they drop XP crystals that you pick up. Each time you gain a level, you get to choose an upgrade between a number of passive and offensive abilities.

As the level progresses, larger groups of more powerful enemies start piling in. The goal is to power yourself up faster than the enemies can grow in strength. Ultimately, you need to last 30 minutes before the Grim Reaper takes things into their own hands.

While this is an incredibly simple formula, a lot of strategy develops in a lot of areas. You need to experiment and discover what sets of weapons work best for you. Since the upgrades are somewhat randomized, you then need to figure out what to prioritize. Then there’s a bit of risk and reward. Do you take a new weapon now or spend the upgrade on boosting the level of an existing one? If you decide to skip on a specific upgrade now, is it going to reappear later on when you need it? Do you need more attack power now, or can you spend some points on boosting stats like luck or attack strength?

And that’s before you incorporate the rather clever combination mechanic, where if you’re carrying two particular items and improve them to their maximum level, you can evolve the weapon into something more powerful.

[caption id="attachment_396802" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Cerebral bore

Then, after each run, you can spend money that you collected on permanent upgrades and new characters. There are also achievements you can aim for that unlock additional weapons and characters for each run. Both during a run and in the gaps between, you’re always improving.

It’s quite a well-executed mess of progression that creates an addicting experience. I don’t use that word lightly, and I don’t necessarily mean it as a positive. Vampire Survivors employs some pretty devious tactics to dig into your brain matter and make it difficult to stop playing. You’re constantly making progress, and you’re perpetually on the cusp of bigger and better things. Every upgrade promises some advantage for your next run, and every run provides a learning experience to employ.

And then luck is a factor, which means that after a bad run, you’re not necessarily going to want to take a break. Sure, maybe things didn’t go your way last time, but this time is statistically more likely to go better. It comes as no surprise to me that developer Luca Gallante has a history of working in the gambling industry, as Vampire Survivors incorporates a lot of the same tactics to keep people glued in place.

That would be awful, but Vampire Survivors doesn’t seem to have that much interest in your money. The price for the base game is relatively low, and the only microtransactions are DLC expansions. Even then, the DLC is very cheap and not essential. If Vampire Survivors had the clear goal of getting you hooked and sucking you dry, I’d be disgusted, but that’s obviously not the intent here. Instead, it just cracks open a can of dopamine and pours it over your brain. The only thing you’ve got to lose here is your time.

[caption id="attachment_396803" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Lots of math

The Switch port is exactly as it says on the tin. I played the PC version previously, and this isn’t really an upgrade. It’s just the same game on a new platform, which is fine. There is some slowdown when the enemies envelop every pixel of screenspace, but I didn’t find it to interfere with the gameplay. Cut the Switch some slack. There’s a lot of math going on in any one moment.

There’s also the new co-op mode for up to four players. It works better than you may think, as XP is pooled between players, and upgrades cycle between them. It’s a surprisingly laid-back multiplayer experience, and I’m actually tempted to break it out next time I’m visiting my parents. Although, I’m afraid everyone would just delegate upgrade choices to me since I’m the experienced one.

As an added challenge, you could just play co-op by yourself. Since you only use the left stick, that’s one for each thumb. Quite a brain tickler.

[caption id="attachment_396804" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Brain tickler

Vampire Survivors is also not content to just accomplish the bare minimum either. A lot of love has gone into crafting it, even if it’s not immediately reflected through the bootleg aesthetics and simple presentation. There are lore entries for each character and enemy, and there are plenty of bonus levels and secrets to tackle. There’s some depth an meat here.

I think it would be very difficult to dislike Vampire Survivors. Typically, I hate when a game just drills into my brain and starts pressing all the feel-good buttons. I usually feel manipulated. However, the fact that it doesn’t ask for money beyond the admission fee, and the fact that there’s something of a clear endpoint to the entire game, makes it feel benign. It wants to entertain you for a while but will eventually let you get back to your life.

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.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Vampire Survivors appeared first on Destructoid.

A solid showing of indie games

Microsoft held their ID@Xbox Showcase today showing off the lineup of upcoming indie games heading to PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. We got a good look at some promising-looking indie games that are coming out over the next year. Alongside world premieres we also got a few surprise today releases.

We've put together a recap of all the new game reveals and announcements from the showcase. There were twenty games showcased in this ID@Xbox event so there's lots to talk about. Let's dive in!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhRr_5HhKxI

Monolith: Requiem of the Ancients

Monolith: Requiem of the Ancients is third person action adventure RPG about a mysterious powerful monolith threatened by dark forces. Embark on a dangerous adventure with the power of the Runic Swarm and crush minions of evil on your path to save the planet. Monolith is coming in 2024 on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlwSl-jCNMM

Hellboy Web of Wyrd

Hellboy Web of Wyrd is an upcoming action-brawler-roguelite where you can punch, dodge, and blast your way through the mysterious Web of Wyrd as the comic-favorite Hellboy. While no exacty timeframe was given, Hellboy Web of Wyrd is coming soon to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCMCZ3gALc4

Everspace 2

Space action RPG Everspace 2 will finally be leaving early access and receives a full launch on August 15, 2023 on Xbox Series X|S. It is also a Day 1 on Game Pass title. Though it wasn't mentioned, we also know it's releasing on PS5 the same day. The full release will feature a 30+ hour main campaign story that is fully voiced in English and German.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mioYYcmsog0

Sea of Stars

We got another look at the Sea of Stars announcement trailer that was released a few months ago. The turn-based RPG inspired by the classics still looks as beautiful as ever. Sea of Stars tells the story of two Children of the Solstice who combine powers of sun and moon to perform Eclipse Magic and fight back the evil Fleshmancer. Sea of Stars features special guest composer Yasunori Mitsuda who is well known for his music in Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3. The retro RPG will release on August 29 and will be day 1 on Game Pass. A demo is out now on Xbox.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECbYebmtqvs

Solace State

Take on the role of a young hacker confronting political plots in Solace State. The visual novel-style game claims choices will be important as you build relationships and support communities attempting to revolutionize against a corporate biotech conspiracy. Solace State is coming this summer to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCyWv7rexbo

Worldless

Worldless is a stylized 2D Adventure Platformer featuring turn-based combat. Explore a mysterious and abstract world as you attune to various polarities that change your style of combat. Worldless releases on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S in Fall 2023.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dXwcSoHWUU

MythForce

Jump into a Saturday Morning Cartoon with first-person melee roguelike MythForce. Adventure through crypts and castles with your friends as you hunt down the evil Hexstar. MythForce launches on September 12 on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGtYNFtvGzc

Jackbox Party Pack 10

Timejinx and Hypnotorious were revealed as two of the five games coming in Jackbox Party Pack 10. We've already seen Tee K.O. 2 and FixyText revealed as two of the other games, meaning we're still waiting on one more. Jackbox Party Pack 10 releases this fall on all major platforms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMgy7vI6hn0

Roman Sands RE:Build

This is a very unique-looking title. Roman Sands RE:Build is a delirium-charged journey into an apocalypse. Play through a variety of genres including visual novel, adventure, puzzle, horror, and survival simulation games. Roman Sands RE:Build is coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S in Winter 2023.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4ziEhBytrM

Scarlet Deer Inn

Scarlet Deer Inn is a narrative platformer featuring an emotional story and an interesting cast of characters. Explore a dark dungeon full of monsters and branching dialogue options where all character's animation frames have actually been embroidered. Furthermore, all backgrounds have been hand-painted. The Studio Ghibli-inspired Scarlet Deer Inn is coming to Xbox Series X|S but no release timeframe just yet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xnc7jSmcxB4

Rain World: Downpour

Rain World and the Rain World: Downpour DLC are out now on Xbox. Take control of five new characters as you explore the dark and mysterious world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvRLsQmQAc0

Second Wave

Wait, this isn't an Overwatch skin pack? Apparently not. Second Wave is a free-to-play online multiplayer hero-based shooter MOBA in the world of Armantia. Choose from Domination or 3-Way Battle as you fight other heroes and exiles in an endless war for the Arcane Stone. Second Wave is coming to Xbox Series X|S but no release timeframe was given.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Coku_dX7Tfk

Vampire Survivors

Even though it was revealed a couple of weeks ago, we got another look at the Vampire Survivors couch co-op mode. Dust off your couch and jump into the bullet hell Vampire Survivors with up to four total players. The new mode is coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Game Pass on August 17.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVju4TQoT1w

Axiom Verge 2

You can now explore the award-winning alien world of Axiom Verge 2 on Xbox. Our very own Eric Van Allen thought this was a beautiful Metroid-style game so it's definitely worth checking out. Axiom Verge 2 is out now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S either alone or in a bundle with the first one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avFlZxNjOtI

Stray Souls

Ok, this probably has to be the best reveal of the showcase in my opinion. Stray Souls is a creepy-looking indie game that looks like a mix between Silent Hill and Resident Evil. The spooky third-person shooter features new music by legendary Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka. Stray Souls hits Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S in Fall 2023.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RxnHLsDGo8

Birth

I'll be honest, Birth definitely looked unique but I wasn't too sure exactly what I had just seen by the time the trailer was over. Apparently, it's an adventure puzzle game about constructing a creature from spare bones and organs you find around a city. The art is hand-drawn and the gameplay involves you solving physics-based puzzles as you discover secrets around town. Birth releases on Xbox One on July 28.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50K1cw5_9vU

Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Like the film, Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a game based on true events. Try to survive in this insanely chaotic survival game when it releases on August 18 on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. It will also be a day 1 Game Pass release.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_EseZ_Kalw

DREAMERS

It's time to go on an emotional journey with DREAMERS, a new colorful adventure game by PlaySys. Explore a world full of challenges and mysteries on September 1. DREAMERS is releasing on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utb6ET0uhV0

Stumble Guys

The mobile game variant of Fall Guys is now officially coming to consoles. Stumble Guys is another multiplayer knockout royale game coming to Xbox Series S|X and Xbox One.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyfNjdTaFLE

The Making of Karateka

Based on the 1984 martial arts action game by Jordan Mechner, The Making of Karateka is an interactive documentary that also includes four pixel-perfect versions of Karateka. It will also feature an all-new remastered version of the game with new features. The Making of Karateka releases later this year on Xbox Series X|S.

