Since its release in 2021, “Vampire Survivors” has been one of the most talked about indie games on the market. This came as a shock to some as the game looks as though it would have been released on the original Nintendo. However, underneath these pixelated graphics stood a solid old-school game that reminded players why these games were so popular during their heyday.

For those who may be unaware, “Vampire Survivors” follows a simple formula. The player picks a class and does their best to survive given a preset time on the map. While this might sound a bit mundane compared to modern games, it is anything but. As players work their way through the map, they are treated to a variety of upgrade decisions that can help them through the map. 

As with most traditional rogue light games, experience and perks carry over from round to round. This allows the player to feel their strength growing as they continue to play. However, what really makes “Vampire Survivors” stand out amongst the competition is its dedication to old-school gameplay. In a medium that is constantly trying to break new ground, Vampire Survivors highlights why we fell in love with gaming in the first place. 

Back in the dark ages, gamers didn’t have the internet to rely on. When you purchase a new game, the case may as well have been a treasure chest filled with secrets. There were no DLCs to purchase or patches to download. Because of this, the games were filled with secrets to explore. This encouraged you to replay the game over and over, trying to figure out what would happen if you beat it in a certain way or under a certain time.

This is one of the things that “Vampire Survivors” does in stride. There are a myriad of characters and items to unlock as you progress through the game. Each new mode and setting encourages you to try new things and try to figure out the secrets lying in wait. The simple gameplay loop easily lures you and it becomes very easy to lose several hours of your day searching for its hidden mechanics.
This isn't to say that “Vampire Survivors” doesn’t take advantage of modern technology, it certainly does. However, it even does that in a unique way. While many modern games nickel and dime players to death with microtransactions, “Vampire Survivors” continues to offer a substantial amount of additional content for a very low price. Not only that, but each piece of new content genuinely improves the game without feeling like it should have been included in the original release. 

Now, another aspect of old-school gaming that has almost disappeared is the demo concept. Once upon a time, video games would allow you to play a sample of the game before forking over your hard-earned cash. “Vampire Survivors” continued this concept by releasing their demo on Itch.io when they released in 2021. 

They later released the game on Steam where it became an overnight success. However, even after becoming one of the most talked about games of the year, the game's developer, Poncle, decided to leave the demo up. This allows players to spend some time with the mechanics before deciding if they want to shell out five bucks to Steam. 

All in all, “Vampire Survivors” blends the best of retro and modern gaming into a love note to the medium. Its success highlights the glaring flaws in modern gaming while providing its own unique experience. We can only hope that this will lead to more indie games gaining global recognition in the near future.  

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Vampire Survivors Continues to Dominate the Indie Market