To say I’ve played Vampire Survivors feels like somewhat of an understatement. I’ve beaten runs on Steam Deck, iPhone, and Xbox, with multiple characters, unlocking many of the game’s secrets, and testing every single character. At this point, I’d say I’ve beaten the game, and don’t feel nearly done with it. As one of the most popular Steam Deck titles, it feels perfect to play on the go and an iPhone is maybe the best possible way to play it.
For the uninitiated, Vampire Survivors is a “bullet hell” roguelike, where you take control of vampire hunters who take out fiends of the night and upgrade characters over a level, getting new weapons, powers, and more. After you lose or win, you can use gold to buy permanent upgrades for future runs. Part of what makes it different from other bullet hells is you don’t actually shoot at enemies as you might expect — instead, your character automatically attacks whatever enemy is closest. You only control movement, and this makes it an incredibly approachable game. There’s a defined skill ceiling in picking the right upgrade routes and dodging enemies but you only need to control a single thing to start a run.
