Why You Should Stop What You’re Doing and Play Vampire Survivors

In a world with seemingly limitless options for video games to play, it takes a lot for a game to capture my attention the way Vampire Survivors has. I haven’t touched a browser-based game in years. Yet after seeing folks in the Bloody Good Horror Slack channel (come join us - we’re a ton of fun!) talk positively about this game, I knew I had to give it a shot. And I was immediately hooked.

Vampire Survivors is currently a time survival game with minimalistic gameplay and roguelite elements. There's no place where to hide, all you can do is try to survive a cursed night and get as much gold as possible for the next survivor before Death inevitably puts an end to your struggles.

Seems simple enough, until you realize what weapon combos work - or don’t work - for your playstyle. You start off with Antonio and his Whip and eventually unlock characters like Imelda and her Magic Wand, Pasqualina and her Runetracer, and Gennaro and his Knife. You start with one basic attack, leveling up by collecting gold by defeating the monsters that constantly cross your path. You can level up current weapons, or pick up a new one. Or maybe you pick up a passive item that raises your armor, health, or luck. The longer you play, the more challenging enemies make their way to you, but you’re getting stronger too. Can you survive the night?

Personally, I love roguelike and roguelite games. I’ve poured over 1,000 hours into The Binding of Isaac and continue to play it almost daily. Vampire Survivors is totally up my alley, but it’s genuinely a super addicting and fun game to play. The fact you can easily bring it up in your browser makes it the perfect game to decompress with after a long workday or zone out for a while on the weekend. You’ll find yourself immersed quickly and wanting to try “just one more run” after discovering a new weapon you really like.

Now, I'm no pro at this game as I will admit I have yet to fully survive the night, but I'll share a few tips I've learned along the way.

1. Never stop moving. The monsters in this game follow the rules of the monster in It Follows. They are constantly coming towards you. You'll find yourself surrounded quickly so staying still is a quick way to get killed.
2. Grab 2-3 additional weapons early on. A variety of weapons helps. Antonio's starting weapon, the Whip, only slashes horizontally, leaving you vulnerable to enemies coming at you from the top and bottom of the screen. Pick up a couple different types of weapons and then level them up.
3. Spinach is your friend. Popeye was onto something because Spinach in this game is great! It makes every weapon you have stronger. I recommend grabbing it if you see it.
4. Don't rush to pick up your XP. Unlike some games where coins or XP will disappear after some time, they aren't going anywhere in Vampire Survivors. Don't put yourself at risk and bombard through enemies for XP, health, or a chest. Take your time til you can clear a path there, the items will wait for you.
5. Attack light sources for coins and health. This took me a few rounds of the game to figure out. There is a way to heal if you take a couple hits (most likely from those big flocks of bats that swoop in at you) and the torches will drop food, coins, or other special items. If you see food while your at full health, leave it be and come back to it when you need it.

It's a short game, which is a breath of fresh air in a world where completing a game can take 50-100 hours. There are 7 characters, 22 weapons, and 12 power ups in its current version. With only one stage and two difficulty settings, it'll probably take you roughly two to three hours to see everything in game. Not only can you play in browser, but you can also play on mobile or table devices. The game is compatible with keyboard, mouse, controller, and touch screen. 

Vampire Survivors, developed and published by poncle, is available on itch.io for free. Think of this free version as a demo. Give it a whirl and if you find yourself addicted as I did, consider supporting the game by donating or buying it for $2.99 on Steam. The game is in Early Access, meaning the game is not complete and may or may not continue to get updated, but giving the overwhelmingly positive feedback the game is getting, there's a good chance it'll continue to see support. I have a good feeling though that you’re gonna immediately get sucked in like I did and find yourself wanting to unlock all the characters and discover all the items.