Tired of Vampire Survivors? Here are the 6 survivor-likes you shouldn't miss

The developers of Vampire Survivors have released a new game, Vampire Crawlers, which is a mix of dungeon crawler and deckbuilder. If you think all those words are strange and you’ve never heard them before, and you just want more Vampire Survivors, but in a different way, that’s fine: we can cover you. That’s what we’re here for. To tell you about six other games that are like Vampire Survivors, but with some changes to the formula, so they feel fresh and interesting. Let’s not delay. Let’s manage those skills, even if it hurts your wallet. Temtem: Swarm Vampire Survivors with MOBA elements, allowing you to play […]

Temtem: Swarm

Vampire Survivors with MOBA elements, allowing you to play with up to three friends and with a much cuter aesthetic. That is what Temtem: Swarm brings to the formula. With the same frantic action that characterizes survivorlikes, but with enough personality of its own to captivate many people even more than the original, it is one of those games that has flown under the radar of most people, but it shouldn’t. Because Vampire Survivors may be the original, but Temtem: Swarm has managed to carve out its own niche.

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

Speaking of the original, it is undeniable that Vampire Survivors owes a lot of its gameplay to The Binding of Isaac. Although this is a roguelite inspired by The Legend of Zelda where you will have to decide when to shoot, at least most of the time, and where dungeon exploration is very important, this is one of those games that are already absolute cult classics and can offer you what Vampire Survivors cannot: the next level of difficulty and density. Because if you think Vampire Survivors is packed with secrets and strategies, wait until you discover everything that The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth has behind it.

Megabonk

One of the big sensations of last year, which introduced two key elements to the concept of Vampire Survivor: being 3D and having memes. For many people, being 3D actually made it worse. It made positioning irrelevant and exhausted the formula much faster. The memes were pretty much the same. After the initial fun, they lost their shine very quickly. Does that mean there aren’t people out there who have dedicated hundreds or thousands of hours to it? Of course not. And if the idea of being able to jump over enemies seems appealing to you and you still laugh at the wojak, the truth is: it’s hard to go wrong with Megabonk.

Vita Shell

What if Vampire Survivors were a PS1 mecha game? It would have gigantic sprites, the UI would be incredible, and movement would be extremely important, even more than in the original. This is demonstrated by Vita Shell, one of the most original and interesting derivatives of the Vampire Survivors formula that puts us in control of a mecha to survive for 20 waves. Something that will not only be challenging but also a lot of fun. A demonstration that the Vampire Survivors formula is still completely untapped.

BALL x PIT

Another demonstration of how much is still left to explore is one of last year’s sensation games, BALL x PIT. A game that has taken the audience by storm for being considered tremendously addictive and mixing the ideas of Vampire Survivors with an absolute classic: Breakout. It doesn’t have the elegance of the best games derived from Breakout, or even of Breakout itself, but it replaces it with what many love about Vampire Survivors: increasing numbers, tons of effects, and more balls on screen than you can control. If you want a game to lose yourself in without thinking about anything else, this is your game.

Mythical Concept STARNAUT

We saved the most insane one for last, because it is difficult to explain, understand, or recommend. Unless you really want a tremendously original game, in which case you should dive right in. It’s a Vampire Survivors with lore based on an apocryphal text from the Bible, in 3D, and with an aesthetic that can only be described as hallucinogenic. Is it weird? Yes. Is it, gameplay-wise, everything that Megabonk aspires to but can’t achieve? Also yes. And we can’t think of a better pitch than that for a game like this.

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Megabonk receives a Christmas update that thematically arrives two and a half months late

Developer Vedinad has released the “Spooky” update for their successful game Megabonk, which includes a new map, a new character, and new bosses, as well as a series of bug fixes and balance adjustments. Initially, this update was designed as a small enhancement for Halloween, but the team decided to expand it to coincide with the festive season, promising a “new meta” on their Twitter account. A terrifying meta Since its release in September, Megabonk has captured the attention of the gaming community, standing out as a roguelike reminiscent of titles like Vampire Survivors and Risk of Rain. In […]

The developer Vedinad has released the “Spooky” update for their successful game Megabonk, which includes a new map, a new character, and new bosses, as well as a series of bug fixes and balance adjustments. Initially, this update was designed as a small enhancement for Halloween, but the team decided to expand it to align with the festive season, promising a “new goal” on their Twitter account.

A Terrifying Meta

Since its launch in September, Megabonk has captured the attention of the gaming community, standing out as a roguelike reminiscent of titles like Vampire Survivors and Risk of Rain. In this game, players fight against waves of enemies on random maps while leveling up and finding various items to enhance their gaming experience. This design has contributed to the game receiving an “Extremely Positive” label on Steam and reaching an impressive peak of over 117,000 concurrent players in October, according to data from SteamDB.

Despite its success, Vedinad made the decision to withdraw Megabonk’s nomination for Best Indie Debut Game at The Game Awards, arguing that it did not feel appropriate due to his previous experience in the industry. This humility and reflection on the norms of recognition have been applauded by the community.

Currently, Megabonk is exclusively available for PC and is on sale for $8 until December 17, before returning to its regular price of $10. As the “Spooky” update rolls out, the gaming community is expected to dive into this new content and take the opportunity to enjoy what the game has to offer this holiday season.