Whew, that's it! I'm personally really looking forward to Sea of Stars and Stray Souls. How do you guys feel overall about the ID@Xbox showcase?

The post Here’s a full July ID@Xbox Showcase Recap appeared first on Destructoid.

Bleh!

Rougelike smash hit Vampire Survivors is headed to Nintendo Switch this summer — The 2022 viral hit was revealed during this morning's Nintendo Direct presentation, and will launch on the hybrid platform on August 17.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZZArNBLrsA

Developed by Luca Galante, the award-winning title sees players taking on seemingly insurmountable hordes of the undead as one of a number of characters, attempting to survive as long as possible in heart-pounding, auto-firing action. The compelling nature of the constant combat, as well as the cool aesthetic, saw Vampire Survivors win over a coffin-full of fans throughout 2022.

Vampire Survivors launches on Nintendo Switch August 17.

The post Vampire Survivors is coming to Nintendo Switch in August appeared first on Destructoid.

GOLD-FINGER (he sang in his most Shirley Bassy voice)

Vampire Survivors continues to be the indie gift that keeps on giving. After a stellar debut last year, in which it won Best Game at the British Academy Games Awards and the Destructoid award for Best PC Game, the developer is showing no signs of slowing down support for the game. So far, it's seen two paid DLC expansions and several free updates. Its next free arrives tomorrow, and it's packing in some great reason to return to the monster-infested fields of Italy.

Dubbed the "Overwhelming Update," Vampire Survivors version 1.5 adds new features, new levels, a new game mode, and half a new character. The new stage, Astral Stair, is a near-endless series of corridors featuring flying paintings and a new spinning wheel that'll trigger random events within the stage. The character Yatta Cavallo is getting a new form in the update, and the new relic GoldFinger will start a limited-time challenge where your character is powerful and invisible for a brief amount of time. If you care about achievements, the update is adding six of those to the game too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIQv7sWPBu0

Ignore what it says in the trailer about the update being available now. The Vampire Survivors Overwhelming Update will hit all platforms tomorrow, June 12.

The post Vampire Survivor’s next free update drops tomorrow appeared first on Destructoid.

It's about to get garlicky

Video game adaptations are all the rage, and Vampire Survivors is now joining the trend. Developer poncle's ever-evolving auto-fighting survival game has an animated series in the works.

Via Deadline, poncle's founder Luca Galante is partnering with Story Kitchen, the company working on other game adaptations like Sifu, Streets of Rage, and more. Founded by John Wick writer and creator Derek Kolstad, Sonic the Hedgehog film and TV producer Dmitri M. Johnson, and former APA agent and partner Mike Goldberg, Story Kitchen is certainly tackling a decent amount of video game adaptations. Games consulting agency Robot Teddy will also be supporting the show.

As for what the show will be about? Well, that's still a bit unclear.

"The most important thing in Vampire Survivors is the story, so it's a dream come true to see what started as a little indie game I made on my weekends come to life as an animated TV show!" Gallante said in a press release. "It’s also great to be partnering up with such experienced and talented people to make the show. I do wonder if they've realised that there isn't a single vampire in Vampire Survivors, though."

The release confirms that, just like the game, the actual existence of vampires has not been confirmed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvMkS6GcxFU

Adapting the Survivors

Normally I'd be wary, but it seems like poncle and Gallante are keeping a bit of fun mixed in with the whole project. Seeing as Vampire Survivors draws heavily on past works like Castlevania, it's hard not to see the potential; but I'm also curious to see how those ideas play out, and look any different, in a Survivors series.

As long as there's some solid garlic jokes, though, I'll probably be along for the ride. Vampire Survivors was a surprise hit that's kept growing with time, and I can't say I'm not curious to see what this team does with their very own series adaptation.

The post A Vampire Survivors animated series is in the works appeared first on Destructoid.

Ragnarok wins the most BAFTAs, but Vampire takes the top prize

The 2023 BAFTA Games Awards have concluded, and with a bit of a surprise to close out the night. God of War Ragnarok won the most awards at the show, but the BAFTA Best Game winner for 2023 was a different game entirely: Vampire Survivors.

Poncle's reverse bullet hell (bullet heaven?) game made a surprising impact early in 2022, and seeing it recognized by the BAFTAs is pretty cool. Vampire Survivors spawned a legion of imitators and became an instant Steam Deck hit, and it's nice to see the studio get some recognition for a stellar year, even when up against some heavy-hitters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HXNxWbRgsg

Those heavyweights still took home hardware, though. God of War Ragnarok received the most accolades of the night, including Performer in a Leading Role for Christopher Judge and Performer in a Supporting Role for Laya DeLeon Hayes. Elden Ring, meanwhile, tallied up two trophies, as did Tunic and Vampire Survivors.

Other winners include the haunting FMV story Immortality, the PlayStation graphical powerhouse Horizon Forbidden West, and a BAFTA Fellowship for Shuhei Yoshida, which recognizes an individual's outstanding and exceptional contribution to the medium. Here's the full run-down.

2023 BAFTA Games Awards winners

• Best Game: Vampire Survivors
• Game Design: Vampire Survivors
• Original Property: Elden Ring
• Multiplayer: Elden Ring
• Animation: God of War Ragnarok
• Audio Achievement: God of War Ragnarok
• Music: God of War Ragnarok
• Artistic Achievement: Tunic
• Debut Game: Tunic
• Narrative: Immortality
• Technical Achievement: Horizon Forbidden West
• Performer in a Leading Role: Christopher Judge (God of War Ragnarok)
• Performer in a Supporting Role: Laya DeLeon Hayes (God of War Ragnarok)
• British Game: Rollerdrome
• Evolving Game: Final Fantasy XIV
• Family: Kirby and the Forgotten Land
• Game Beyond Entertainment: Endling - Extinction is Forever
• BAFTA Fellowship: Shuhei Yoshida
• EE Game of the Year (public vote): God of War Ragnarok

The post Vampire Survivors takes home Best Game at 2023 BAFTA Games Awards appeared first on Destructoid.

A fighter, a mage, and a thief walk into a forest...

Vampire Survivors is one of my favorite games of 2022 and it's pretty hard for me to explain why. It's the type of game everyone needs to play for themself to see if they vibe with it. Some people won't, others definitely do, and this bit of news is for the latter group. Today, the developers at poncle announced new paid DLC for the indie darling is coming in about two weeks. Vampire Survivors: Tides of the Foscari includes the new forest map, Lake Foscari, which is home to the Foscari Academy where parents send their kids to be wizards, warriors, and spies. Lake Foscari is described as a "continent-size forest" which the developers say will contain multiple biomes, similar to the map from the Legacy of the Moonspell DLC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iZVpnu5Dmc

The DLC will also add eight new characters to Vampire Survivor as well as 13 new weapons and seven new music tracks. If the kazoo in the trailer is giving you PTSD flashbacks to the very worst of the Yoshi franchise, know that it's only for the trailer and not representative of what you'll hear in the new songs.

As with the last bit of DLC for the game, Tides of the Foscari will only set players back $1.99 when it releases on April 13, 2023.

Related: The 10 best mods for Vampire Survivors on Gamepur

The post Vampire Survivors is about to take your butt to school appeared first on Destructoid.

I vant to suck your blood, BLEH!

The uber-compelling, smash-hit mobile title Vampire Survivors will receive its first DLC expansion on iOS and Android platforms on March 14... That's today! The Legacy of the Moonspell expansion can be purchased now on mobile platforms for a special launch price of just $0.99, (regular price $1.99).

