Vampire Survivors
A progress report on the games we just can’t quit
Developer/publisher Poncle Format PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series Release 2022
As Vampire Survivors expanded through early access and then its two first DLCs, it gained arenas, characters and weapons, but the formula remained unchanged. On each restart, you would step into an open level and face hordes of foes, thinning their ranks with auto-firing ordnance. The arms you earned from levelling up intensified the chaos, with battles ending after 30 minutes in a frenzy of pixel-art monsters and obscenely high scores.