Retro - Survivors-likes List

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welcome to v0.001 of the website!! ty for bearing with us while we optimize the survivors-likes wiki! the main page loads the entire database for pinned browsing atm, so this will take a long time. You can scroll while it loads. try a search/filter query or click a taxonomy tag to see a smaller slice. Survivors-likes List Menu Search Edit 900+ games! Comparing bullet heavens, arena shooters, waves, hordes and more! Research data entered by hand ♡	Taxonomy Archive << Aesthetic Tag: Retro ~ 28 found Game and Release Info Search and Filter Results The wiki database includes over 200 columns for info! View toggles: compact, pin, fun. Bigger Big Normal Small Smaller [-] [+] font size. Site & minireviews by xoxomonstergirl. Click a row to expand!	Genre/Control Specific tags for the title's features	Ranking Similarity & Review	Review Multiple Sources	Similarity Compared to VS. Not a review!	Similarity Scale Percentage of possible points earned scored -1 to 1 in tenths in 60 categories Genre Controls Modes Progress Builds Stages Content Aesthetic Vibe
	[edit] Vampire Survivors DLC Released The game that sparked the debate! Not the first, but the most influential. Detailed review notes are available for each ranked title! The numbers in the similarity column measure similarity to Vampire Survivors, not a review. You can also see review scores! A couple extremely different games are included to test the ranking scale - as more games get fully ranked, these will stay near the bottom. Help us improve the wiki by hitting the edit button and filling out or correcting info. You can also submit info via the dev/player surveys linked in the header. Dev? Experienced player? Help us rank this game! [Submit Feature Survey] [Submit Review]	Auto-Shooter Bullet Heaven Content Rich Enemy Hell Horde Survival Mowing Game Roguelite Single Stick Shooter Survivors-like Top Down or Isometric Wave Survival	9.9 Combined Ranking Score 1/72 Ranking Position 1595/1600 Total Points	9.8 Final Review 98% Steam 9.7 Scale 10.0 Vibes 205178 Steam Reviews 395/400 Review Points	10.0 Similarity Score 100% Diagnosis: Similar 1200/1200 Comparison Points	100% Genre 8/8 genre	100% Simple Controls 7/7 move	100% Survival Modes 4/4 modes	100% Power Progression 4/4 level	100% Buildcrafting Depth 5/5 build	100% Stage Features 7/7 stage	100% Content Breadth 9/9 stuff	100% Aesthetics 6/6 style	100% Gameplay Vibe Check 10/10 vibe vibe
Vampire Survivors Ranking Notes - + Scaling and Review Notes Personal Hours Played: 92.8 Review Disclaimer Every game ranked was played, but also scaled based on research, talking to developers & your feedback. The priority with the scale's initial design was to compare similarity on relatively objective features - so it doesn't claim to include reviews of the depth and clarity you'd get at a games journalism site, nor the intensive time played you might get from player reviews on steam. We try to incorporate and link all of that along with a 'review scale' that checks for bugs. See the heatmap and breakdown! Time played noted so you can take any notes with a big grain of salt! I can't get to high level gameplay in 850+ games so I heavily research every game. Over 80 game creators let me interview or survey them! I Hope to go back and refine. Please argue or submit your own scores and reviews to be incorporated with credit into the notes and score numbers. Added or last checked on 11/23/2023 The standard to which all other games on this list are held! We recognize that it's not just the basics of gameplay but also the depth of content and collectables that makes it addictive. It's a simple casual game about moving towards some things and away from other things. And it's a complex hardcore build crafting systems game about over the top screen wiping action. It's a very influential game with an auto-fire design that isn't just replicating how weapons work without it, where as one dev on another game put it "every weapon makes you move in a different way." Many followers don't fully understand what it attempted to deconstruct and many attempt to