Latest news with #VampireSurvivors
The Verge
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
A big milestone for a great little indie game.
The best indie games we're playing right now See all Stories Posted Jul 11, 2025 at 8:07 PM UTC A big milestone for a great little indie game. I feel like I just wrote about Maze Mice , which mixes elements of Pac-Man , Vampire Survivors , and Snake and initially launched in early access. But as of today, less than two months later, the game has officially left early access. I really liked what I played initially, and it looks like the full game has a bunch of new stuff to check out. Maze Mice has exited Early Access! [
Business Wire
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Wire
Spekter Games Raises $5 Million to Launch 'Spekter Agency', a Web3-Enhanced Roguelite Game on Telegram
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Spekter Games Inc., a next-gen game publisher dedicated to crafting high-quality, roguelite mobile games enriched with seamless Web3 incentives, today announces a $5 million pre-seed funding round and launches its first title, Spekter Agency. The round saw participation from prominent investment firms including a16z speedrun, London Venture Partners, BRV Capital, Chamaeleon, Accelerator Ventures, Impact46, Versus Ventures and Alumni Ventures. The funding coincides with today's official launch of Spekter Games' first title, Spekter Agency, a rogue-lite action game debuting on Telegram. Inspired by breakout hits like Vampire Survivors, Spekter Agency offers addictive, arcade-style gameplay tailored for mainstream audiences that plans to seamlessly integrate passive blockchain rewards without the complexity associated with Web3 gaming. 'We're building games that people love for the gameplay, not just the rewards,' said Taehoon Kim (TK), CEO and founder of Spekter Games Inc. 'Web3 incentives can supercharge retention and virality, but they should never get in the way of the fun. By keeping these systems passive and behind the scenes, we're showing that it's possible to bring Web3-enhanced games to the mainstream without compromising gameplay.' Leveraging Telegram's massive platform of over 1 billion monthly active users, Spekter Agency runs on Telegram's Mini Apps infrastructure, enabling frictionless onboarding and instant, native gameplay. Telegram's built-in wallet capabilities can simplify crypto transactions, drastically reducing the barriers traditionally associated with blockchain gaming and opening it up to a wider audience. 'We believe there is a real opportunity to improve the early tap-to-earn games on Telegram with deep mechanics that resonate with real gamers,' said Robin Guo, investment partner at a16z speedrun. 'We're thrilled to back TK and his seasoned team as they push the boundaries of what's possible in gaming on chat-based super apps.' The funds raised will enable Spekter Games to scale Spekter Agency across additional platforms, including other chat-based super apps and traditional mobile stores like the App Store and Google Play. Additionally, the capital will support the ongoing development of the publisher's second game, already underway. Spekter Games was founded by industry veteran and serial entrepreneur Taehoon Kim (TK), who brings over 20 years of experience in the gaming industry with multiple exited startups. At his previous company, nWay, TK led the development of real-time, cross-play multiplayer hits such as Power Rangers: Legacy Wars, and Battle for the Grid, amassing over 100 million downloads. nWay was acquired by Animoca Brands, where TK stayed on to lead Web3 gaming initiative in collaboration with partners like Yuga Labs and Dapper Labs. TK and the Spekter team bring deep expertise in both Web2 and Web3 game development, uniquely positioning them to build games that seamlessly bridge both worlds for mainstream adoption. To learn more about Spekter Games visit: Play the game instantly on Telegram: For the latest updates and announcements, follow the official Telegram channel: About Spekter Games Spekter Games is a next-gen game publisher bringing proven free-to-play Web2 mobile games to chat-based super apps, supercharged with Web3 incentive layer done right. Founded by Taehoon Kim, a serial entrepreneur with over two decades of gaming expertise and multiple successful exits, Spekter is pioneering a new category of hybrid games designed for mass-market players, not just the Web3 niche. Starting with accessible, high-retention rogue-lite games, Spekter delivers top-tier gameplay and monetization through traditional IAP models, while layering in passive Web3 rewards that enhance engagement, virality, and loyalty, without disrupting the core game experience. With Telegram's 1B+ monthly active users, Spekter Games leverages super app ecosystems for unprecedented growth potential, creating accessible gaming experiences that bridge mainstream mobile gaming and the exciting possibilities of Web3.
