For me, the Steam Deck’s real system seller wasn’t a AAA game. It was Vampire Survivors. That stupidly addictive loop completely sold me on the Deck, and I still boot it up constantly. So the minute I heard Poncle were finally announcing Vampire Crawlers and that it’s basically Vampire Survivors crossed with one of my other favourites, Slay the Spire, I was already in. No hesitation.
Vampire Crawlers is described as a “turbo wildcard” take on the Vampire Survivors formula. It mixes turn-based combat, card play, dungeon maps, treasure hunting and all the usual flashy rogue-lite nonsense Poncle are famous for. They even admit the name is probably up for the “most stupid title of the year” award. Classic Poncle.
What Is Vampire Crawlers?
Vampire Crawlers takes the core ideas behind Vampire Survivors and drops them into something that looks like a rogue-lite deckbuilder with dungeon crawling elements. Or as Poncle put it:
“Turbo turn-based combat, dungeon maps, flashy chaos, and a lot of VS sauce.”
You’ll:
- Play cards using a turbo turn-based system
- Chain moves and stack damage
- Explore dungeon-style maps
- Find treasure and upgrades
- And still get that ridiculous VS dopamine hit
They’re even calling the combat a new genre: Action Turboturn, which is basically their way of saying “don’t overthink it, it’s fun.”
Not Just a Tease — It’s a Full Game
This isn’t DLC. This isn’t an experiment.
Poncle confirmed Vampire Crawlers is a complete standalone game and the first proper spin-off they’ve been building with external indie teams.
It’s been in development for nearly four years, quietly ticking away while Vampire Survivors exploded.
And the wild bit:
They’re aiming for a full global launch on all platforms in 2026.
Is This a Sequel?
No. Poncle made that clear.
This is a spin-off, taking the core ideas that made Vampire Survivors work — immediacy, accessibility, replayability — and dropping them onto a completely different genre.
It still uses Vampire Survivors’ lore, music style, energy, and silly tone, which stops them having to build a whole new IP from scratch. They can focus entirely on gameplay. Honestly, that’s a clever move.
Post-Launch Support? Yes
Just like Vampire Survivors, Crawlers will be supported after release. They already have ideas, but they’re waiting to see what players want before committing. Always a good sign.
When Is It Out?
They’re aiming for early to mid 2026. In their words:
“Before GTA6.”
We’ll take that.
Why I’m Sold Already
It’s simple: Vampire Survivors was the game that made the Steam Deck feel special for me. And Slay the Spire is still one of the best games ever made.
So a fast, chaotic, rogue-lite, Vampire Survivors-flavoured card battler?
Yeah, I’m absolutely there day one.
