The Best Vampire Games
Vampires are a popular subject of fiction, and games with these blood-sucking fiends are almost as numerous as the books, movies, and TV shows they’ve inspired. From classic franchises like Castlevania to more recent indie games, there’s bound to be a game in this list that piques your interest.
We’ve picked out some of our personal favourites from the many options out there, including some slightly older titles that share some similarities with Vampire Survivors, the indie game that kicked off this whole trend.
Here are the best vampire games on PC:
20 Minutes Till Dawn
With intriguing mechanics and gameplay that shifts between day and night, “20 Minutes Till Dawn” has all the makings of a successful indie game. It also has a unique light and darkness system that sees the world change in response to your actions. During the day, you can use your magic to manipulate the environment, but at night, your powers are useless and you’ll have to rely on your weapons. What’s more, you can use darkness to your advantage by summoning monsters to fight your enemies while you hide.
Swarm Grinder
This roguelite game introduces a unique mechanic to the genre, as you can destroy walls so that you can control the pace at which you encounter enemies. Of course, this also means that you’ll have to face a horde of monsters all at once, but that’s a risk worth taking considering how quickly you can die. If you do find yourself overwhelmed, you can use one of your escape cards to teleport away, giving you a fresh start in another part of the dungeon.
Yet Another Zombie Survivors
Swapping out spells for modern weaponry, “Yet Another Zombie Survivors” offers a new spin on the genre by introducing a squad mechanic. You can only control one character at a time, but you can give orders to the rest of your team which can occasionally lead to interesting gameplay moments. What’s more, you can upgrade your weapons and recruit new team members, making this a surprisingly deep experience for a game that shares so much in common with Vampire Survivors.
Boneraiser Minions
What if you could control an army of undead minions? That’s the premise of “Boneraiser Minions,” an arcade-style game in which you fight alongside an ever-growing horde of enemies. You can use your magic to summon undead creatures that automatically attack nearby enemies, but you’ll still have to avoid the human enemies that can quickly eliminate your minions.
RICE
A VS-like game that tackles the genre’s formula and community head-on, “RICE” offers fun gameplay and some unique mechanics, but it also serves as a biting criticism of the genre that spawned it.
Crafty Survivors
Combining endless waves of enemies with a cast of adorable characters representing various crafts is a recipe for fun, and “Crafty Survivors” does it better than most. Some of the characters are more useful than others (you can only rely on yourself), but the option to play as a fisherman, painter, tailor, or even a goat provides a welcome change from the typical roster of swordsmen and mages.
Tiny Rogues
Tiny Rogues wears its Castlevania influences on its sleeve with an aesthetic that’s evocative of mid-’90s platformers. While Vampire Survivors borrows its combat mechanics from the Metroid series, this roguelite features gameplay that’s almost identical to Konami’s popular action-adventure.
Gatekeeper: Eclipse
Taking the VS formula to an alien setting, “Gatekeeper: Eclipse” offers a similar gameplay loop to Vampire Survivors while still feeling fresh. You’ll play as a Gatekeeper who defends the eponymous Eclipse from waves of sci-fi enemies that can overwhelm you if you aren’t careful. The roguelite aspect of this game is represented by the fact that your combat nodes on the overworld map reset each time you die, making this a challenge that never feels the same twice.
Brotato
A twin-stick shooter that draws obvious inspiration from the arcade classic Geometry Wars, “Brotato” features a claustrophobic arena and short rounds that make it perfect for quick bursts of gameplay. You can upgrade your weapons between rounds, and the arena gradually becomes more crowded as you progress, making it a nice alternative to Vampire Survivors if you’re looking for a similar endless-mode experience.
Just King
Taking inspiration from VS, battle chess games, and tower defense, “Just King” is a combination that sounds like a recipe for disaster, but somehow, it works. Each level is divided into a chessboard-like grid and a path for the king to walk, and you can deploy units along the way to fight enemies. The king can also use a single special ability each turn, and you’ll have to use them tactically to defeat your enemies.
Rogue: Genesia
While the art style of “Rogue: Genesia” is similar to Vampire Survivors, this roguelite offers a very different experience. Instead of exploring a series of interconnected areas, you move through a roguelite overworld that consists of combat nodes that represent encounters on an abstracted map of Genesia. This makes it a bit more like Gatekeeper: Eclipse, though it doesn’t share that game’s emphasis on roguelite mechanics.
The Cosmic Library
Boasting a rocking soundtrack that’s a match for Vampire Survivors, “The Cosmic Library” stands out in this list for its excellent music. Unfortunately, its visuals are a bit underwhelming, as the colorful enemies often blend into the background, and the cosmic library setting isn’t exactly the most inspired choice.
Vampire Survivor
If you just want to try Vampire Survivor for yourself, you can play the whole thing for free in your browser at VampireSurvivor.