Legacy of the Moonspell is packed out with new characters, stages, weapons, and achievements, as well as six bangin' new tracks. Set against the backdrop of feudal Japan, the narrative focuses on a party of monster hunters, The Moonspell, who must take up arms to drive back hordes of oni and yokai attackers, in an effort to cleanse the sacred mountains of this unholy activity. Be there vampires? I guess you're just going to have to step up to the challenge and find out for yourselves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvMkS6GcxFU&ab_channel=Xbox

Included in the new expansion is the new locale Mt. Moonspell, a huge map that boasts snow-topped mountains, an overrun village, and an abandoned castle. There are eight new warriors to choose from for battle, as well as 13 new weapons, many of which are imbued with ancient and mythic abilities. From the Silver Wind staff, to the Four Seasons battle orbs, and even a deadly kimono known as The Mirage Robe. Choose your hero, gather your weapons, and head out into an eastern nightmare.

Vampire Survivors is available now on Xbox, PC, and mobile platforms. The Legacy of the Moonspell DLC launches today on mobile, and is already available to purchase on Xbox and PC platforms.

The post Vampire Survivors DLC ‘Legacy of the Moonspell’ hits mobile today appeared first on Destructoid.

2022's titans keep taking home trophies

The curtain has fallen on the 2023 DICE Awards. And if you were paying attention to all the end-of-year awards as they've rolled out, the outcome may not be too surprising.

The awards, hosted by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, had its membership base of over 30,000 industry members vote on the various categories. Elden Ring walked away with five of them, while God of War Ragnarok snatched seven.

It wasn't just their night, though. Other hits from 2022, including Tunic and Vampire Survivors, got some recognition. And Double Fine Productions' Tim Schafer was recognized for his contributions to the industry with the Hall of Fame award. If you want to learn more about that, I can't recommend the recently released PsychOdyssey documentary about the making of Psychonauts 2 enough.

Still, it looks like Elden Ring and Ragnarok remain the two big titans of 2022, warring it out for the annual awards. We still have the annual Game Developers Choice Awards ahead of us, as part of GDC, to see if some other games can bring home some hardware.

Here's the full list of 2023 DICE Award winners.

2023 DICE Awards winners

Game of the Year: Elden Ring

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction: Elden Ring

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design: Elden Ring

Outstanding Achievement in Animation: God of War Ragnarök

Outstanding Achievement in Character: God of War Ragnarök - Kratos

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition: God of War Ragnarök

Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design: God of War Ragnarök

Outstanding Achievement in Story: God of War Ragnarök

Outstanding Technical Achievement: Elden Ring

Action Game of the Year: Vampire Survivors

Adventure Game of the Year: God of War Ragnarök

Family Game of the Year: Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope

Fighting Game of the Year: MultiVersus

Racing Game of the Year: Gran Turismo 7

Role-Playing Game of the Year: Elden Ring

Sports Game of the Year: OlliOlli World

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year: Dwarf Fortress

Online Game of the Year: Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement: Red Matter 2

Immersive Reality Game of the Year: Red Matter 2

Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game: Tunic

Mobile Game of the Year: Marvel Snap

The post Elden Ring and God of War Ragnarok win big at 2023 DICE Awards appeared first on Destructoid.

The 'I'm walkin' here' award goes to...

Yesterday saw the New York Videogame Critics Circle host its 12th annual New York Game Awards, celebrating the best releases to hit the PC, console, and mobile gaming market in 2022.

In a ceremony packed full of, frankly, oddly monikered categories Elden Ring was the big winner of the evening, taking home the "Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year". In addition, FromSoftware's highly celebrated fantasy RPG also captured the "Statue of Liberty Award for Best World". Elden Ring, as you will no doubt be aware, topped many outlets' "Best of" lists at the end of 2022, (including our own), which is a testament to the title's appeal in aesthetic design, gameplay, and atmosphere.

Other big winners of the night included Poncle's Vampire Survivors, which won the "Off-Broadway Award for Best Indie Game", while actor Manon Gage took home the "Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game", for her affecting performance in Sam Barlow's Immortality. The "A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game" was won by card-battle Marvel Snap, while the "Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Game" went to Sony Santa Monica's brutal and evocative sequel God of War: Ragnarok.

Here is the winners' list for the 2023 New York Game Awards:

• Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year: Elden Ring
• Off-Broadway Award for Best Indie Game: Vampire Survivors
• Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Game: God of War Ragnarök
• Statue of Liberty Award for Best World: Elden Ring
• Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game: Metal: Hellsinger
• Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game: Manon Gage (Immortality)
• Coney Island Dreamland Award for Best AR/VR Game: Moss: Book II
• Central Park Children’s Zoo Award for Best Kids Game: Kirby and the Forgotten Land
• A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game: Marvel Snap
• Freedom Tower Award for Best Remake: The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
• Joltin’ Joe Award for Best Esports Player of the Year: Masaya "aMSa" Chikamoto (VGBootCamp/Red Bull Esports)
• Chumley’s Speakeasy Award for Best Hidden Gem: Signalis
• NYC GWB Award for Best DLC: Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
• Knickerbocker Award for Best Games Journalism: Justin Heckert (Vanity Fair)
• Elizabeth Jennings Graham Award for Best Educator: Ryan O'Callaghan
• Andrew Yoon Legend Award Recipient: Phil Spencer

The post Elden Ring bags another Best Game trophy at New York Game Awards appeared first on Destructoid.

An interesting year

It feels like a bit of a copout to say "2022 was an interesting year for video games," because every year is an interesting year for video games... but, well, 2022 was an interesting year for video games! It was the first year in which I really felt like I could see 2020's production setbacks on the release calendar, but it was also a year for projects that seemed like they would never arrive. Who would have guessed that Dwarf Fortress would reach 1.0 and Live A Live would get its official English localization in the same year?

I didn't have to whittle this list down too much - while there were a lot of smaller games this year, I only really loved a few. Personally, I prefer that to a year with a massive wave of just-okay games crowding out the ones I'm actually interested in. 2022 didn't see all that many releases from massive developers, which meant shorter mid-budget titles and indie games had the chance to really stand out, and I had the chance to play a lot more of them. There was plenty of chaff in there, but I also got to see some wheat I may have otherwise missed. I might not have even played some of the games on this list in a busier year. So thanks, 2022.

With all that being said, I'd like to run down those excellent games that gave me that warm and fuzzy game of the year feeling.

[caption id="attachment_356093" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Vampire Survivors

Vampire Survivors showed up at just the right time for me. At the beginning of the year, I contracted COVID-19 after seeing the most recent Scream movie in theaters (the illness was nearly as bad as the movie). Blessedly, Vampire Survivors had entered early access only a few weeks earlier, and, as luck would have it, I had a spare three dollars burning a hole in my pocket. And that's the story of how Vampire Survivors made my quarantine bearable.

This is by no means a difficult game, but it's a microcosm of what I love about RPGs. Watching my character go from a wimpy little single-weaponed loser to a screen-clearing god over the course of thirty minutes is the kind of dopamine hit that I just need sometimes. This is not a joke - I just opened Vampire Survivors to grab a quick screenshot for this entry and I accidentally played through an entire run.

[caption id="attachment_356095" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bethesda Softworks[/caption]

Ghostwire: Tokyo

I don't really understand why so few people played Ghostwire: Tokyo. I get that it was never going to be a God of War-sized smash hit, but this is the third title from a studio with a decent reputation, and the pitch is great - explore the haunted streets of Tokyo while slinging Doctor Strange-ish magic at various ghosts and spirits. What's more, the execution of all those ideas is pretty great.

The empty city at the heart of Ghostwire: Tokyo is gorgeously haunting, and the moment-to-moment FPS combat feels great. The banter between protagonist Akito and his ghost buddy KK keeps the middling story from dragging the experience down, and collecting what feels like one trillion different objects scattered around the environment is a blast. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it rolls along just fine.

[caption id="attachment_356098" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Neon White

Nobody needs to hear me talk about Neon White. I've touched on its cringe-and-proud writing in the past, and anyone who's spent more than a couple hours with it knows how instantly addicting its speedrunning parkour loop is. Neon White is very good, and if you haven't played it by now, you really should.

I'm reminded of something like Celeste, a game that made me love precision platforming where other precision platformers could not. I don't care for speed games of this nature, and yet, I cannot stop gunning for those shiny blue medals in Neon White. It's just so great.

[caption id="attachment_356100" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image from Humble Games[/caption]

Signalis

I have a confession to make: while I love nearly every Resident Evil game released after 2005, I kind of can't stand classic survival horror games. I love the eerie atmospheres and the carefully constructed environments, and every time I start Silent Hill, I become briefly convinced that it will become my entire personality. But I've never finished Silent Hill.

I did finish Signalis, a lo-fi sci-fi sendup to survival horror stories of the PSX era, and I thought it was great. A lot of the things I struggle with in those early survival horror games (esoteric puzzles, poor sense of direction, clunky gunplay, constant inventory management) are present here, but I forced myself to muscle through them, and I found myself really liking them. I was also very taken in by Signalis' setting and its beautiful art style. I guess I should go finish Silent Hill now.

[caption id="attachment_356102" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image from Bandai Namco[/caption]

Elden Ring

Poet Robert Graves once said, "The remarkable thing about Shakespeare is that he really is very good, in spite of all the people who say he is very good." That's kind of how I feel about Elden Ring. Often, when a game connects with absolutely everybody else, I can't help but look for its shortcomings. I always end up scouting for the seams, the compromises that must have been made to appeal to such a wide audience.

