Cheaper than Big Mac, Lasts 200 Times Longer - I Can't Get Enough of Vampire Survivors

Let's start with a news flash: games are a non-essential, luxury commodity. You can live without them, so complaining about high prices of individual games is pretty much a "first-world problem." Furthermore, they're not likely to decrease, especially AAA-segment games. That's why I, as a purebred Scrooge, decided to look for cheap games that'll offer at least a few hours of fun. That's how I came across Vampire Survivors, which costs one cent short of three bucks. And you know what? I sunk into it!

Can a cheap game be good?

Vampire Survivors is a mix of genre and almost everyone who has come across it has a different opinion about what this title actually is. Some classify it as roguelite (not to be confused with roguelike!), others consider it action RPG, and I also saw people calling it "hyper casual." However, to quote Jesse Jackson, all these are just labels; in the end, they do not matter much, because what matters is whether you enjoy it or not. And this particular game is addictive as hell, which I found out first-hand.

I'd like to point out right away that I noticed Vampire Survivors quite by accident. It was pretty hot on Twitch, and I was looking for something cheap and undemanding to play. You know – a game to run in the background, something to keep my hands busy, but not necessarily my brain. I could probably do something more useful with my time, e.g. save the world or collect stamps, but as a slave to my own weaknesses, I settled with playing games. And I got a title that's not necessarily pretty, but at least it's cheap. In addition, it was praised by everyone, I had to check it out so out of curiosity. Especially since I would only spend 3 dollars.

Simple ideas, perfectly implemented

Fast-forward thirty hours' worth of gameplay, and I can confirm with clean conscience that purchasing Vampire Survivors at such an outrageously low price was winning a lottery ticket. I know that there's no shortage of players using a price-to-hours ratio when deciding to buy games. Therefore, they do not settle for games that are short and sweet, instead looking for titles that will last them for months. For example, I had no problem coughing up $20 for Untitled Goose Game, which was enough for less than two hours. Why do I mention this?

I still haven't finished Vampire Survivors, and I have already packed thirty hours into it, and I know that I have at least ten hours to go if I want to max out this game – get all the characters and achievements. It is not absolutely mandatory, but this production is designed in such a way that you actually want to unlock things that are not immediately available. The seemingly simple challenges provide new heroes or items, effectively motivating you to keep playing for a while longer.

This progression system makes me really want to play, although gameplay itself doesn't change dramatically. Vampire Survivors doesn't get prettier after five hours, doesn't get more interesting after ten, and doesn't get a phenomenal storyline twenty hours in. This is a production with simple assumptions that has us avoiding enemies (eliminating them by way of doing it) and gather collectible items in order to survive on the map for 30 at least minutes. And this solution makes the game mercilessly engaging, particularly as we discover the relationships between specific items and unlock new ones. And the plot? Who cares about story when you can play a dog!

In this way, Vampire Survivors becomes more and more extensive over time, without changing the core rules. It has just the right amount of complexity, without additional layers or lofty ideas. This isn't a philosopher's stone of gaming nor something groundbreaking. It's just a collection of well-executed, simple ideas, delivering a title that continues to grow in popularity on Steam. And it's still in Early Access! On top of that, the store is already getting swarmed with imitations of this game, so maybe we are actually witnessing the birth of hyper casual genre?

More games like these, please

You can also be sure that if you haven't played Vampire Survivors since January, you will be surprised by the amount of novelty if you launch it now. Of course, the graphics and sound design were left untouched, and so was the nasty menu – but, for me at least, these are the hallmarks of this game that I have learned to embrace. But these elements are not important here – only gameplay matters, and it, in turn, is engaging as hell! I'm afraid to imagine what this production will offer when it officially debuts. Even now, I have the impression that I paid too little for it and that its creators deserve more. I wish all of you that we get more games surprising us with their quality despite low price. Especially since we have had to deal with exactly the opposite situation all too often. I will be happy to pay 5 bucks for small indie games that are more engaging and offer more fun than AAAs costing ten times as much. If you know any other games like that worth recommending, be sure to mention them in the comments – I will gladly play something for the price of a burger.