do their own thing. Also I just found out a full symphony orchestra was used for the DLC soundtrack - what the fuck! We're not considering some more recently added features in our main scale, mainly just because they came out after the game had moved to DLC. The multiplayer is free, but the boom happened before it happened so we're just kind of leaving it in metadata for now. The new adventure mode is also linked to DLC. It's totally possible, just annoying, to add more categories to the scale, but for now we're going on 'vanilla' Vampire Survivors circa 2023. It's easy to see which categories we are comparing, anyway, on the scale heatmap! There isn't as in depth review notes here, but if you check out the explainer much of it is about breaking down what made Vampire Survivors so successful and seperated it from other similar games that came before. The scoring guide also will walk through how Vampire Survivors works for every category on the scale. Note on other games: "Many of these games have campaign or dungeon crawling mode, but we're not really scoring that for or against them directly, just if they include the wave survival modes." Longer reviews are sometimes for worse games: "I just write more when there are issues to note. Some are just more complicated. Just don't think a short review means it's bad, often it means there's little to complain about. Enjoy the scale!" - xoxomonstergirl Vampire Survivors Similarity Scale Heatmap - + Measured in 60 categories via likert-scale style options -1 to 1 in tenths, how does this game compare to Vampire Survivors. This allows 1200 total "points". It's easier to have a point of comparison and we just picked Vampire Survivors since it's the most popular and commonly referenced game in the subgenre. For detailed methodology read the explainer. For in depth examples at score value, see the scoring guide and for term definitions see the key. 10.0 Similarity Score 100% Diagnosis: 1200/1200 Comparison Points Rogue-lite 1/1 Auto-Fire / Auto-Battle 1/1 Real Time 1/1 Top Down or Isometric 1/1 Direct Control of Single Avatar 1/1 Arcade Style 1/1 Bullet Heaven A (Many Player Bullets) 1/1 Bullet Heaven B (Few Enemy Bullets) 1/1 One Handed Play (w Controller) 1/1 Move Only 1/1 No Dash 1/1 No Trigger 1/1 No Special Move 1/1 No Aiming 1/1 No On-Aim / On-Fire Movement Penalty 1/1 Timed / Boss Ended Survival 1/1 Endless Mode 1/1 Organic / Unannounced Waves 1/1 High Enemy Count (Horde) 1/1 Level Up on XP Gain Event 1/1 Streamlined Level Choices (Simple UI) 1/1 Currency Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Goal Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Build Crafting 1/1 1/1 Weapon Combination / "Evolution" 1/1 Interesting Item / Weapon / Ability Synergy 1/1 Broken / Invincible Builds Possible 1/1 Explorable Map 1/1 BIG Maps 1/1 XP on Ground 1/1 Health on Ground 1/1 Temp Powerups / Items on Ground 1/1 Treasure Chests and/or Loot Events 1/1 Vendor / Merchant on Run 1/1 Enemy Variety 1/1 Bosses / Elites 1/1 Many Interesting Characters 1/1 Many Challenges 1/1 Multiple Stages 1/1 Difficulty Modifiers 1/1 Bestiary / Lore 1/1 Achievements 1/1 Secrets 1/1 Retro / Pixel Art 1/1 Damage Numbers 1/1 Lofi Charm 1/1 Bumpin Music 1/1 Fun Writing 1/1 Subtle Humor 1/1 Panic & Zen Duo Vibe 1/1 Over the Top 1/1 "One More Run" / Short Runs 1/1 Difficulty Ramp 1/1 Fun Ramp 1/1 Low Price 1/1 Technical Check 1/1 Controls Check 1/1 Fun Check 1/1 Feels like VS 1/1 Vampire Survivors Review Scale Heatmap - + The review scale is judged from -1 to 1 in 10 categories, with 200 possible "points" earned. Steam review positive percentage is worth another 100 points, and a "ten point" pure vibe review number adds extra subjectivity. Converted into points, that's 400 points total. The points aren't used directly in the ranking, though, which averages the three number scores for the final review score listed in the game line above. 