I did exactly that with Elden Ring. I loved the thing on release, and I poured dozens of hours into it, but as soon as I stopped playing, I started assembling my little list of contrarian gripes. It's repetitive, the narrative coasts on being esoteric to mask the fact that it's kind of boring, there are too many damn systems to make "system mastery" feel satisfying, and so on. And then I came back to Elden Ring, and all of those complaints melted away. Because Elden Ring is very good, in spite of all the people who say it is very good.

[caption id="attachment_356104" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image from Funcom[/caption]

Metal: Hellsinger

Metal: Hellsinger is a rhythm game with designs that imitate 2016's DOOM and a boss fight set to a Serj Tankian solo. It's great.

[caption id="attachment_356106" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image from Crows Crows Crows[/caption]

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe

The Stanley Parable didn't really need a remaster, and The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe knows it. It's hard to explain what, exactly, The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is without totally spoiling some of its most delightful surprises. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that Ultra Deluxe has surprises, though, because it's The Stanley Parable, and that's what The Stanley Parable is.

The Stanley Parable is the kind of game that you should play if you have any interest in video games as a means of telling stories, and that's especially true now, with the Ultra Deluxe package representing a reasonably major reinvention of the original concept.

[caption id="attachment_356108" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Immortality

I love Sam Barlow's Her Story, a non-linear FMV mystery game in which new scenes are discovered by searching for specific keywords. Immortality, Barlow's newest game, is even better. It features a similar system, in which new scenes are unlocked by searching for specific items found in video clips.

Immortality is the story of a movie star whose three films were never released to the public. The player takes on the role of an archivist, simultaneously assembling those unreleased films from recovered footage and attempting to unravel the mystery of what happened behind the scenes. It's a story about cinema, and the image-matching game system is a perfect match for that narrative. Her Story is a story about language, the words we use and the reasons we use them. In contrast, Immortality is a story about images, a much headier concept in a much more satisfying package.

[caption id="attachment_356109" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image from Raw Fury[/caption]

Norco

Norco is one of those games that feels special from minute one. This bizarre point-and-click adventure set in a near-future version of the real-world town of Norco, Louisiana is dreamy, melancholic, and simply amazing. It's a striking anti-capitalist text, but it's also a love letter to the kind of place that doesn't often receive love letters.

I have found myself considering something new about Norco almost every day since I played it. It blends its near-future dystopia with its current-day problems absolutely expertly. This is the kind of game where a dying mother does gig work in order to amass cryptocurrency to pay for her own digital ghost. It's full of tragic sci-fi conundrums like that, and I can't stop thinking about it.

[caption id="attachment_356112" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image from Devolver Digital[/caption]

Card Shark

I don't know all that much about pre-revolutionary France. I know even less about gambling, and next to nothing about cheating at card tables. And yet, while playing Card Shark, I felt myself becoming an expert at cheating at card games in pre-revolutionary France. Nerial's period piece, which focuses on the pupil of the Comte de Saint Germain (history's greatest liar), is a thing of beauty.

Card Shark looks amazing, and its story is a charming and touching testament to the proverbial little guy, but where it sings is in its gameplay. The card tricks performed in the game are based on very real cheats, and Nerial has produced something of an interactive handbook for fraud. Every trick is taught to the player carefully, and executing on them feels like playing a very painterly WarioWare micro-game. Part of me wishes it was a little longer, but the narrative itself is very well-paced. I just want to play more of the thing, which is a very good problem to have. It's an incredibly specific game, but the one that I loved the most this year.

The post Sorrel Kerr-Jung’s favorite games of 2022 appeared first on Destructoid.

Vampire Survivors

Sometimes, giving out awards for the best game of the year can feel a bit tedious, because there will be one title that stood head and shoulders above the rest. While in 2022, it may have been easy to predict that a game like Elden Ring would take home our pick for the best PlayStation title of the year, the PC category was a real toss up — of all the categories our staff voted on, the votes for the PC category were by far the most evenly spread. The nominees included heavy-hitters like Signalis, Citizen Sleeper, and NORCO, just to name a few, and while any one of them would have been a worthy winner in the eyes of the Destructoid team, Vampire Survivors is the PC title that came out on top this year.

Vampire Survivors is unassuming from first glance, especially to those who don't prefer pixel art games with a minimal art style. While it may be easy to write off a game that looks old-school a la Castlevania or the early Diablo games, Vampire Survivors' simplicity is what lends to is understated elegance. The art style pays homage to the aforementioned classics while also leaving room for the gameplay to shine, which is the star of the show in this case. The minimalist approach also means that the game is insanely polished, both graphically and when it comes to the game-feel.

We've been in something of a roguelike renaissance these past few years with titles like Hades, Slay the Spire, Inscryption, and Cult of the Lamb, among many others. Vampire Survivors finds its own niche in a well-populated genre, while also feeling like a culmination of the mechanics that developers have been honing for decades.

I'm also someone who can become easily overwhelmed when it comes to learning a new game, and another one of Vampire Survivors' strengths is that if you've played a roguelike before, you'll feel right at home. It's got all of the meat and none of the fat, meaning that it's one of those games that won't waste a second of your time. With runs also ranging from about 10-30 minutes, you can pick it up and play in bite-sized pieces if you prefer, but it's also easy to get sucked in for a marathon run while chasing a new personal best.

Vampire Survivors is one of those games that snuck up on me this year, but I'm so glad it did. Any of the games we nominated for the PC category could have taken the prize, but it's great to see a passion project made by a small indie team get a win.

The post Destructoid’s award for Best PC Game of 2022 goes to… appeared first on Destructoid.

PC indeed

As someone who heretically prefers to play games on a controller, PC may not always be my first choice. But even I have to admit that it's a platform that has some of the most compelling releases of the year, every year. When it's easier for small, independent teams to publish to platforms like Steam or itch.io, the cream usually tends to rise to the top, so that PC is always one of the most stacked "best of the year" categories, in my opinion. 2022 was no exception, because this banger-filled list is making it really difficult to try and decide which game is gonna take my vote.

First you've got Signalis, which is not only an awesome tribute to classic horror games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, but also one of the most stylish and heart-wrenching games I've played in a long time. Everything from the art style to the soundtrack to the puzzle design elevated the creepy, slow-burn atmosphere, and it's a game I've been left thinking about weeks after having put it down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KFiOp2o4L8

Citizen Sleeper is yet another innovative title that released in 2022 among a swath of other games that are moving the medium forward. Its focus is on a tabletop-inspired, dice-centric narrative, and it executes that premise with all of the polish you can imagine. What it is able to achieve in unique yet somehow familiar gameplay, it also wins you over with its stories, even after leaving us with some mysteries to explore on our next adventure.

For all the shoot 'em up fans out there, Vampire Survivors has you covered. The game has minimalistic art and gameplay design, but with good reason — the gameplay loop is so well-designed and lean, it doesn't need any of the extra fluff. It's one of those games that's perfect to sit down and play in little bouts, but every time you do, you know you're gonna have a blast. Vampire Survivors snuck up on me for sure, but it did indeed turn out to be one of the highlights of 2022.

Trombone Champ is the obvious stand-out of the year. At a glance, it's not a game I think any of us would have expected to appear on a list like this, but when you look more closely, it's all there. It's simply a well-designed rhythm game (going so far as to actually imitate how it feels to play a real trombone with a scary amount of accuracy), the visual style is downright hilarious, and the soundtrack has the perfect lineup of songs that you're either super familiar with, or make you go "I know this song but I never knew what it was called."

It was one of those ideas that the team would make or break in its execution, and they absolutely nailed it. If nothing else, the entire gaming community's reaction to Trombone Champ is enough to warrant its place on this list, I think, because there was something magical about seeing a game collectively bring all of us joy upon its release.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpQ8a3c7EAQ

If you're not a speedrunning person, you will be after playing Neon White. While you can really take or leave the story, the gameplay alone is enough to land Neon White on this list. It's bombastic, it's creative, and of course fast-paced, and it'll make even the most tepid players (aka me) twitching to set a new record. This title is really able to capture the raw, tactical fun that only tightly-designed gameplay can really deliver, and is maybe the best game to do so since the release of Hades.

Then there's NORCO, which is easily one of the weirdest games of the year, in the best way. It's a Southern Gothic point-and-click narrative set in the marshlands of New Orleans, and let me tell you, it is one wild ride. NORCO has absolutely beautiful prose and breathtaking pixel art, and then you'll encounter one of the most strange set pieces you've likely seen in a game in a while. I found the game incredibly moving, and easily one of the best narrative games of the year. If nothing else, it simply deserves more eyes on it, because it was an absolute delight to play.

Last but certainly not least, we have Victoria 3. It may not be for everyone, but for those who are fans of grand strategy games, the newest release from Paradox Interactive is considered a truly great title. The cult following of the Victoria series has been long-awaiting the series' third installment, as Paradox themselves call it "one of the most anticipated games in Paradox’s history." The general consensus is that Victoria 3 did in fact live up to the hype, making it one of the best grand strategy games to come out in recent years, and certainly in 2022.

