If there was ever a game where Steam recommendations needed a 'meh, it depends' button, this is it. It's not that Vampire Survivors is an outright terrible game. It's just extremely basic and mediocre to play. and neither visually nor sonically all that stimulating. The visuals quickly become drab and uninspired, and the music quickly becomes repetitive. The game does get somewhat fun once you're ten or so minutes in your run and have a bunch of weapons and power-ups, but the baseline dopamine hit hardly feels worth the time invested. It feels like a game to play in the background while talking to someone, or listening to your own music of choice, because it doesn't justify the player's full attention.

A lot of player reviews talk about the addictive potential of this game, and for good reason. Just 15 minutes in, I started harbouring a suspicion the developer had a background in the gambling industry, which... of course he does. The game shamelessly ticks off all the boxes of 'ka-ching!' psychology casinos use to get you to play. The thing is, if you're onto it, it's much harder to be deceived. I found picking up treasure chests the most annoying part of the game, as they bring your gameplay groove to a halt to force you to watch an overlong slot machine animation. Quite frankly, I don't give that much of a fuck what power-ups I get, just let me keep playing.

Vampire Survivors is cheap, but not very fulfilling. I don't see myself playing it in a focused way beyond what I've already done - only occasionally, as 'something to look at' while doing other stuff. Players looking for a substantial game should avoid it. But a game that's carelessly bought and carelessly played, it can bring some enjoyment.