9.8 Final Review 98% Positive Steam Reviews 205178 Steam Reviews 10.0 Pure Vibes 9.7 Review Scale 395/400 Review Points Not Buggy 1/1 Not Janky 0.9/1 Good UI 0.8/1 Controller and Deck 1/1 Lots of Content 1/1 Good Theme 1/1 Good Graphics and Sound 1/1 Fun Feel 1/1 Unique Twists 1/1 Vibe Check 1/1 Metacritic Scores - + This title has metacritic data! The "fuck the man" score is adjusted so each person's review is equally weighted, regardless of critic or fan status. Critic 8.7 Converted 10 Point Score 29 Number of Critic Reviews User 8.3 User Review Average 332 Number of User Reviews Average 8.5 Direct Average 8.3 "Fuck The Man" Combined Mean Vampire Survivors Tag Cloud - + More sortable taxonomies and categories associated with the game (genre tags are available in the main game table line!) We've just started adding tags to enable more sorting options, this section will get more filled out as we go! Release Tags AndroidBrowseriOSitch.ioLinuxMacSteam DeckSwitchWindows PCXboxDLCReleased Sorting Categories SimilarRanked Genre and Control Style Tags Auto-ShooterBullet HeavenContent RichEnemy HellHorde SurvivalMowing GameRogueliteSingle Stick ShooterSurvivors-likeTop Down or IsometricWave Survival Aesthetic Tags 2DLofiPixel ArtRetro Setting / Story Tags ComedyFantasyHorror ThemedUndead Control Styles Auto-AimAuto-FireControllerController 1 HandedController Move OnlyKeyboard 1 HandedKeyboard OnlyMouse Only Game Mode Tags Bestiary/LoreBoss EndedCampaign/StoryCo-OpCurrency MetaprogressionDifficulty ModesDifficulty ModifiersEndless ModeEnemy Trap EventsMultiplayerNo TutorialRoulette ProgressionSpeed UpTimed SurvivalUnlockable CharactersWave Survival30m Features and Extras Holiday EventSoundtrackSteam AchievementsSteam CloudSteam Trading Cards Dev/Publisher Poncle Release Info & Community Links - + Direct Permalink: survivorslikes.com/videogame/vampire-survivors Contextual Table Link: survivorslikes.com/#vampire-survivors Google Sheet Edit Link: edit.survivorslikes.com row 5 Steam Link: steampowered.com/app/1794680/vampire_survivors Steam Price: 4.99 (USD) Release Date: Early Access 12/17/2021 Full 10/20/2022 Developer: Poncle Publisher: Poncle Fully Released? Yes Recent Updates? Yes Steam Compatibility Windows: Yes Mac: Yes Linux: No Steam Deck: Verified Other Platforms Xbox Switch Android iOS Browser (itch.io) Community & Social Links Forum Discord Subreddit Wiki Homepage Twitter Instagram TikTok YouTube YouTube Tag TikTok Tag Twitch Game Features - + Listing various features we've got info on. Multiplayer Local: Co-Op Online: No Player Count: 4 Leaderboards: No Steam Features Steam Cloud: Yes Steam Achievements: 190 Steam Leaderboards: No Steam Workshop: No Steam Trading Cards: Yes Extras, Etc. NSFW: No Demo Available: Yes itch.io DLC Available: Yes Soundtrack Available: Steam SoundCloud YouTube Critic Review Excerpt - + Here's another perspective to evaluate the game. "With its dead-simple graphics and basic map and enemy design, Vampire Survivors seems like it has no business sticking with me as much as it does. And yet, I felt compelled to put over a hundred hours into experimenting with its many weapon and ability upgrade combinations, starting round after round trying to reach the end and unlock all of its characters, evolve all of its weapons, and unlock all of its secrets. The bewitching spell of its appeal can be broken by the duller stretches between when you find a great build or unlock a challenging new mode, but it probably won't be long until you find a new way to challenge yourself to survive just a few seconds longer." By Dan Stapleton, IGN Read More Marketing Blurb - + Some description of the game and its features from the creators. "Mow down thousands of night creatures and survive until dawn! Vampire Survivors is a gothic horror casual game with rogue-lite elements, where your choices can allow you to quickly snowball against the hundreds of monsters that get thrown at you." "Vampire Survivors is a time survival game with minimalistic gameplay and roguelite elements. Hell is empty, the devils are here, and there's no place to run or hide. All you can do is survive as long as you can until death inevitably puts an end to your struggles. Gather gold in each run to buy upgrades and help the next survivor." "The supernatural indie phenomenon that lets you be the bullet hell!" More info and fan reviews on steam Control Style Notes - + Single