Here are the nominees for Destructoid’s Best PC Game of 2022:

• Signalis
• Citizen Sleeper
• Vampire Survivors
• Trombone Champ
• Neon White
• NORCO
• Victoria 3

The post Nominees for Destructoid’s Best PC Game of 2022 appeared first on Destructoid.

This is going to be dangerous for my free time

[Update: Confirmed live on The Game Awards 2022 stream, yes, Vampire Survivors is officially out and free to play on mobile.]

Horde survival hit Vampire Survivors just landed on some new platforms. Vampire Survivors is now available on mobile, through the iOS App Store and Google Play Store for Android.

The indie bat-blasting survival game seemed to drop out of nowhere, indicating this might have been a planned reveal for tonight's show at The Game Awards 2022. Vampire Survivors is nominated for Best Debut Indie Game at tonight's awards.

The iOS and Android versions of the game are both free-to-play, and will take up a little over 470 MB to download.

Overall, this mobile version looks to be the legit, real Vampire Survivors that has sucked away hours and hours of time on PC. For phone, there is an option to play with different orientations, vertical or landscape.

Interestingly enough, one of the mechanics in this F2P version of Vampire Survivors is the option to view ads. It looks like the ad option lets you get a revive, at the cost of watching a mobile game ad. Truly nothing in the vampire afterlife is free, I guess.

Survive the night

Ever since Vampire Survivors dropped into Early Access last December, it's been a popular time-killer. Poncle's blend of pixel art and limited gameplay as your little survivor tries to not get overtaken by hordes of nocturnal monsters is incredibly compelling.

That's not all the Vampire Survivors in store for 2022, either. Poncle is releasing its first DLC for Survivors next week. Dubbed Legacy of the Moonspell, it will add a new map, characters, weapons, and more.

Now that the vampire survival can live on my phone? Between this and Marvel Snap, I'm going to be spending a lot of time playing some mobile games during the holidays.

The post Vampire Survivors surprise drops on mobile appeared first on Destructoid.

Fly me to the Moonspell

Indie hit Vampire Survivors is getting its first big piece of DLC. Legacy of the Moonspell is a new Vampire Survivors DLC arriving next week on December 15.

The new content will be coming to both PC via Steam and Xbox on the 15th, and will run $1.99 USD. The Steam page is live now, with a host of info on what's to come in the Legacy of the Moonspell next week.

What's in store for the Survivors? Well, the Legacy takes the action to a new map in the eastern lands, known as Mt. Moonspell. This locale is developer poncle's biggest stage yet, featuring several different environments include snowy mountains, a yokai-infested village, and yes, an abandoned castle.

Eight new characters join the fray, with four getting shown off today. 13 new weapons are also i nstore, including a set of season-shifting orbs and an ancestral force unleashed by a staff. Seems like a good way to blast a bunch of enemies away for experience.

Additionally, there are some hidden mysteries and more in store. Between the characters and weapons that poncle isn't revealing yet, it seems like there is a fair bit to discover in this new drop.

I will survive

It seems like just yesterday that Vampire Survivors was a surprise hit trending up Steam's charts. Now, poncle's horde survival game is dominating Steam charts and commandeering Steam Decks. Heck, it has a Game Awards nomination.

While its star is on the rise, it's nice to see the Vampire Survivors crew keeping it going. Even the DLC itself is quite reasonably priced. It'll be nice to have some more crowds to blast through for crystals during the holidays.

Vampire Survivors' Legacy of the Moonspell DLC arrives for PC and Xbox on December 15, 2022.

The post Vampire Survivors gets its first DLC, Legacy of the Moonspell, next week appeared first on Destructoid.

More surprises for the survivors are in store

Vampire Survivors is gearing up for its v1.0 launch. Developer poncle has announced that v1.0 will go live on October 20, 2022.

This will mark the completion of the main content for Vampire Survivors, according to the developer update. And it sounds like there are some unforeseen changes in store. Since the official roadmap ended with 0.11.3, everything added in v1.0 is a surprise. Poncle says it should "hopefully offer a little something for everyone".

Official language support is getting updated, with a bevy of languages getting official support. Custom patches will still work, and poncle will be keeping the names of fan localization creators in the credits as thanks.

New achievements will be added, and some existing achievements will see their unlock conditions altered. Your unlocks will stay if you already have them though, and save data will be left intact. Vampire Survivors will keep on running on Electron for v1.0, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07kmq5ULuOM

The night goes on

Of course, this doesn't mean the end of Vampire Survivors, either. A port to a new engine is still on the way, planned for release by the end of the year. Save data will carry over there too. The goal of the engine is to have the same game, but with increased performance and compatibility for more machines.

And there's even more on the way, as the developer poncle has continued to grow and evolve. Vampire Survivors will continue to see support after v1.0, and while the game may reach a content-complete status, poncle says there are still more surprises in the works.

I'm happy just to see this team get so much support and build up this game so much. Vampire Survivors was a surprise highlight at the start of the year, and though other horde survival games have popped up with their own twists, Vampire Survivors has stayed strong through it all. October looks to be a good month for slaying even more bats and monsters.

The post Vampire Survivors hits v1.0 in October appeared first on Destructoid.

You've got until September 21

As we inch closer and closer to the looming 1.0 launch of Vampire Survivors, fans are getting antsy, myself included. Today's morsel is just a "minor patch," but there's important news for folks on the sidelines: a price increase is coming soon.

At just three dollars, Vampire Survivors is some of the best bang-for-your-buck gaming I've ever experienced. And while typically Early Access titles wait until their full launch to raise prices, in this case, the game will cost $4.99 starting on September 21. The 1.0 launch is coming later — we'll learn the full release date in two weeks, on September 29.

The creator, poncle, explained this choice. "To be frank, it's because otherwise I'd mess up the sales calendar for the rest of the year. I want to keep the option open to eventually enter some of the usual seasonal sales, and increasing the price on v1.0 launch day would mess up the timings, as price changes also comes with a temporary price freeze."

Players have become so absorbed with the game's monster-exploding grind and fun unlockables that they've actually asked — sometimes jokingly, but often for real — for Vampire Survivors to charge more. I got my money's worth early on, and the updates just kept coming. I'm now at 55 hours on the clock. It's baffling when I stop and think about it.

Today's patch is a minor one

So, what's new in patch 0.11.3? Most notably, I'd point to Blood Astronomia (Arcana XXI), which emits "special damaging zones affected by Amount and Magnet" for weapons like Garlic and Song of Mana. There's also the MissingNo character, who has randomized stats and can now be "unlocked officially" — find the full instructions here on Reddit.

If you've thought about getting into Vampire Survivors, consider this your call to do so before the price jumps. It's so worth it.

The post It’s time to get Vampire Survivors before its price increases appeared first on Destructoid.

The Forbidden Scrolls will let you enter codes, but first, you need to beat a ball of bones

Vampire Survivors contains truly wacky secrets, some of which I'd never find without the community's guiding hand. Even though it's fun to catch up to the latest patches, I'll admit, certain hidden characters have remained elusive to the point where I've kind of lost hope. Now, with a new unlockable called The Forbidden Scrolls of Morbane, it's possible to input cheat codes to open up a bunch of stuff, including the trickiest secret characters.

That's right — it's Morbane time.

**Spoilers below**

With Vampire Survivors patch 0.10, The Forbidden Scrolls of Morbane relic was added to The Bone Zone, and to stand a chance of finding it, you'll want the Milky Way Map.

With the map, you can pause the game and you should see a white question mark below the level's spawn point. Head there when you're ready for a fight — some players prefer to stock up, but I rushed down there. You'll come across a rolling ball of bones, and if you can whittle it away without the encroaching skeleton army taking you out, you'll pick up the Forbidden Scrolls. This relic unlocks a "Secrets" option on the main menu.

To enter a code, just click on the blank "Cast Spell" box and start typing.

Alternatively, on the left, you can scroll through a list of a dozen hints that vaguely suggest how to manually unlock the secret characters in Vampire Survivors.

The game developers have shared a list of cheat codes.

Secret character codes

• secondevolution (Gyorunton)
• earrivatolarrotino (Big Trouser)
• lhovistoio (Cosmo Pavone)
• fettinepanate (Boon Marrabbio)
• iwillneverletyouforgetaboutme (Leda)
• pinociampino (Peppino)
• highfive (Gains Boros)
• ablasphemousmockery (Mask of the Red Death)
• foldinthecheese (Minnah)
• exdashexoneviiq (Exdash)
• tramezzini (Toastie if Exdash is already unlocked)
• maybeiamastallion (Smith if Toastie is already unlocked)
• igottagettotheedgeofsoul (Random)
• allatonce (Queen Sigma)

If you're stuck on the clue "sometimes you just need to ask for help," that entry is talking about Smith IV, a ghost. With Exdash and Toastie unlocked, you can get Smith by:

• Typing "spam" on the main menu, then quickly...
• Typing "spam" again on the character selection screen
• Typing "spam" a third time on the stage select screen
• Starting the run and typing "humbug"
• Quitting out of the run

It took me a few tries to get it right. Here's a video walkthrough, if needed.

