In the years since Vampire Survivors first hit PC, Poncle Games has been busy. In addition to releasing numerous updates to its debut title, the company has expanded, entered into publishing, and paired up with other studios–including Vampire Survivors’ biggest inspiration, Konami–to create a slew of fun collaborations. It’s been an eventful few years for the BAFTA award-winning team and its simple-yet-utterly-engrossing “bullet heaven.” And based on my time spent with Poncle a few weeks ago, that’s just scratching the surface.
For the past year, Poncle Games has been hard at work on its next game, Vampire Crawlers. The dungeon-crawling deckbuilder is a notable departure from the simplistic gameplay of Vampire Survivors, and yet, after spending around half an hour playing the game, it’s abundantly clear that it shares much of the same DNA and the same penchant for chaotic fun. Although Crawlers is, at least initially, slower-paced and less compulsive than its predecessor, it makes up for this with increased depth and strategy, all while incorporating elements that make the game delightfully unruly.
My first taste of Vampire Crawlers began with a fun cutscene–the same one seen in the game’s announcement trailer–in which Vampire Survivors is transformed into a 2.5D experience. It’s an exciting way to kick things off and conveys an important message: Vampire Crawlers, at its core, largely feels like a new way of playing Survivors. Though Luca Galante, the creative director behind Vampire Crawlers, said the team ultimately did go through and update most of Survivors’ original assets for Crawlers, much of the series’ visual identity remains intact. A cynic might call this lazy, sure, but I’d argue it comes across more as respect for Survivors’ initial vision, and it ultimately works within the context of Crawlers. Furthermore, Galante said this was a very intentional choice that placed the company’s stability ahead of a need to “create new things on purpose.”
This sounds intriguing! It’s always exciting to see what developers like Poncle Games create next. The evolution from Vampire Survivors to Vampire Crawlers has certainly captured my attention. Looking forward to seeing how the gameplay unfolds!
Absolutely! Poncle Games has a knack for blending simple mechanics with addictive gameplay. I’m curious to see how Vampire Crawlers will expand on the successful formula of Vampire Survivors.
I completely agree! Their ability to create engaging experiences with minimalist designs really sets them apart. I’m also intrigued by how they continue to expand the lore behind their games, adding depth to the gameplay that keeps players coming back for more.