My 2022 Game of the Year: A Tribute to Vampire Survivors

I vividly recall saying, "It looks awful, I don't understand what the big deal is," on a fateful day in June 2022, only to fiercely regret those words later. As I sat down to choose my game of the year, it became painfully obvious that my 2022 was dominated by a £2.09 game I never intended to play. The truth is, I played fewer games this year than in any previous year since I started working in the gaming industry. The ink on my 2021 Game of the Year award for Unpacking was barely dry when I learned I had to move houses again, for the third time in 18 months. As a result, I craved relaxation in the games I played, seeking simplicity over complexity. It felt like a quiet year for releases that matched my tastes, so I caught up on games I had missed or wanted to revisit. This article was almost about Spiritfarer, Death's Door, or 2001's Paper Mario. In fact, 12 hours before I started writing, it was still mostly about God of War Ragnarök. However, it's about the one game that provided me with hours of pure entertainment, satisfying my completionist itch without adding to my mental load: Vampire Survivors. Specifically, Vampire Survivors on Steam Deck. I'm sure I'm not the only person who experienced an epiphany when starting the £2 Early Access game on Valve's £350+ machine this year. And then continued to do so for months on end. Do I regret using such an expensive piece of hardware to almost exclusively play Vampire Survivors? Not at all. They're a match made in heaven. Vampire Survivors launched in Early Access on Steam in December 2021, the brainchild of Luca 'poncle' Galante. Through impressive word-of-mouth, it was picked up by streamers, and its popularity spread like wildfire throughout 2022, culminating in an official release in October. Gameplay-wise, it's as simple as it gets: navigate an endless map, survive enemy waves for 15-30 minutes, and auto-fire with your character's weapons. Easy, right? Not quite, as you'll soon find yourself facing unexpected challenges like giant praying mantises, swarms of mummies, and 198 unique monsters. I didn't plan on playing this game, but it was gifted to my partner, who shares their Steam Library with me. After a few unsuccessful runs, I discovered Vampire Survivors' surprising depth. As you progress, you pick up new weapons, unlock permanent perks, and level up, becoming more deadly and knowledgeable with each run. Before you know it, you've spent hours trying to complete runs, strategizing, and experiencing the satisfaction of running into a swarm of tiny bats with an AoE weapon. There's something truly addictive about Vampire Survivors that's made it an absolute success for me. Maybe it's the music, the "just one more run!" mentality, or the incredibly polished gameplay hidden behind an unassuming exterior. Once you've mastered Vampire Survivors' layers, there's also an auto-pilot aspect that I've found to be the most satisfying and relaxing experience this year. You don't need to pay attention all the time, and that's perfectly fine by me. The combination of Vampire Survivors' pick-up-and-play aspect and the Steam Deck's portability made it a perfect combination. When too tired to play anything else, I could just pick up the Steam Deck and play a cheeky Vampire Survivors run, enjoying the relaxing ritual of playing with an episode of Critical Role in the background. I've always loved handheld consoles for their ability to fit into daily life, and this year, it meant I could fit a lot of Vampire Survivors into my daily routine. I'm grateful for it, as sometimes all you need is easy fun and distraction, and games continue to be my greatest source of escapism. Being part of a movement of people discovering an indie game that almost wasn't meant to be this popular is amazing. Galante shared in a Vice interview that Vampire Survivors cost around £1,100 to make, with only eight players at launch. Now, thousands of players have opinions on characters, weapons, and strategies, and that's what makes me love video games even more. Maybe Vampire Survivors isn't my traditional Game of the Year, but it's the real thing that brought me joy this year. It's a £2 game that doesn't even feature a single vampire, but sometimes all you want in life is simplicity, and garlic.