When Vampire Survivors debuted in 2022, its hypnotic gameplay loop, minimalist controls, and approachable price point ignited a global sensation. While dozens of titles have since sought to replicate that magic, the community has been eagerly awaiting developer Poncle’s next major venture. Following the initial reveal of Vampire Crawlers last November—a deck-building dungeon crawler set in the Survivors universe—the studio has now unveiled a wealth of new details regarding its innovative mechanics.
Poncle describes the experience as a “turboturn deckbuilder,” a hybrid genre designed to provide the depth of turn-based strategy without the typical downtime. In a departure from genre norms, players aren’t forced to wait for tedious animations to conclude. Instead, the game stacks and executes inputs fluidly, ensuring the tactical combat remains high-octane and visually kinetic. Beyond the speed, Poncle highlighted a deep customization system where players utilize gems to augment their cards, introducing everything from raw damage multipliers to dramatic weapon evolutions.
Fans can see these systems in motion via the premiere of “Let’s Explore Vampire Crawlers,” a new video series dedicated to breaking down specific gameplay elements in the lead-up to launch.
Vampire Crawlers is slated for a 2026 release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, and Android. For those looking to test their skills early, a free demo will be available on Xbox and via Steam Next Fest starting February 23.
