Sometimes a spin-off quietly experiments. Other times, it kicks the door down and rewires everything you thought you knew. Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors – or just Vampire Crawlers, thankfully – lands on Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC (with Play Anywhere support), and it’s doing exactly that.
From the triple-BAFTA-winning minds behind Vampire Survivors, this is a bold twist on a familiar formula, swapping frantic auto-shooting chaos for card-driven, turn-based carnage that somehow still manages to feel just as addictive.
At A Glance
- Game: Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors
- Developer/Publisher: Poncle Limited
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S (Optimised), Play Anywhere, PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
- Game Type: Deckbuilder / Roguelite / Dungeon Crawler
Play on Game Pass, Day One!
One thing that makes Vampire Crawlers even easier to recommend is its day one arrival on Game Pass. Available across Xbox and PC via Play Anywhere, subscribers can jump straight in without an upfront cost. That feels perfect for a game that thrives on experimentation and just one more run energy.
You could say that it is a natural fit for the service; a pick-up-and-play roguelite that’s ideal for dipping into, discovering new builds, and quietly losing hours to without even noticing.
Same DNA, Very Different Beast
Vampire Crawlers might share a universe with Vampire Survivors, but it plays a completely different game. Instead of weaving through endless bullet hell chaos, you’re now carefully building decks, chaining cards together, and stacking ridiculous combos that snowball into something borderline broken.
Every turn becomes a puzzle. Play cards, extending chains with Wild cards, and watching as one move feeds into the next. What starts as a modest attack can quickly spiral into screen-clearing madness – if you’ve planned it right. Or if you’ve just got lucky.
Despite the shift in play, the core hook remains intact. This is still about escalation; that intoxicating climb from weak beginnings to unstoppable force. You’ll explore multi-floor dungeons, gather new cards, unlock evolutions, and stack power-ups until your build feels completely out of control. It’s less about reflexes now, more about decision-making – but the payoff is just as satisfying.
A Familiar Pull
We’ve already spent time with Vampire Crawlers, scoring it a strong 4.5/5. As we said in our review, “both of them gripped me tightly for 20 hours or so… both made me feel like I was a gaming god.”
Interestingly, it’s also a slightly more contained experience. Where Vampire Survivors can feel endless, Vampire Crawlers has a clearer arc; something you can master, enjoy, and eventually move on from.
Another April Standout
Already featured in our Best Games of April roundup, Vampire Crawlers is one of those releases that might not shout the loudest, but once you start playing, it’s hard to ignore.
If you loved Vampire Survivors, this is an easy recommendation. If you didn’t? This might actually be the one that clicks. Just don’t expect to put it down quickly.
You’ll find Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors on the usual stores. We’ll point you to the Xbox Store, where you can pay up some cold hard cash, or make the most of your Game Pass subscription.Â
