I don't think I know many people who haven't played Vampire Survivors at this point yet it spawned an entire genre of games trying to take the formula and add their own unique twist. They often feel pretty satisfying to play, I mean who doesn't like tearing through hordes of enemies, levelling up and steamrolling even more foes?
They are typically characterised by some light RPG mechanics, rogue-lite meta progression and an affordable price tag too. Honestly, there are a lot of them around so picking out just a few of them and sifting through them to find the good ones can be a bit tricky. A fair few are also still in early access which can put some people off too.
All in all, I find these kinds of games just good old-fashioned fun and given how Vampire Survivors itself took off I don't think I'm alone in feeling that way. So, with all my usual waffling pre-amble out of the way, here are a few of them I recommend!
#3 - Halls of Torment
This one is still in early access yet even in its current state, you'll get a lot of fun out of it. It takes the formula of Vampire Survivors and asks the question: What if we made it more like Diablo 1? The answer would look a lot like Halls of Torment.
Add in a gear system, tons of quests and characters and Halls of Torment will likely keep you hooked for a while. The combat feels very satisfying with all the classes I've tried so far and I genuinely can't wait to see what the game looks like when it is done.
The only reason I haven't played more of it aside from a lack of time is my desire to wait for 1.0 to drop and then dive in and enjoy it all from start to finish. If you don't mind early access titles, this is a good take on the Vampire Survivor's type game.
#2 - Brotato
This one is a bit wacky (in a good way) a cel-shaded art style sees you taking your Brotato out to fight hordes of invading aliens in a small arena. The differences in this one are many, first off it's more wave-based and between waves, you buy things at a shop and handle your level-ups only between waves. Secondly, your character can often hold six or more weapons at a time (depending on the spud you selected.) There is a lot of room for experimenting and finding what works as you advance through the difficulties or just see how far you can get in endless mode.
There are a lot of items, weapons and Brotato's to unlock so it is rare you won't have something new to try or experiment with. The average run doesn't take too long so if gunning down hordes of aliens with miniguns or poking them in the fleshy bits with six knives sounds like fun, Brotato is definitely a good option!
#1 - Boneraiser Minions
This one is my favourite and while a couple of others I have in early access may topple this from my personal top spot, it's not too likely. I like the pixel art style, it reminds me of something NES-era perhaps though sometimes it can be a little hard to follow the action. This game is basically like taking out the weapons from Vampire Survivors and making the way you deal damage solely based on the minions you raise.
So, if roaming around with a veritable army of minions sounds like fun to you this game will definitely scratch that itch. There is a lot to unlock too, new minion types, new classes, game modes, hats and all the usual kinds of meta progression though even that has a twist. One thing you can also upgrade is your enemies, ensuring greater rewards for taking on the challenge.
Given its frankly tiny price tag, you can't really go wrong with this, if you want something that takes cues from Vampire Survivors but is a unique experience then Boneraiders Minions is an awesome choice if you ask me!
Just a simple post this week, I do have some more in-depth posts I am working on alongside the reviews but doing simple lists means I can keep working on them without feeling the need to rush them. Having said that I am most of the way through my review of The Last Spell and Dragon Age Origins so one of those may drop next week!
Anyway, feedback is always welcome and remember if you like what I do or want to support me feel free to check out my Patreon or Ko-Fi, thanks for reading!
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