Stick Shooter: Vampire Survivors has a movement only control scheme, except for selecting upgrades and naivating the menu with one button. Auto-Shooter: Attacks happen on a cool down timer with no player button or trigger available. They also auto-aim in various ways depending on the weapon. Mowing Game: Movement is the primary mechanic, you're always charting a path away from some things and towards others. Automated attacks have distinct shapes so "every weapon forces you to move in a different way" as drowsyau, design lead of Sea of Survivors puts it. This is a distinct feature of the subsubgenre of mowing games. Enemies from maze like patterns. Automated Features Auto-Aim Auto-Fire Default, no option for manual aim or trigger. Supported Controls Controller: Full Controller Move Only: Yes Controller One Handed: Yes Mouse Only: Yes Keyboard Only: Yes Keyboard One Handed: Yes Accessibility & Tutorial - + Accessibility Notes Seizure warning. Game is highly accessible control-wise out of the box due to the large array of support and simple single stick controls. Menu FX Toggles: Flashing VFX and screen shake toggle Legibility/Visibility Toggles: Border Opacity, Pixel Font, Co-Op Outlines, Disable Damage Numbers Option to disable blood. Tutorial Notes Vampire Survivors has no tutorial. On first launch it quickly opens to a menu where you have few options but to simply start a run. Inside a run, you are presented with no prompts, control diagrams or instructions. It works fine, because there is only one control during play: Joystick, mouse click or touch screen press to move. Game Modes - + Timed Survival Endless Survival Campaign / Story (Adventure DLC) Difficulty Modes (Hyper, Hurry, Inverse, Endless) Difficulty Modifiers (Via Meta Unlocks) Multiplayer Co-Op Game Mode Notes Starts with 30m survival and opens up other game modes and difficulty options as you progress. Each difficulty mode has a variety of changes and increased rewards, including: Hyper Mode: Character and enemies move faster, difficulty is increased in a few ways. Hurry Mode: In Hurry mode, there's 2x Clock Speed and increased XP. Inverse Mode: In Inverse mode, the map is flipped upside down (literally) and much difficulty is increased Endless mode: Instead of an unkillable boss spawn at 30m, the enemy waves repeat with increased difficulty Some meta unlocks also increase or modify difficulty and eventually you can banish some upgrade options pre-run for a "deck construction" style gameplay aspect. Quick streamlined menu directs you into the next run with minimal effort. Run Times & Speedups - + Average Run Time: 30m Run Time Notes The initial run time is about 30 minutes, later stages are 15 minutes. "Hyper Mode" allows standard stages to take 15m run time. Run is ended by a near impossible to kill boss. Unlockable endless modes and difficulty modifiers. Speed Settings 2x Unlockable "Hyper Mode" Hurry mode increases player and enemy speed, but not clock speed. Player Power Progression - + Detailed notes on progression systems. In Run Progression During the run the player defeats enemies and gathers xp drops to level up. Level dialog pops up automatically on xp gain event. Leveling is done by selecting random options for ability enhancing items or attacking weapons (kind of like cards, but presented horizontally), eventually with the option of rerolling or banishing options. Items can also be collected off the ground when found around a map. They can also gather temporary powerups dropped by enemies and open elite enemy treasure chests for items and weapons. In addition, a later game system of "arcana" drops further allows for modification of the run. Weapons and items can combine when fully leveled for "evolved" forms. When you "run out" of levels in an endless run you can pick gold or health and even set it to auto. The player can hold 6 weapons, but pick up over the limit Meta Progression As the game progresses players unlock more stage and difficulty options by accomplishing timed survival goals and find based goals on each stage. They also unlock the option to purchase characters or purchase upgrades, as well as new weapons/items