The other codes may not be useful if you're deep in Vampire Survivors, but here they are.

Relic codes

• thisshouldhavebeenunlockedbydefault (Grim Grimoire)
• thistooshouldhavebeenunlockedbydefault (Ars Gouda)
• leadmetothecheese (Milky Way Map)
• eggseggseggs (Glass Vizard)
• teleportustomars (Mindbender)
• randomazzami (Randomazzo + Arcana VI)
• icanhearthecriesofcaptainplanet (Great Gospel)
• thankelrond (Magic Banger)
• timecompression (Sorceress Tears)
• ihaveseenitihaveseenitihaveseenitihaveseenitihaveseenitihaveseenitihaveseenit (Yellow Sign)

The creator of Vampire Survivors is laughing at us with that last one.

Stage codes

• relaxenjoylife (Il Molise)
• honesty (Moongolow)
• dotgogreenacres (Green Acres)
• rottingpizza (The Bone Zone)
• peakgamedesign (Boss Rash)

Main character codes

• noneladonna (Arca Ladonna)
• vivaladonna (Porta Ladonna)
• superladonna (Lama Ladonna)
• strongestcharacter (Poe Ratcho)
• bioparco (Dommario)
• faschiuma (Suor Clerici)
• accidenti (Krochi Freetto)
• crystalmakeup (Christine Davain)
• yattapanda (Yatta Cavallo)
• carramba (Bianca Ramba)
• reset (O'Sole Meeo)
• languorino (Sir Ambrojoe)

Extra codes

• spinnn (spins the UI)

I genuinely didn't think I was going to get the three ghosts on my own, so it's nice to finally have them in the collection. I feel no guilt about unlocking them the easy way.

The post Vampire Survivors has cheat codes for secret characters and other unlocks appeared first on Destructoid.

Or, as the developers put it in the game menu, a 'challenge of recycled assets'

With patches rolling out all the time, staying caught up with Vampire Survivors hasn't been easy, but it's been fun pretty much every step of the way. The new content in patch 0.9 feels a bit on the light side from the outside looking in, yet when you actually try it out, it's memorable. The biggest addition is Boss Rash, an arena-based survival mode. If you can survive 15 minutes, you'll be able to unlock a wonderfully strange new character.

Before you can enter Boss Rash, you'll first need to unlock Hyper Mode on the five regular stages — Mad Forest, Inlaid Library, Dairy Plant, Gallo Tower, and Cappella Magna. Hyper Mode will open up once you slay the boss that appears at the 25-minute mark on these stages; if you've been an avid Vampire Survivors player, you should be good to go.

I already had every Hyper Mode ready to go before patch 0.9 showed up, but to make Boss Rash appear, I needed to play a match and then quit out. That did the trick.

Before I go into any more specifics, there's one good-to-know tidbit to cover.

Going forward, save data will be located in %APPDATA%/Vampire_Survivors_Data — this change is meant to "avoid Cloud conflicts and issues on Steam Deck."

**Spoilers below**

If you want to be as efficient as possible (and you're feeling confident), try playing Boss Rash with only one weapon using the "Max Weapons" toggle — that's the criteria for the new character, Gyorunton, who wields a Bracelet. It looks like a long-lost Pokémon!

[caption id="attachment_336032" align="alignnone" width="800"] _{Why are you so cute???}[/caption]

As much as I like this colorful character design, I'm not sold on the projectile Bracelet, which evolves into a Bi- and then Tri-Bracelet without needing to pair it with an item.

Vampire Survivors patch 0.9 also brings two new arcanas: Twilight Requiem (unlocked by reaching level 99 as Dommario) and Gemini (reach level 99 as Pugnala). The former generates explosions when certain weapons expire, and the latter creates a counterpart for Peachone, Ebony Wings, Phiera Der Tuphello, and Eight the Sparrow.

Boss Rash is the clear highlight. The final moments are challenging, even with a beefed-up character. You'll have to face multiple reapers — even the big boss — all at once in an uncomfortably tight space. Granted, for egg-hoarding grinders out there, it'll be a breeze. But I narrowly made it to the 15-minute mark with revives lending a last-second hand.

Not much longer now, right? 1.0 feels close.

The post Vampire Survivors has a tough new Boss Rash mode in patch 0.9 appeared first on Destructoid.

Don't fear the reaper in patch 0.8.0

Patch 0.8.0 is out today for Vampire Survivors, and it hits the mark. With limit breaks further fueling the power fantasy — and the ability to auto-pick coin bags or floor chickens when leveling up — the horde-mowing action feels non-stop.

Wait, limit breaks? Yeah. With the new relic, Great Gospel, you'll be able to boost weapons to a ridiculous degree once everything else is maxed out. So instead of the normal money-or-food choice when you level up toward the end of a run, you'll be able to crank up stats like Area, Speed, and Might (with a percentage boost) on your favorite weapons.

Limit breaks are a toggle in Vampire Survivors, and to use them (they reset every run), you'll first need to pry the Great Gospel from a new boss's cold, skeletal hands. For a nudge in the right direction, head to Capella Magna and survive until the 30-minute mark.

**Spoilers below for the boss**

[caption id="attachment_333798" align="alignnone" width="1532"] _{Voltron vibes.}[/caption]

Unlike the usual end-of-run reapers, this is a proper "boss fight" with area-of-effect attacks to dodge. But don't be too intimidated. If you play it safe, you'll come out on top.

After besting the final (for now?) reaper boss in Vampire Survivors, you'll earn a new Arcana called Game Killer — it halts XP gains and turns XP gems into exploding projectiles while also guaranteeing that all treasure chests contain at least three items.

Don't forget to manually pick up the Great Gospel item drop!

There's also an unlockable bestiary in 0.8.0 that's worth a quick glance if you love Castlevania, though the developer, poncle, says it's "largely incomplete" right now. The enemy list "will be updated with more data and details as we get closer to v1.0."

[caption id="attachment_333831" align="alignnone" width="1231"] _{You can unlock the bestiary by finding the Ars Gouda relic in the Dairy Plant.}[/caption]

A couple more quality-of-life features

With patch 0.8.0, any items you've banished will be visible at the bottom of the level-up selection screen. Another change I like: it's now possible to filter out the achievements you've already earned, so you don't have to scroll through 100+ completed listings.

That feeling when you catch up with the latest Vampire Survivors update and raise your achievement completion rate back to 100% — bliss! Until next time, anyway. I do still have secret characters to unlock, including a new one who can be found in the Bone Zone.

In terms of the roadmap, Vampire Survivors still has room for more weapons, Arcanas, and a new challenge stage, plus whatever other surprises are in store. As someone who tends to wait for Early Access games to reach 1.0 status, I have to say, this has been a blast.

This new patch has made me feel even more powerful with limit breaks, and I have to imagine there will be some wild new challenge to put us back in our place.

The post Vampire Survivors got a big boss battle, limit breaks, and better level-ups appeared first on Destructoid.

With a new relic, you can now see the weapon evolution pairings right in the pause menu

Patch 0.7.3 for Vampire Survivors is out today, and you know what that means: more characters, weapons, relics, Arcanas, and achievements to unlock. I've never fought so hard to maintain 100 percent completion in a game, but that just goes to show how quickly these updates are coming. I grind and grind, and the developers grind right back.

This trailer is a nice hazy attention-grabber, and I've got specifics below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBeUURT-5Mo

Here's a spoiler-filled rundown of what's in patch 0.7.3, including the new secret character

Characters

• Sir Ambrojoe, who starts with the furniture-raining La Robba weapon.
  • How to unlock: Kill 6,000 Stage Killer enemies on Cappella Magna.
• Peppino, a slow-moving, area-of-effect-dealing tree. Yes, a tree.
  • How to unlock: Heal plants for 100,000 health on Ill Molise using O'Sole.

Relics

• Grim Grimoire — shows all currently known evolutions/unions in the pause menu.
  • How to unlock: Pick it up in the Inlaid Library near your spawn point.
• Mindbender — lets you change the appearance of characters in the selection menu, and lets you limit your active weapon slots (which pairs well with a new Arcana).
  • How to unlock: Complete 100 entries in the Collection.

Arcanas

• Tragic Princess (III) — reduces the cooldown of weapons while moving, including Garlic, Soul Eater, Santa Water, La Borra, Lightning Ring, Thunder Loop, and Carréllo.
  • How to unlock: Reach level 99 with Porta.
• Silent Old Sanctuary (XX) — grants +3 Reroll, Skip, and Banish, and provides +20% Might and -8% Cooldown for each of your empty active weapon slots.
  • How to unlock: Reach minute 31 in the Dairy Plant.

