The 3D Vampire Survivors-like Megabonk has become a breakout hit, thanks to its distinctly silly approach to the roguelike framework. An increasing amount of players are becoming infatuated by surviving wave after wave of enemies in the cartoony project, some notable figures in the industry among them.
Michael 'Cromwelp' Douse, the publishing director on Baldur's Gate 3, has voiced his own enjoyment of the timesink. "Megabonk is perfect brain rot," he posts on Twitter, "and I mean that as a compliment."
Though it may seem backhanded, the description is apt. Megabonk has you bounce around randomly-generated maps to avoid massive armies of floating heads and other adversaries, swinging at them because your life depends on it.
Douse is right, it is brain rot, but in the best way. It's comedic, compelling and silly, completely entertaining if you're on the same wavelength in terms of comedy and strategy. You spend most any given run just flailing around, scoring points and trying to avoid death.
When you do die, the hope is for it to be glorious and funny, before jumping right back in. Megabonk has the same replayability as Vampire Survivors, where you always just want to go again in the hopes of doing better, or at least doing something more absurd than last time.
The project sold over one million copies in just two weeks, surprising even solo dev Vedinad. One developer on Palworld has been equally consumed by Megabonk, explaining the mayhem is keeping them from enjoying Borderlands 4 as much, while former Counter-Strike pro Shroud calls it his GOTY frontrunner.
Their chorus joins over 21,000 positive reviews on Steam, and counting. In this tale of David versus Goliath, the 'Bonk is throttling the AAA behemoths. Long may it continue.