to find in future runs. Players earn a currency through runs (gold) that can be spent on the in run vendor (eventually unlocked) or saved to get character or upgrades in the menu. Upgrades can be refunded, allowing for some buildcrafting. Content By The Numbers - + 58 Characters (16 secret, 16 DLC) 48 Base Weapons (+7 Counterparts) 38 Evolved Weapons and Unions 10 Special / Temporary Weapons 17 Passive Effect Items (Almost all with upgrade levels) 16 Weapon Stats 19 Pickups (XP, Gold, Food, Powerups) 22 feature unlocking relics to find 22 Run Modifying Arcana Cards 22 Meta Upgrade Powerups 198 Unique Enemies (58 Bosses) 19 Stages 5 Stage Modes 2 DLC available In Game Lore & Extras Collection - Browse weapons, items, relics, arcana Bestiary - Browse Enemies Music - On stage select, can listen jukebox-style UI Walkthrough: Main Menus - + Any other accessibility or menu options not mentioned already in the game modes. Instead of deciding what to list here, I'm going to just list it all. This should make for a pretty interesting UI study, actually, but probably won't be needed by most players. These are all likely missing late game unlock options! Please comment in corrections! From top left, back or close buttons are assumed. Spoiler Warning! Menu unlocks often happen later in play. See also meta unlock menu walkthrough. Main Menu Quit Options - "Favorites", Display, Sound, Gameplay, Co-Op, Account Start -> Character Select --> Enter Co-Op -- Max Weapons, Eggs, Meta Stat Sidebar, Map Completion Sidebar --> Stage Select --- Stage Stat Sidebar, Music Selection --- Difficulty Modes (Hyper, Hurry, Arcanas, Limit Break, Inverse, Endless) ---> Start Quick Start Collection (Seal Item) Power Up (Purchase and refund with gold) Unlocks (Option to hide completed) Bestiary Credits Secrets (Checklist, Enter Cheat Code "Cast Spell") Display & Sound Both under "Options" in main menu. Display - Resolution Dropdown - Vsync - Border Transparency Dropdown - Checkboxes: Flashing VFX, Disable Blood, Weapons ScreenShake, Pixel Font, Show Defanged Enemies Sound - Sounds Slider - Music Slider - Option for "Classic" or "Blast Processed" sound effects Track / speed options for music available at level select. Gameplay / Input / Other Options Under "options" in the main menu. Gameplay - Checkboxes: Damage Numbers, Show stage progression, Visually Invert Stages, Touch Screen Control Stick - Option for Legacy or Default Joystick Type Co-Op - Player Colour Dropdowns - Checkboxes: Show Co-OP Indicators, Co-Op Vibration, Tint UI Selection, Sequential Chest Mode Account - Language Selection (Many Options) - Twitch Channel Connect - Data Recovery UI Walkthrough: Player HUD & Pause - + From top left of the screen, persistent UI during play (aka Heads Up Display) and other menus during your run. Player HUD / Gameplay UI XP Bar across full screen width, level number in top left corner. Weapon/Item Slots in top left corner. Timer in middle. Enemy and gold count in top right corner. Mouse pause button in top right corner, low opacity. Player health bar below avatar. Optional touch screen joystick on screen, damage numbers, and arrows on edge of screen for pickups and treasure drops. Pause Menus Stats Sidebar, Map - Options -- Sounds, Music, Touch Screen Control Stick, Flashing VFX, Weapons ScreenShake, Damage Numbers --\| Quit --> Resume - Hide Pickups / Show Pickups - Hide Guide / Show Guides - Open Grimoire - Resume UI Walkthrough: Leveling & Progression - + Listing UI display as well. "In run" applies to "round end" UI in games with rounds. May use in game terms for complicated concepts. See also metaprogression system notes in the game mode notes. Level / Power Up / Treasure: In Run and End Menus XP drops as gems. Gold, powerups and health drop from enemies and breakables. Items sit on map. Enemies drop chests. On XP Gain Event - Equipment and Stat Sidebar - 3-4 Level Options in vertical bordered list - Reroll, Skip, Banish If Arcana is Enabled in late game, starts with "Randomazzo" and more can be dropped - pick from 22 tarot style "cards' with major effects. Merchant - when found purchase from unlocked options with gold. Treasure