Vampire Crawlers is exactly the evolution I want from Poncle and it's my new handheld obsession

Bats and skeletons block my path as chiptune music pounds over the Castlevania-inspired scene in Vampire Crawlers. I let them have it with my whip, followed by a flurry of tomes, before attempting to finish off the horde with a lightning storm. But there are enemies who still stand, advancing on me and slicing through my HP with ease. A few turns later and I triumph over them and their intimidating boss, before the Grim Reaper arrives and promptly claims me with a single swipe. "One more run," I say to myself.

Vampire Crawlers is a familiar experience but no less appealing for it. Its pixel art aesthetic is in line with developer Poncle's previous work, Vampire Survivors, but the passive combat and top-down perspective of the 2022 title have been replaced by turn-based, deckbuilder combat and a first-person perspective. It's an exquisite combination, making for an evolution that adds interactivity.

Counting cards

It's not simply a case of gathering cards as you roam dungeons and throwing down your strongest attacks immediately. Vampire Crawlers has a sense of rhythm to it, with each item having a mana cost. Some cards are free, as denoted by a 0, but other cards can cost from 1 up-to 5 mana per go. Each card can also benefit from the one that went before it if the mana cost is precisely one count higher. So if you play a whip for zero mana, then a King Bible attack for one and a lightning strike for two, you can double the damage of the second and third card in the sequence.

This multiplier can be applied to defensive cards too, such as armor or healing items, as well as other types, like cards that duplicate attacks or draw additional cards from your deck. This method of creating combos adds a pleasurable intensity to Vampire Crawlers that goes beyond anything I've experienced from Poncle before, and it's the biggest reason for my 20 hours of playtime.

The combo element gets a shake up as you progress too, because you're able to unlock gems that alter a card's effect for your current run. These range from double the damage output, offering a health buff, refunding the cost of mana required, and more. During my time with the game I've routinely been surprised by these modifiers, with my favorite so far reducing the cost of a card by one, letting me play powerful attacks like the aforementioned lightning earlier in a chain.

It means combos don't get stale thanks to being subject to both my actions and the RNG of Vampire Crawlers. There's also the ability to combine two cards and forge a new item entirely, which can produce some of the most beautifully strong attacks I've seen in a Poncle game, especially when suitably integrated into a combo.

Crawling back

Vampire Crawlers is full of levels and playable characters to unlock. The game's hub is a peaceful, pixel-art town where you can spend the in-game currency (earned only through playing) to acquire new faces and add permanent upgrades. You unlock the town's resources as you play, but how you use them is up to you.

I'm a big fan of making my characters into powerhouses, so I started by increasing general strength, but you can equally choose more armor, health recovery, area-of-effect for relevant cards, and more. You can also buy an additional life so your run doesn't end upon your first death. Vampire Survivors veterans will recognize many of the unlockable buffs, and it's the same with the characters.

Starting out with the whip-wielding Antonio, I soon acquired Poe and his garlic attack, but Vampire Survivors really opened up for me when I unlocked Krochi and their brutal cross weapon.

As far as I can tell, each character is equally as viable as the next – in no small part due to being able to add multiple weapons during each play session, regardless of your starting loadout – with choice coming more down to personal preference than combat effectiveness, adding plenty of variety for repeat playthroughs of levels.

As it currently stands, I've beaten multiple levels with every character I've unlocked so far, enjoying the familiar labyrinths through the angles provided by different protagonists.

With my Nintendo Switch in hand, whether at home on the couch or traveling on trains, I've been fully absorbed by the moreish mechanics of Vampire Crawlers. There's no time limit to worry about, and the pace of the game is dictated entirely by the player, meaning it suits my mood whether I want to lock in or kick back. Poncle's latest is a perfect next step, and with its card-based combat and array of options, I'll be playing this one a lot more before 2026 comes to a close.

Sink your fangs into more of the best roguelikes if short and snappy play seshes are what you're after