Vampire Survivors: you move, the weapons do the rest
Vampire Survivors is a roguelite by poncle, released in full in 2022 after an early access run. You only steer your character. Weapons fire on their own, and you try to survive 30 minutes of bigger and bigger hordes. It is on PC, consoles, iPhone and Android, and it started a whole genre of survivors-likes.
How a run works
Enemies come from every side. Each one you kill drops an experience gem. Pick up enough and you level up, which lets you choose a new weapon, a passive item or an upgrade. By minute ten you are a walking storm of whips, knives, garlic and holy water.
The screen fills up, and that is the point. Early on you dodge carefully. Later you are carving paths through hundreds of bats and skeletons. At the 30-minute mark, Death himself shows up.
Evolutions, the big payoff
Max out a weapon, hold the matching passive item, then open a treasure chest from a boss and the weapon evolves. The Whip with Hollow Heart becomes Bloody Tear. Magic Wand with Empty Tome becomes Holy Wand. Finding these pairs is a big part of the fun.
Tips for your first runs
- Keep moving in circles. Kiting enemies around you is safer than running in a straight line.
- Grab magnets. They pull in every gem on screen at once.
- Pick a build early. Choose two or three weapons you know can evolve and stick with them.
- Spend gold between runs. Permanent upgrades from the shop make every next run easier.
Survivors-likes on Roam
Hold the Hour is a straight horde survivor: the horde keeps coming, you hold on. Swarm Survivors is top-down, keep moving and let your guns work. Sink or Swarm moves it underwater with harpoons that fire on their own. Crowd Crusher has a portal that keeps spitting goblins. Rotten Rounds is twelve waves of zombies around one camp.
Play it on Roam
More on Roam
Make your own survivors-like with Roam
Roam is a free iPhone app where you describe a game and play it. Pick the hero, the horde and the weapons, then change them by talking. Roam is rated 13+ on the App Store.
Try: "survivors-like in a supermarket, I am a cat, weapons fire on their own, hordes of shopping carts, boss at 10 minutes"Roam ("Roam - Make Games" on the App Store) is an iPhone app where you play games and make your own by describing them or from a photo. It is free to download and play, and making games works without a subscription; optional Spark and Reality plans and credit packs add more creation. Android: pre-register on Google Play.
Questions people ask
Who made Vampire Survivors?
The studio poncle made it. It left early access in 2022.
How long is a Vampire Survivors run?
A standard stage lasts 30 minutes, then Death appears.
Is Vampire Survivors on mobile?
Yes. It is on iPhone and Android, as well as PC and consoles.