Forbes
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Berserk Or Die' Review: A Smashing Indie Action Game
Poncle, Nao Games Luca Galante almost gave up on the idea of creating video games. He moved from his home in Rome to London where he got a job flipping burgers at McDonald's. Making the roguelike shooter game, Vampire Survivors, began as just a hobby he did in his spare time alone at home. He had no idea it'd go on to sell millions when he released it in 2022. He certainly didn't expect it to pip God of War Ragnarok and Elden Ring to the best game gong at 2023's Bafta Games Awards. That success has afforded him his own studio, Poncle, which is based in England's capital with a modest 36 employees working alongside him. After expanding Vampire Survivors with new features over the last few years, Galante has now dipped his toes into publishing. The game? Berserk or Die, an explosive 2D action title made by a Japanese solo developer, Nao Games. Understanding what to do in Berserk or Die is quite simple as it's all in the name: you either slaughter everything around you or you perish on the battlefield. We play as a lone Roman soldier to begin with (although other characters like an Egyptian Princess can be unlocked later along with more levels and weapons). The aim is to survive as many day and night cycles as possible by fighting off wave after wave of enemy warriors. They flood both sides of the screen and vary from typical sword-wielding grunts to archers. The more you progress, the more complicated staying alive becomes. Spears rain down from above. Bosses like a chariot race across the screen and will take you down unless you time an attack perfectly. Fortunately at the end of each fight, a merchant appears and offers you the typical cocktail of upgrades from health refills to more varied weaponry. This is all paid for by coins you take off of fallen foes. So far, the game shares an uncanny synergy with Vampire Survivors. The act of traversal is where they differ. Galante's game is all about movement. Stop running for even a millisecond to scratch your nose and you'll be overrun with ghouls and creatures of the night. In Berserk or Die, movement is a luxury. The only way to get around is to perform a lunging attack to the left or right. Doing this will cost you stamina, so picking the right moment to strike is crucial. Once you see gold spilling out on the ground, it's hard to resist the urge not to throw yourself forward to scoop it up, but doing so leaves you vulnerable if you mistime your move. Die and you'll be back to square one, albeit with some upgrades you accrued along the way. Poncle, Nao Games In an unusual twist, you have to physically smash your keyboard to attack. The more keys you hit, the more powerful your attack will be. Shaking the mouse will unleash a special manoeuvre. The game also runs adequately on a Steam Deck where you use the rear triggers to attack instead. It may even just save you a few dollars on a keyboard replacement should you get too enthusiastic. All of this chaos is set in front of a stunning pixelated background. Each location (ranging from the plains of Italy to the deserts of Egypt) is wonderfully crafted, accompanied by a great soundtrack inspired by the environment. The only question with Berserk or Die is whether or not it'll be able to establish the longevity Vampire Survivors has with regular updates and fresh ideas. But for four dollars, even if it doesn't manage that, it's money well spent.
Engadget
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is getting a new mode to coincide with the Switch 2 launch
Capcom just announced that Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is getting a new mode to coincide with its launch-day release for the Switch 2, which is June 5 . It's called Otherworldly Ventures and introduces some roguelike mechanics to the action/strategy game. In other words, it's essentially an endless mode. You start off with limited abilities and choose from various upgrades when defeating waves of enemies. Lots of games do something like this, including titles like Vampire Survivors and Downwell . It will also introduce a scoring element, for those who want to ascend a leaderboard. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. To make the roguelike-inspired mechanics work, the developers have simplified other aspects of the gameplay. Protagonist Soh won't have to rescue villagers and crystals will accumulate more quickly than in the standard game. Also, Yoshiro will make her own way to the gate, instead of having to be guided. The whole thing looks pretty fun. Despite launching alongside the Switch 2, Otherworldly Ventures will be available for every version of the game on June 5. This includes PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Windows and Steam. It's also free, which is always nice. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. For the uninitiated, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a fun hybrid of third-person combat and tower-defense. We heaped praise on the game in our official review , calling it "perfectly balanced, lovingly crafted and metal as hell."
The Verge
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
In a year full of giant games, some little mice stand out
There have been a lot of big games this year that have felt all-consuming, like Monster Hunter Wilds or Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Maze Mice offers something different: a small, pick-up-and-play experience that takes a bunch of ideas from some classics and adds a clever twist. The game, from Luck Be a Landlord developer TrampolineTales, mixes elements of Pac-Man, Vampire Survivors, and even the classic Snake. As an adorable, pixelated mouse, you zip around a maze to get blue experience gems that are guarded by cats. When you pass by the cats, they'll wake up and start chasing you, sometimes creating a hilariously long line of felines. (Cute ghost cats will also appear and inconveniently float right into your path.) All the action takes place on one screen, so it's easy to see where everything is at any given time. When you get enough gems, you can pick from a selection of three power-ups. The upgrades are often a little silly, like knitting needles that fly through the air to attack the cats pursuing you, but as with Vampire Survivors, it's fun to experiment with different abilities to create interesting builds. Maze Mice 's most interesting feature is that time only moves when you move, like in Superhot. When you inch forward, the enemy cats inch forward right behind you, but when you're not moving, they're frozen, too. Your abilities are all on cooldowns, and the time on those cooldowns also only advances when you move forward. It all means that instead of the growing sense of being overwhelmed that you might get while dodging ghosts in Pac-Man or fighting hordes of monsters in Vampire Survivors, Maze Mice gives you time to sit and think about where you want to go next — even if you have 10 cats on your tail. I really like how it all works. You're still dealing with lots of enemies, but instead of the anxiety of having to fend them off in real time like in other games, it's all much much more laid-back. The charming atmosphere and catchy music help make the experience feel more welcoming than stressful, too. After runs, you'll unlock new upgrades and characters for future runs based on your score. I'm a big fan of a mine weapon that blows up when I get the cats following me to walk over it. And my favorite character so far is a mouse named Jazz with sunglasses and a saxophone — who starts with a saxophone weapon. Such a cool little guy! Maze Mice is in early access, so it should get more content down the line. It seems like there's a generous amount to play with already; TrampolineTales launched the game this month with 30 characters and 63 upgrades, meaning there's a lot to dig into. But the thing I love most about it is that I can play for a few minutes after an hourlong Doom: The Dark Ages level and feel like I actually accomplished something – even when those pesky cats eventually catch up to me.
