One of the Year’s Best Games Is Officially Out on Phones. God Help Us All
Vampire Crawlers, a roguelike deckbuilding spinoff of Vampire Survivors developed by Poncle, has officially launched on iPhone and iPad. The game, which originally released in April 2026, has established itself as one of the year’s best games despite being followed by numerous other acclaimed titles throughout the year.
The author of the Polygon piece reflects on the game’s continued appeal and notes that the mobile port has reignited their engagement with the title. They acknowledge that having the game readily available in their pocket at all times presents a personal challenge, given its addictive nature.
Vampire Crawlers takes the fundamental concepts from the original Vampire Survivors and reimagines them into a distinctly different experience by incorporating deckbuilding mechanics. This represents a significant departure from the parent game’s formula while maintaining the core appeal that made the original spinoff successful.
The mobile expansion extends the game’s reach to the massive mobile gaming market, making the acclaimed indie title accessible to a broader audience beyond its original platform release.