Designed for fun by a single developer, vampire survivors is a little game roguelike with a retro look, but with resolutely modern ideas. And we will say it bluntly: there is something magical about this little independent gem.
Does his genius lie in the very simple idea that defines him? In this 8-bit aesthetic close to the first Castlevania ? Or was it that dopamine-fueled game loop that got us hooked fast?
Alone against ever-growing hordes of evil beasts, we try to survive the night as long as possible. Death is inevitable, but at least we can take away some treasures in defeat that we can use in a future attempt.
The developer Luca Galante (aka Poncle) had the audacity to take the best of what is done on mobile phones in terms of neuronal excitement and apply it to an offline and non-monetized game.
At each level that we reach, we are randomly offered weapons and skills to improve our character. With each great villain defeated, a treasure chest rewards us in the same way. We quickly become a machine to knock out the demon, the improvements to our character combining in unusual ways, giving free rein to our strategic creativity.
But the challenge gets bigger as time goes on. Inevitably, one will have to abdicate, buried under a mountain of monsters. On the other hand, we will immediately want to start a new game, having each time unlocked a new toy: whether it is a weapon, a character or a new skill.
Obviously, vampire survivors within his means. That’s part of the charm.
In interview at Vice, Luca Galante admits that he did not expect much from his little game built during the weekends. And neither do we, to be honest.
But we found something charming there: the true product of a passion. This is one of those games that we will keep installed on our computer for regular sessions. We even found ourselves thinking about it in our spare time, imagining which combinations of weapons and skills would be the most enjoyable.
In Early Access for just $3 on Steam, it honestly feels like we’re stealing from the developer. There’s not much to lose by trying it out.