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Megabonk rejected its nomination for the Game Awards, but now its honesty offers it an even greater reward

In one of the most surprising news stories leading up to the Game Awards, the indie game Megabonk is in the spotlight due to its controversial nomination in the Player’s Voice category. Its creator, an anonymous developer, previously requested that their game be withdrawn from the nomination for “best indie debut,” arguing that they had already released other titles under different pseudonyms. This request was accepted and marked the first time a nominee disappeared from the list of potential awardees in the event’s history, an exercise in honesty that was very well received by the community. Nominated […]

In one of the most surprising news stories leading up to the Game Awards, the indie game Megabonk is in the spotlight for its controversial nomination in the Player’s Voice category. Its creator, an anonymous developer, previously requested that their game be withdrawn from the nomination for “best indie debut,” arguing that they had already released other titles under different pseudonyms. This request was accepted and marked the first time a nominee disappeared from the list of potential awardees in the history of the event, an exercise in honesty that was very well received by the community.

Nominated in another category at the Game Awards

However, the story doesn’t end there. Megabonk has been reinstated as a candidate for the prestigious Player’s Voice award, where players have the opportunity to vote for their favorite game of the year. Despite facing tough competition that includes renowned titles like Hollow Knight: Silksong and Battlefield 6, the developer’s passion and the community’s support could help the small indie work achieve a prominent position in this category.

The development budget of Megabonk is considerably lower than that of its larger competitors, which further highlights the surprising nomination. The game’s creator has expressed his enthusiasm through social media, asking players to vote in support of his title: “We are back in full swing. Please vote,” he stated.

Fans who wish to participate in the voting can do so through the official Game Awards page. They will need to register, but the process is simple. It is important to mention that the voting will take place in three different phases and is not limited to games released this year, which broadens the range of options for voters.

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The creator of Megabonk has withdrawn his nomination for the Game Awards for the best possible reason

Megabonk, the successful indie game that has sold over a million copies in just two weeks, has achieved a nomination for Best Debut Indie Game at the 2025 Game Awards. However, the developer known as vedinad has decided to withdraw from this category, claiming that Megabonk is not his first game. “It is an honor and a dream to receive a nomination, but unfortunately I don’t think it qualifies for the ‘Debut Indie Game’ category,” vedinad stated in a message via Twitter. They can’t award you for debuting if you’re not debuting The developer’s decision […]

Megabonk, the successful indie game that has sold over a million copies in just two weeks, has achieved a nomination for Best Debut Indie Game at the 2025 Game Awards. However, the developer known as vedinad has decided to withdraw from this category, claiming that Megabonk is not his first game. “It is an honor and a dream to receive a nomination, but unfortunately I do not believe it qualifies for the ‘Debut Indie Game’ category,” vedinad stated in a message via Twitter.

You can’t be rewarded for debuting if you’re not debuting

The developer’s decision has sparked a debate about what is truly considered an indie game and what ‘debut’ means. Although vedinad has created games previously under different studio names, other nominees have also had prior trajectories in the industry. For example, the studio Adhoc, creator of the game Dispatch, was founded by veterans of Telltale, and Sandfall Interactive, responsible for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, is led by former Ubisoft employees.

Additionally, this case has highlighted the complexity behind the indie category. A recent example is the game Dave the Diver, which was nominated for Best Indie Game in 2023 but whose classification as indie has been questioned due to its development by Mintrocket, a division of the Korean giant Nexon. The game’s director, Jaeho Hwang, has stated that he does not consider his game to be an indie title, which adds more confusion to the term.

For the moment, Megabonk is still listed as a nominee in the Game Awards, and it is still unclear whether this nomination will be canceled or if it will remain in the competition. I have contacted the event organizers for more information and will update this story if I receive a response.

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The developer of some of the most underrated indie games in recent years bursts out against the industry

In a landscape where independent titles like Escape from Duckov and Megabonk set trends and redefine success in the industry, Dutch developer Tomas Sala, known for his works The Falconeer and Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles, has decided to take a different approach. Tired of the constant pressure for virality and the exhausting release cycle, Sala is seeking a more sustainable way to contribute to the saturated video game market. After the release of The Falconeer, which received a remarkable 80% positive ratings on Steam, Sala experienced extreme pressure. Despite the initial success, he described the criticism received […]

In a landscape where independent titles like Escape from Duckov and Megabonk set trends and redefine success in the industry, Dutch developer Tomas Sala, known for his works The Falconeer and Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles, has decided to take a different approach. Tired of the constant pressure for virality and the exhausting release cycle, Sala is seeking a more sustainable way to contribute to the saturated video game market.

After the release of The Falconeer, which received a remarkable 80% positive ratings on Steam, Sala experienced extreme pressure. Despite the initial success, he described the received criticisms as “inhuman,” which led him to rethink his strategy. His experience with Bulwark was more positive, but equally challenging, facing divided opinions among players.

According to Sala, the current video game development environment is “cruel,” dominated by algorithms that favor viral titles, leaving many games without attention. “Since Balatro, everything changed,” he points out, reflecting how few products manage to stand out in an ocean of constant releases. In response to this reality, the creator draws inspiration from titles like Dwarf Fortress and Brigador, which have cultivated loyal and sustainable communities over time, rather than seeking instant successes.

With his third project, Ancient Waves, scheduled to begin open development in 2026, Sala concludes: “I have lost the desire to launch games, but I am eager to work with players to make them better”. This thoughtful and community-focused approach marks a significant shift in his development philosophy, moving away from the need to chase fleeting virality.

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