Vampire Survivors

By all rights, Vampire Survivors should not be as good as it is. It very clearly rips off Castlevania aesthetics; utilizes a boring, blocky user interface suited more for mobile devices; and asks little of the player apart from walking through endless hordes of bats, zombies, and other assorted ghouls. And yet, Vampire Survivors may just be one of the greatest games of 2022 so far. Vampire Survivors’ power lies with its near-constant dopamine rush. It’s the perfect game to pull up during a boring work meeting or while waiting in lengthy Final Fantasy XIV queues. Few experiences in gaming today feel as satisfying as clearing the screen of baddies, opening a chest, and being showered with items and gold. Even better, Vampire Survivors doesn’t try to nickel and dime you with mobile-style monetization, even though it would be the easiest thing in the world for its solo dev to do. That alone deserves some praise.

Playable On: PC

Rough Average Playtime: 11 hours