Vampire Crawlers PS5 Review – Addictive Roguelike Deckbuilding Done Right

Vampire Crawlers is a new indie experience developed and published by poncle, with support from Nosebleed Interactive. Built as a spin-off to the massively successful Vampire Survivors, the game takes the addictive “one more run” structure of its predecessor and reshapes it into a first-person dungeon crawler mixed with roguelike deckbuilding. Instead of auto-attacking through endless enemy swarms, players now move tile-by-tile through labyrinthine maps, assembling devastating card combos while hunting treasure, upgrades, and permanent progression bonuses.

What immediately stands out is how naturally the dungeon-crawling framework fits the Vampire Survivors formula. Each run sends players into grid-based maps filled with branching pathways, enemy encounters, treasure chests, shrines, shops, and special events. Exploration matters just as much as combat. Choosing whether to push deeper into dangerous territory for rare rewards or retreat to safer routes creates a constant tension that keeps runs engaging.

The vendors scattered throughout the dungeons become a major part of that strategy. Merchants sell new cards, healing items, relics, buffs, and deck modifications that can completely alter a build mid-run. Some specialize in card upgrades while others offer gamble-style mechanics that can either supercharge a run or ruin it outright. These encounters give the game a satisfying sense of improvisation, especially when paired with random map generation and unpredictable loot drops.

Combat itself is deceptively simple at first. Battles are turn-based, with players using mana to play attack, defense, buff, and utility cards in sequence. However, the combo system quickly becomes the centerpiece of the experience. Playing cards in ascending mana order boosts effects and creates chain reactions that can spiral into absurdly powerful combinations. Before long, runs become explosive spectacles of stacked multipliers, screen-filling effects, and cascading synergies. The design cleverly captures the same snowballing sensation that made Vampire Survivors so compelling, but reframes it through tactical decision-making instead of passive survival gameplay.

The roguelike deckbuilding mechanics are where the game truly shines. Every Crawler starts with a unique starter deck and gameplay identity. Some characters focus on rapid-fire combo generation, others lean into poison, summons, healing loops, or high-risk burst damage. During runs, players constantly refine their decks by removing weak cards, evolving core abilities, and discovering powerful relic interactions. The evolution system, which is reminiscent of weapon evolutions from Vampire Survivors, lets certain cards transform into devastating upgraded forms once specific conditions are met. That progression creates a satisfying sense of momentum during longer runs, where a weak early build can evolve into an unstoppable engine of destruction.

Playthrough objectives feed directly into this gameplay loop. Most runs revolve around delving deeper into dungeon floors, defeating elite encounters, gathering resources, and surviving increasingly overwhelming enemy groups. But layered beneath that are dozens of meta-objectives tied to unlock systems. Completing challenge runs, discovering hidden encounters, mastering certain deck archetypes, or defeating bosses under specific conditions all reward permanent progression. These objectives continually push players to experiment with different builds and playstyles instead of relying on a single dominant strategy.

That repeated-play structure is essential to the game’s long-term appeal. New characters, cards, relics, vendors, mechanics, dungeon modifiers, and difficulty options steadily unlock through continued play. Early runs intentionally feel somewhat limited, but after several hours the game opens dramatically, introducing more complex deck synergies and systems. Entire hub features and progression paths gradually appear over time, giving players constant incentives to return. 

The permanent unlocks are especially effective because they rarely feel like simple stat boosts alone. Many unlockables fundamentally change how future runs play out. New Crawlers introduce wildly different strategies, additional relic pools increase build diversity, and higher-tier modifiers reshape encounter pacing. Even when a run ends in failure, players almost always walk away with something meaningful including  new currencies, progression upgrades, discovered mechanics, or additional strategic options for future attempts. That loop of short-term failure feeding long-term growth is what gives the game its remarkable staying power.

The Presentation ...

Presentation-wise, Vampire Crawlers does an excellent job translating the identity of Vampire Survivors into a first-person dungeon crawler aesthetic. The pixel-art enemy designs and visual effects remain intentionally chaotic, filling battles with flashing damage numbers, spell effects, and exaggerated animations. Despite the visual overload, the art direction maintains a playful retro charm that feels consistent with the series’ identity. The dungeon environments themselves are simple but effective, evoking classic “blobber” dungeon crawlers while modernizing the presentation with smoother animations and faster pacing.

The soundtrack deserves special praise. Its energetic synth-heavy tracks perfectly complement the escalating intensity of combat encounters, while quieter exploration themes help maintain atmosphere between battles. Sound effects are equally satisfying. The card activations, enemy deaths, combo triggers, and evolution transformations all deliver sharp audiovisual feedback that reinforces the game’s addictive rhythm. Even the voice-over snippets attached to certain characters and events add personality without becoming intrusive.

That said, the presentation is not flawless. Navigating menus and handling large card inventories on a controller can feel cumbersome at times. Some late-game builds also create so much visual clutter that readability occasionally suffers. Still, these issues rarely undermine the core experience for long.

The Verdict ...

Replay value is ultimately where Vampire Crawlers excels most. The combination of randomized dungeons, evolving deck strategies, permanent unlock systems, character variety, and escalating difficulty modifiers makes it incredibly easy to lose hours at a time. While some players may eventually find certain combo strategies repetitive or wish for greater challenge balancing in later stages, the sheer density of unlockables and experimentation keeps the gameplay loop consistently rewarding. 

For PS5 players looking for a highly replayable roguelike that blends dungeon crawling with fast-paced deckbuilding, Vampire Crawlers is an easy recommendation. Fans of Vampire Survivors will immediately recognize the addictive progression structure, while players who enjoy games like Slay the Spire, Legend of Grimrock, or Monster Train will appreciate how cleverly the game combines those influences into something uniquely compulsive. It is best suited for players who enjoy experimentation, repeated runs, and steadily building overpowered combinations rather than those seeking a heavily story-driven experience or deeply punishing strategy game.