Vampire Crawlers Preview: Sinking Its Teeth Into Me | The Gamerheads Podcast

I didn’t think they could do it, but they did. Poncle has once again proven they have a hit on their hands with Vampire Crawlers, a game that takes concepts from Vampire Survivors and applies them to a roguelike deckbuilder. I played the demo during Steam Next Fest, and I can’t wait to see the final version.

What impresses me is the fact that they build upon the success of Vampire Survivors and create a game that feels so different, yet familiar. While many studios would lean into what worked for them in the past, Poncle reimagines their ideas in a way that many others cannot.

What I love about the demo is the familiarity of the game. The weapons and buffs are now represented in card form, each with a certain amount of mana needed to play them. The enemies are the same as well, except this time they are represented in a 2D format within a 3D world. I love that they lean into the retro style dungeon crawlers like Eye of the Beholder, but adding the deckbuilding mechanic makes it feel fresh.

Speaking of feeling fresh, there’s voice acting in the game. Not a lot, but the amount that is included makes the game feel like an arcade experience. When I unlocked Antonio, every time I used the whip he would shout a catchphrase like “Whip it!” I love it. Characters also play an important role, as the weapons associated with that character deal more damage after I play their character card.

I love Vampire Survivors, and I can see myself sinking just as much time into Vampire Crawlers as I did into Vampire Survivors. Make sure to wishlist the game!