The game isn’t exactly known for its narrative, but that may end up being part of the fun.
Vampire Survivors, the addictively casual indie game, is getting an animated television series. Known for its rich and cinematic backstory to the same degree as narrative-driven classics Space Invaders, BurgerTime and Dig Dug, Vampire Survivors is a pick-up-and-play casual game with simple 2D character sprites. Media company Story Kitchen will partner with the game’s creator, Luca Galante (founder of developer poncle), to make the series.
Galante said in a (hopefully) cheeky tone, “The most important thing in Vampire Survivors is the story, so it’s a dream come true to see what started as a little indie game I made on my weekends come to life as an animated TV show! It’s also great to be partnering up with such experienced and talented people to make the show. I do wonder if they’ve realized that there isn’t a single vampire in Vampire Survivors, though.” If the announcement sets the stage for the series, we may be in store for a show brimming with self-aware and tongue-in-cheek humor.
The game’s backstory is no more complex than the blurb, “The year 2021, Rural Italy, there lived an evil person named Bisconte Draculó, whose many evil magics created a bad world filled with famine and suffering. It’s now up to the members of the Belpaese family to end his reign of terror and return good food to the table.” Vampire Survivor’s gameplay revolves around controlling an auto-firing character’s movement and loadout as they blast away increasingly daunting hordes of enemies. It borrows elements from roguelike games and tower defense (with Castlevania-esque characters). Once you settle into the action, it can almost become a meditative experience. The title has consistently been one of the most-played Steam Deck games since its launch and is available on PC, Mac, Xbox, Android and iOS.
Story Kitchen is headed by Dmitri Johnson, who co-produced the Sonic the Hedgehog movie series. It also includes John Wick creator and writer Derek Kolstad, former Agency of the Performing Arts (APA) agent, and partner Mike Goldberg. Deadline reports that the series creators are currently searching for a writer. Hopefully, the eventual scribe won’t find their ideas too constrained by the game’s sprawling and complex lore.