Tweaks and fixes

• Improved stats of Vento Sacro's early levels.
• Added extra area coverage to Fuwalafuwaloo.
• Moved Magic Banger relic to Green Acres.
• Hurry mode also gives a 25% XP bonus.
• Added support for German and Brazilian-Portuguese.
• Tentative fix for standard saves not working on Steam Deck for some users.

After highlighting a fan-made evolution chart, it's nice to see that in the game proper. I'm about 50 hours into Vampire Survivors and I still need to double-check some of them.

[caption id="attachment_331548" align="alignnone" width="1530"] _{The Grim Grimoire shows weapon evolutions right in the game.}[/caption]

The Vampire Survivors team is growing

In a Steam post, the creator of Vampire Survivors, poncle, spoke about the growing team.

"We had a team for some time now, but I'm taking the opportunity to talk about it only now that one more developer, David, is finally joining me in working full time on the current version of the game. This doesn't mean we're going to reach version 1.0 of the game faster than expected, but it means we'll be putting in the game even more features and be faster in polishing rough edges. One of the new relics from this patch, the Grim Grimoire, is a good example of what kind of extras to expect!"

There are also a few developers working on porting Vampire Survivors to an "industry-standard engine" without losing the game's very particular look and feel.

They're aiming to have "a version of Vampire Survivors that plays just like the current one, but that is free of hardware and controller compatibility issues and that performs well even when there is an unreasonable amount of projectiles and enemies on screen."

If all goes well, that'll be done this summer, but it's ultimately "ready when it's ready."

[caption id="attachment_331551" align="alignnone" width="1532"] _{Peppino reporting for duty.}[/caption]

"We might be getting close to the conclusion of Vampire Survivors, but for poncle that's just the beginning." On that note, I'm rooting so hard for a Nintendo Switch port.

I'm not joking around when I say that Vampire Survivors is one of my favorite games of 2022. No, really! It's just so satisfying to cleave through hordes of pixelated baddies, and I love the sense of micro and macro progression. Individual game runs are inherently fun, as are the achievements/unlockables that push you to keep playing again and again.

It might not look like much, but that's part of the charm.

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Every weapon+item combination as of patch 0.11.0

What's the opposite of photographic memory? I forget! But whatever it is, I have it. And when it comes to Vampire Survivors, I often need to consult an evolution guide to remember the right weapon and item choices. With the correct combinations, pickups fuse together, and these evolutions can help you survive 30 minutes (or longer).

Thanks to a player named Chaser1807 on r/VampireSurvivors, there's this super handy weapon evolution chart, which was just revised to reflect patch 0.11.0:

[caption id="attachment_340973" align="alignnone" width="2560"] _{[Image Source: Chaser1807]}[/caption]So, what's different? Patch 0.6.1 added an evolution for the Laurel, which combines with Metaglio Left and Metaglio Right to form Crimson Shroud. There's also an evo for the Clock Lancet, which fuses with the Silver Ring and Gold Ring to create Infinite Corridor.

If you haven't discovered these pickups yet, you'll need to unlock a bonus stage, named Moonglow, by beating the boss that spawns 25 minutes into each of the four main levels. Once inside Moonglow, you'll need to survive for 15 minutes (with a non-special hero), at which point you'll go through a trippy bespoke challenge that will unlock the Yellow Sign relic. With the Yellow Sign relic (you're almost done, I swear!), you'll be able to see the Silver and Gold Rings, and the Left and Right Metaglio items on maps from then on.

Heads-up: for the new evolutions, Crimson Shroud and Infinite Corridor, their prerequisite passive items also need to be fully leveled, not just the weapons.

[Update: June 10, 2022] This week, patch 0.7.2 added a rapid-fire whip, Vento Sacro, which is unlocked by surviving for 15 minutes with the new character, Zi'Assunta. (Who, in turn, is unlocked from a coffin in the new stage, Cappella Magna.) With new content in play, Vampire Survivors players can now unite Vento Sacro with Bloody Tear to form Fuwalafuwaloo, and the evolution chart has been updated accordingly. Happy hunting!

[Update: August 22, 2022] With more content showing up, it's time for a new chart. The latest Vampire Survivors evolution image from Chaser1807 is up to date with patch 0.11.0 and includes the Bracelet (which evolves into the Bi- and Tri-Bracelet) and the Victory Sword (which pairs with Torrona's Box to form Sole Solution).

[caption id="attachment_324427" align="alignnone" width="1532"] _{This feels ~so good~.}[/caption]

A refresher on how to trigger evolutions

Jumping back a bit for new players who are still feeling their way through the basics, the key to evolution in Vampire Survivors is simpler than it might initially seem.

In general, you'll combine an active weapon with a specific passive item, then pop open a treasure chest dropped by a boss to trigger the transformation — but first, the weapon (or weapons in the case of unions) must be level eight. So, you need to focus your efforts while leveling up your favorites; it's all part of the fun. When I first started playing Vampire Survivors, I thought the evo system was far more random and chaotic than this.

So, as one example, this chart helps remind me that a level-eight Knife can pair with a level-whatever Bracer to form the rapid-fire Thousand Edge evolution.

Worth noting: some weapons, like the Bone, do not (currently!) have an evolution.

With so many power-ups in play (and more to come as Vampire Survivors gets further Early Access updates), it's nice to be able to glance at a chart like this to instantly see which items pair up. Text guides can be great, but I love the visual aid. I keep the chart in a tab on my second monitor, and swap over as needed while watching YouTube or Twitch.

If you've got the basics down and are looking to optimize your character builds, Chaser1807 also has a nice Vampire Survivors synergy chart. I love it!

You might've heard buzz lately, and maybe clicked this article out of curiosity without ever trying Vampire Survivors. If so, I highly recommend it — it's $3 on Steam and included in Game Pass. I'm nearing the 30-hour mark with no signs of slowing down.

The post Every Vampire Survivors evolution in one chart appeared first on Destructoid.

The latest free update is The Weird One, and it has something for players with "nothing left to unlock"

Vampire Survivors has become my go-to unwinding game, and I don't see anything else kicking it off the throne this year — not when it's already this good and only getting better with updates. The latest free patch, dubbed "The Weird One," is surprisingly big.

Sharing the summary for update 0.6.1 on Steam, Vampire Survivors developer poncle said to expect "less content than usual" — but players have already unearthed significant content, including a merchant, new playable characters, and a way to keep the game fresh once "there's nothing left to unlock." That said, the creator doesn't want to pressure players, noting: "please don't feel like you have to grind for these new bonuses."

Here's an attention-grabbing teaser video for the new patch:

https://youtu.be/fvt2hQi-4gQ

What's new with patch 0.6.1

Officially, the patch has five new achievements, one bonus stage, one relic to access two minor gameplay mechanics, two new Arcanas, and one more rank for the Skip power-up, as poncle puts it. Other tweaks are in here, too — bonus Armor points now also increase retaliatory damage by 10 percent, and Rerolls can be used to draft Arcanas.

That overview is a good starting point if you'd like to discover everything on your own without following a guide. There's more to find, though. Some spoilers to follow.

I'm not out of things to strive for yet — I'm "only" 22 hours into this soothing three-dollar game, and am still figuring out my ideal character builds and survival strategies — but I tried the 0.6.1 patch last night and had a blast figuring out the wild new bonus stage.

[caption id="attachment_323626" align="alignnone" width="712"] _{The Infinite Corridor and Crimson Shroud are new evolutions.}[/caption]

How to unlock the new bonus stage, relic, weapons, and characters

To access Moonglow and get the "I can't see anything..." achievement, you'll first need to have Hyper Mode unlocked for the four normal stages (which is done by surviving for 25 minutes and killing the boss that spawns). From there, you'll want to hop into the Moonglow level with a non-secret character and survive for 15 minutes, at which point things will go haywire; keep running to the right during this trippy escape sequence, and pray. If your run is anything like mine, expect a nail-biter.

If you make it through the gauntlet, you'll have the Yellow Sign — a new relic that shows the locations of the Silver Ring, Gold Ring, Metaglio Left, and Metaglio Right pickups. The two rings feed into the Clock Lancet evolution (known as Infinite Corridor), and the left and right items go with the Laurel (evolving into Crimson Shroud). Max 'em all out.

With Infinite Corridor and Crimson Shroud, you can even defy Death.

Naturally, there are new characters to go along with these evolutions: Iguana Gallo Valletto and Divano Thelma, respectively. I'll also point you to Boon Marrabbio. (The character names in Vampire Survivors are out of control, but it's part of the charm.)

[caption id="attachment_323625" align="alignnone" width="1532"] _{The merchant first appears in Moonglow.}[/caption]

Permanent stat bumps with Golden Eggs

While you're in Moonglow, make sure to give the merchant 10,000 gold for the Glass Vizard relic; they'll then show up to sell their wares in the other stages.

Speaking of which, about that new mechanic for players who need something fresh to throw their gold at — Golden Eggs will permanently improve a random stat "by a tiny amount" for your current character. Which yeah, that's rad for grinders. That said, some players are hoping for a way to turn off perma-upgrades for the sake of leaderboards.

