Vampire Crawlers: The Next Game from the Vampire Survivors Team

After the breakout success of Vampire Survivors in 2022, developer Poncle has announced a new project set in the same universe: Vampire Crawlers. The title, revealed during the Xbox Partner Preview, reimagines the franchise’s addictive loop for a different style of play while preserving the series’ signature “one more run” appeal.

Vampire Crawlers shifts perspective to first-person and blends dungeon-crawling with deck-building roguelike mechanics. Instead of the familiar top-down action, you navigate labyrinths and fight waves of foes using a card-based system. According to Poncle’s founder Luca Galante, the game supports both methodical, tactical play and frantic, high-speed runs — the underlying rules ensure every outcome is logically determined, even amid chaotic visuals. A card-customization feature further changes how abilities behave, letting each run feel distinct.

Despite the shift in format, Poncle says many familiar elements return: recognizable characters, weapon archetypes like the Bible, whip, and garlic, treasure chests, weapon evolutions, and the progression systems that reward new unlocks after each run. Fans can also expect a strong soundtrack and the developer’s trademark irreverent humor.

Vampire Survivors, the studio’s 2022 hit, popularized the “bullet heaven” subgenre by letting a single character amass absurdly powerful abilities capable of mowing through hordes of enemies. Its accessible price and deep expansion support helped it become a standout indie phenomenon, spawning numerous crossovers and a devoted player base.

Poncle says Vampire Crawlers will arrive on Xbox platforms — including availability through Game Pass — in the near future. For further background on the original game, read our full review here.