Every minute I'm writing this article is another minute I could be playing Vampire Survivors, so uh, excuse me! I am obsessed with knocking out all of these achievements. Even though the game's in Early Access, don't let that hold you back. The grind is so fun.

The post Vampire Survivors update 0.6.1 is the gift that keeps on giving appeared first on Destructoid.

This is my Whip. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

Vampire Survivors has really taken 2022 by storm. Despite launching at the end of last year, the $3 indie gem has garnered a fervent following.

It's easy to see why, too. The mix of roguelite progression, Castlevania-themed visuals, and gameplay best described as somewhere at the intersection of tower defense and bullet hell just works. Runs are short and sweet, yet compelling enough to keep starting up just one more go-around.

What you pick on that run could be for any number of reasons. Maybe you need to round out a build, or maybe it's just up to chance. But we all have a favorite. Everyone has a favorite weapon in Vampire Survivors, one they can't help but pick every time it rolls up. So what does your weapon say about you?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC8r7qIUkyA

Whip

You love the classics. This is clearly, essentially, Castlevania. So why leave the Whip at home?

The Whip is a surprisingly versatile and effective weapon, at just about every stage. Early on, it's great for wiping out hordes of smaller enemies. As it levels, it covers more area. Its upgrade companion, Hollow Heart, is good for stats, and the crit potential is fantastic.

You want to play the hits. You want to be Trevor Belmont. And it's a good time for being Trevor Belmont.

Axe

You're a methodical player. You know positioning is power. You think about ways in which you can manipulate the motion of the crowds, all in pursuit of a perfect Axe arch to wipe them all out.

Patience is, thankfully, well-rewarded in Vampire Survivors. The evolved Axe is arguably one of the better evolutions in the game. Even before then, well-placed Axes can be a run-saver.

Cross

Roll the die. You love Lady Luck, you're already grabbing clovers, so why not get a Cross?

That said, the Cross can hold its own for a while. It's a bit fickle, but it can make some space. Really, you want the clover. You want luck on your side. And that's what the Cross is here to help you do.

Fire Wand

The best crowd control is to simply destroy the crowd. You play Red in Magic: The Gathering. You play DPS in MMOs. And you know that damage is where it's at.

Fire Wand is the pure powerhouse of Vampire Survivors. It starts out strong and only gets stronger with upgrades. Sure, it's not as fast to fire, and tends to focus on closer threats rather than crowds. But if a big boss comes along, the Fire Wand will get the job done.

Magic Wand

You picked Imelda, right? The Magic Wand is an unsung hero of Vampire Survivors. The best early option for staving off the exploding ghosts in the Library, and as it levels up, it eventually becomes a machine gun of magic.

The Magic Wand is not flashy. It gets the job done. It's a dependable option, and you like consistency.

Garlic

Why work hard, if you can work smart? Eliminate bats as a threat entirely with Garlic, the early-game hero of Vampire Survivors. Garlic is defensive and offensive. Garlic is the easiest way to move ahead, and with the evolution, it's even better. Honestly, congratulations to the Garlic fans. Y'all are truly playing the smart game.

Santa Water

You liked Santa Water before it was evolved. You just like seeing chaos rain from the sky. Sometimes you forget you have Santa Water, and then it rains on down, clearing out a big bunch of zombies and skeletons, and you smile a little bit. You definitely picked this because it says "Santa Water."

Peachone / Ebony Wings

You love the long game. There is an endgame you are working towards, and you will get there. Eventually.

When the Exodia forms, though, it will be exquisite. I mean, it's a free weapon slot! How can you not want a free weapon slot? All you have to do is level up two comparatively lacking weapons to their final forms, and then get a chest. How long could that take? Much like Dutch van der Linde, you have a plan. And it will work. It's just gonna take some time.

Knife

The Knife is simple. Where you go, it fires. Sure, it's not the most overpowered weapon. But you like to clear the path ahead. You like to know where you're going. And you really, really like shooting a whole bunch of Knives out in front of you, real fast.

King Bible

Orbitals are too good. You like the security they provide. But you also like a little bit of danger. Just enough of a cooldown gap to get anxious, and then the Bibles come back up.

And with every upgrade, that gap shortens. Until eventually, you have assembled the unholy library of death incarnate. I mean, we all have favorites in this game. But we also pick the King Bible up. Even the Garlic players know, the book ring is where it's at. Other weapons are cherries on top, but the Bible is the sundae.

Runetracer

Evolutions are for the weak. Runetracer is the weapon for those who don't rely on such frivolities. Really, the Runetracer is already in its final form. At its base level, it can be even more powerful than most other weapons. And it stays relevant, benefitting incredibly from extra projectiles and damage.

Every time you see a projectile bounce around, you see maximized value. And without an evolution component tying it down, you're free to pick up whatever upgrades you like. Runetracer has it covered.

Lightning Ring

You might have had a little envy, seeing the Santa Water fans get their evolution first. Lightning Ring has been putting in the work for ages. With a new evolution, your time has come.

Fire might be nice, but Lightning Ring rains destruction from the heavens. If Chain Lightning is an option, in any game, you take it. And you love seeing the lightning rain down and annihilate pockets of enemies around the map.

Pentagram

Is it optimal? No. Is it a frugal slot option? Nah. Is it fun? Heck yes it is.

Sure, most times the Pentagram is not the most optimal option. You don't care. When you're about to fall and the screen wipes, you'll know you were in the right.

Clock Lancet

The truly in-the-know, know. Damage is fine, but freezing enemies is secretly incredibly useful. Freeze those enemies and slide right by. Keep them in place, and they can't get close before your weapons wipe them out.

Clock Lancet may not shine solo, but it's a robust addition to any arsenal, and you know that. Vampire Survivors is about the sum of its parts, and you know that Clock Lancet is a crucial cog in the machine.

Bone

The post What your favorite Vampire Survivors weapon says about you appeared first on Destructoid.

Slay never-ending legions of the undead while running in circles

Dozens of games make their Steam debut every day, and it's easy for some to get lost in the mix. But do a little digging and you'll find something like Vampire Survivors, a hidden gem that's starting to get some traction, and for good reason too. It's tense, fun, and it's only $3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC8r7qIUkyA

Vampire Survivors is best described as a survival rogue-lite, but even that's a little vague. You take control of one character from a roster of many, and have only the option to move around; all your attacks auto-fire around you. Choose Antonio, and he'll whip at the air in front of himself in a rhythm.

The controls you have at your disposal are moving around and choosing upgrades. Gems drop on the ground, and collecting enough will level you up, which lets you add even more auto-firing weapons to your character's disposal. Bibles, axes, magic wands, and more Castlevania equipment fill out the potential arsenal. Yes, Vampire Survivors takes some pretty obvious inspiration from Castlevania.

Vampire Survivors' loop is fairly simple: run around, collect gems, destroy the monstrous horde, and try not to run out of health and die. It's deceptively simple. Because under the hood, there's a lot going on that has had me hooked for the last few days.

The arena-based, free-roaming movement reminds me of classic top-down shooters or an XBLIG favorite of mine, I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES 1N IT!!!1 As the horde grows and grows, controlling the stream of creatures creeping in from every corner becomes incredibly important. Even just opening up a gap in the crowd to pick up the gems dropped by throngs of bats and skeletons can be a challenge later on.

Taking away the fire button from your weapons also means you need to pace your movement around their tendencies. Some weapons pierce enemies, while others can only hit one with a single projectile. Some launch in whichever direction you're facing, while others target nearby enemies, and others still have distinct fly patterns. Getting further into levels means getting a handle on how to stand and move, sometimes dancing just within arm's reach of a horde and then back out.

The upgrade system is surprisingly complex, too. You can opt for new weapons or passive upgrades in your arsenal, or instead choose to upgrade the ones you have with every level up and chest drop. Yes, there are "builds" that eventually form. And get far enough into a weapon's upgrades with the right passives, and you might be able to evolve it into an even more powerful version.

Those upgraded and evolved versions help, as Vampire Survivors will chuck all kinds of terrible curses at you. Encroaching walls of plants, huge boss-style enemies, and literal floods of enemies at times. There is a "kill screen" of skeletons I have become all too familiar with in one map. Overcoming it is usually the sign of whether my run was destined to go the distance or deserved to fall apart underneath the skeletal army. Thankfully, runs have been mercifully short when they go bad. My longest was over 20 minutes, but my shortest cratered at about six.

Outside of each run, there are permanent upgrades to unlock, and new characters with different traits and starting weapons to play. And updates have been fairly frequent too, with new characters and a new map all arriving since the start of the new year.

After spending a handful of hours with Vampire Survivors, I get why it's gained some traction on YouTube channels and word-of-mouth. It's got a lot of room for even more growth, but what it's got is a really solid foundation. Vampire Survivors mixes wave survival, roguelite upgrades, and auto-battler build construction into Zen-inducing runs. Sprinkle in a heavy, heavy dash of Castlevania, and you've got a neat experience that's worth checking out at the low, low price of $2.99.

You can find Vampire Survivors on Steam here.

The post Vampire Survivors is a horde survival hidden gem appeared first on Destructoid.