Pickup Event - Display gacha style drop and confirm, no options. End Run Displays Results -> Done Meta Unlock Menus Characters can be purchased from character select, under "Start". Upgrades, called "powerups" are purchased in a simple UI with checkboxes after the option to purchase them has been unlocked through goals. Upgrade Options / Unlocks: Might, Armor, Max Health, Recovery, Cooldown Area, Speed, Duration, Amount, Move Speed, Magnet, Luck, Growth, Greed, Curse, Revival, Omni, Defang, Reroll, Skip, Banish, Seal Meta PowerUps can be Refunded, characters cannot. Meta PowerUps can be individually toggled off after purchase.
	[edit] Halls of Torment EA Free Available An action RPG inspired survivors-like commonly recommended if you like things a little more slower and challenging or just isometric with a Diablo 1 vibe. Feels more like VS when you enable Auto-Aim and Auto-Attack, but you might enjoy more control. The quick toggle option is appreciated. Crazy amount going on for Early Access. Darker vibe may appeal to you. This is one of the most popular and highly regarded titles on the list and I agree with that prestige. Dev? Experienced player? Help us rank this game! [Submit Feature Survey] [Submit Review]	Auto-Shooter Bullet Heaven Content Rich Dungeon Crawler Enemy Hell Hack and Slash Horde Survival Mowing Game Roguelite Single Stick Shooter Survivors-like Top Down or Isometric Twin Stick Shooter Wave Shooter Wave Survival	9.3 Combined Ranking Score 2/72 Ranking Position 1526/1600 Total Points	9.6 Final Review 96% Steam 9.8 Scale 9.3 Vibes 16395 Steam Reviews 387/400 Review Points	9.0 Similarity Score 95% Diagnosis: Similar 1139/1200 Comparison Points	98% Genre 7.7/8 genre	94% Simple Controls 6.2/7 move	88% Survival Modes 3/4 modes	100% Power Progression 4/4 level	90% Buildcrafting Depth 4/5 build	93% Stage Features 6/7 stage	94% Content Breadth 8/9 stuff	94% Aesthetics 5.3/6 style	99% Gameplay Vibe Check 9.7/10 vibe vibe
Halls of Torment Ranking Notes - + Scaling and Review Notes Personal Hours Played: 11.3 Review Disclaimer Every game ranked was played, but also scaled based on research, talking to developers & your feedback. The priority with the scale's initial design was to compare similarity on relatively objective features - so it doesn't claim to include reviews of the depth and clarity you'd get at a games journalism site, nor the intensive time played you might get from player reviews on steam. We try to incorporate and link all of that along with a 'review scale' that checks for bugs. See the heatmap and breakdown! Time played noted so you can take any notes with a big grain of salt! I can't get to high level gameplay in 850+ games so I heavily research every game. Over 80 game creators let me interview or survey them! I Hope to go back and refine. Please argue or submit your own scores and reviews to be incorporated with credit into the notes and score numbers. Added or last checked on 11/23/2023 An excellent choice to scratch your Vampire Survivors itch. This one is very inspired by oldschool Diablo 1 feel from graphics to enemy types and attacks. Great enemy patterns/AI, kind of beautiful sometimes to watch them move. Has options for Auto Aim and Auto Attack. Quick Toggle available at all times means it still gets high scores in those columns. There is a prelude so you can try it out and see if you like the more downtempo vibe. I can see how some people complain about the graphics, but it's pure nostalgia for me! It's a great game, but I'm personally often looking for something a little more over the top and upbeat in this genre, which explains my lower playtime vs. some others. I should write more on this at some point, it's one of the better games on the list, but I imagine it being up so far and already popular most people already know that. Like a few other games the detail of notes suffers because I played most of my time in it before I was making notes and they are already on my list to play a lot more of. That's generally a good sign, but I intend to revise the notes later. Halls of Torment Similarity Scale Heatmap - + Measured in 60 categories via likert-scale style options -1 to 1 in tenths, how does this game compare to Vampire Survivors. This allows 1200 total "points". It's easier to have a point of comparison and we just picked Vampire Survivors since it's the most popular and commonly referenced game in the subgenre. For detailed methodology read the explainer. For in depth examples at score value, see the scoring guide and for term definitions see the key. 9.0 Similarity Score 95% Diagnosis: 1139/1200 Comparison Points Rogue-lite 1/1 Auto-Fire / Auto-Battle 0.9/1 Real Time 1/1 Top Down or Isometric 1/1 Direct Control of Single Avatar 1/1 Arcade Style 1/1 Bullet Heaven A (Many Player Bullets) 0.8/1 Bullet Heaven B (Few Enemy Bullets) 1/1 One Handed Play (w Controller) 0.8/1 Move Only 0.8/1 No Dash 1/1 No Trigger 0.8/1 No Special Move 1/1 No Aiming 0.8/1 No On-Aim / On-Fire Movement Penalty 1/1 Timed / Boss Ended Survival 1/1 Endless Mode 0/1 Organic / Unannounced Waves 1/1 High Enemy Count (Horde) 1/1 Level Up on XP Gain Event 1/1 Streamlined Level Choices (Simple UI) 1/1 Currency Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Goal Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Build Crafting 1/1 1/1 Weapon Combination / "Evolution" 0/1 Interesting Item / Weapon / Ability Synergy 1/1 Broken / Invincible Builds Possible 1/1 Explorable Map 1/1 BIG Maps 1/1 XP on Ground 1/1 Health on Ground 1/1 Temp Powerups / Items on Ground 1/1 Treasure Chests and/or Loot Events 1/1 Vendor / Merchant on Run 0/1 Enemy Variety 1/1 Bosses / Elites 1/1 Many Interesting Characters 1/1 Many Challenges 1/1 Multiple Stages 1/1 Difficulty Modifiers 1/1 Bestiary / Lore 0/1 Achievements 1/1 Secrets 1/1 Retro / Pixel Art 1/1 Damage Numbers 1/1 Lofi Charm 1/1 Bumpin Music 0.5/1 Fun Writing 0.8/1 Subtle Humor 1/1 Panic & Zen Duo Vibe 1/1 Over the Top 0.7/1 "One More Run" / Short Runs 1/1 Difficulty Ramp 1/1 Fun Ramp 1/1 Low Price 1/1 Technical Check 1/1 Controls Check 1/1 Fun Check 1/1 Feels like VS 1/1 Halls of Torment Review Scale Heatmap - + The review scale is judged from -1 to 1 in 10 categories, with 200 possible "points" earned. Steam review positive percentage is worth another 100 points, and a "ten point" pure vibe review number adds extra subjectivity. Converted into points, that's 400 points total. The points aren't used directly in the ranking, though, which averages the three number scores for the final review score listed in the game line above. 9.6 Final Review 96% Positive Steam Reviews 16395 Steam Reviews 9.3 Pure Vibes 9.8 Review Scale 387/400 Review Points Not Buggy 1/1 Not Janky 1/1 Good UI 0.9/1 Controller and Deck 1/1 Lots of Content 1/1 Good Theme 1/1 Good Graphics and Sound 1/1 Fun Feel 0.9/1 Unique Twists 1/1 Vibe Check 1/1 Metacritic Scores - + This title has metacritic data! The "fuck the man" score is adjusted so each person's review is equally weighted, regardless of critic or fan status. Critic - Converted 10 Point Score - Number of Critic Reviews User 8.4 User Review Average 19 Number of User Reviews Average 8.4 Direct Average 8.4 "Fuck The Man" Combined Mean Halls of Torment Tag Cloud - + More sortable taxonomies and categories associated with the game (genre tags are available in the main game table line!) We've just started adding tags to enable more sorting options, this section will get more filled out as we go! Release Tags LinuxSteam DeckWindows PCEAFree Available Sorting Categories SimilarRanked Genre and Control Style Tags Auto-ShooterBullet HeavenContent RichDungeon CrawlerEnemy HellHack and SlashHorde SurvivalMowing GameRogueliteSingle Stick ShooterSurvivors-likeTop Down or IsometricTwin Stick ShooterWave ShooterWave Survival Aesthetic Tags Pre-rendered SpritesRetroSerious Setting / Story Tags DungeonsFantasyHorrorHorror ThemedUndead Control Styles Auto-AimAuto-FireControllerController 1 HandedController Move OnlyKeyboard 1 HandedKeyboard OnlyMouse Only Game Mode Tags Boss EndedCurrency MetaprogressionDifficulty ModesEndless ModeEnemy Trap EventsHub ZoneInventory ManagementNo TutorialTimed SurvivalUnlockable CharactersWave Survival30m Features and Extras SoundtrackSteam AchievementsSteam Cloud Dev/Publisher Chasing Carrots Release Info & Community Links - + Direct Permalink: survivorslikes.com/videogame/halls-of-torment Contextual Table Link: survivorslikes.com/#halls-of-torment Google Sheet Edit Link: edit.survivorslikes.com row 6 Steam Link: steampowered.com/app/2218750/halls_of_torment Steam Price: 4.99 (USD) Release Date: Early Access 5/24/2023 Developer: Chasing Carrots Publisher: Chasing Carrots Fully Released? No Recent Updates? Yes Steam Compatibility Windows: Yes Mac: No Linux: Yes Steam Deck: Verified Other Platforms None Community & Social Links Forum Discord Subreddit Wiki Homepage Twitter Instagram YouTube Tag TikTok Tag Twitch Tag Game Features - + Listing various features we've got info on. Multiplayer Local: No Online: No Player Count: 1 Leaderboards: No Steam Features Steam Cloud: Yes Steam Achievements: 252 Steam Leaderboards: No Steam Workshop: No Steam Trading Cards: No Extras, Etc. NSFW: No Demo Available: Yes DLC Available: No Soundtrack Available: YouTube Marketing Blurb - + Some description of the game and its features from the creators. "Slay hordes of terrifying monsters in this horde survival roguelite. Descend into the Halls of Torment where the lords of the underworld await you. Treasures, magic trinkets, and a growing cast of heroes will grant you the power to vanquish the horrors from beyond. How long can you survive?" More info and fan reviews on steam Control Style Notes - + Technically a twin stick shooter, but with auto aim and auto fire quickly available to toggle via a controller press without having to enter a menu. It felt, in my playthrough, like auto aim always was valid enough as a strategy and sometimes I would want to manually aim. Pretty comfortable play style. Auto Aim generally targets nearest enemy, with some melee ranged attacks and upgrade paths make it a good mowing game. Enemies form satisfying maze like patterns. Automated Features Auto-Aim Auto-Fire Toggle in menu or via button in play, default's to manual aim. With auto-aim on, you can still press the right stick to aim when needed and simply release to return to auto-aim. Supported Controls Controller: Full Controller Move Only: Yes Controller One Handed: Yes Mouse Only: Yes Keyboard Only: Yes Keyboard One Handed: Yes Accessibility & Tutorial - + Accessibility Notes Very accessible about of the box control-wise due to easy enable of auto-aim and fire, though menus are a little bit more complicated to navigate. Menu FX Toggle: Damage Flash Intensity Visibility Options: Cursor Size, Ability Effect Opacity, Aiming Line, Disable Damage Numbers Tutorial Notes Input hints on start is toggleable in the menu. Shows inputs on screen before fading away at start of run, if toggled. Tooltips help show information about abilities on hover. Game Modes - + Timed / Boss Ended Survival "Agony" Modes (Difficulty Increase) Camp (Main Menu /Hub Zone) Game Mode Notes The game challenges you to survive out a timer and the boss that shows up. Defeating the boss ends the run. After completing a certain point at regular level, a harder mode called "Agony" becomes selectable. The main menu navigation is through a hub zone called "Camp" where you control an avatar directly and interact with other characters to switch to them, and to a couple interactable objects and NPCs to increase your power and pick your equipment. Run Times & Speedups - + Average Run Time: 30m Run Time Notes At the end of the round the boss shows up and must be defeated. It's a fairly standard countdown timer. Speed Settings None Player Power Progression - + Detailed notes on progression systems. In Run Progression Much like Vampire survivors, you avoid enemies while picking up XP drops and gold. One difference is you have to find abilities around the map, instead of being able to get them by leveling. Leveling up powers up traits for your current abilities. Equipment is also another difference, see also meta notes. There are a couple powerups and a magnet ability. When you "run out" of traits to pick in a run you can pick health or gold. Meta Progression Through progression players unlock characters and features in the hub zone. Players can find equipment and then purchase it from the wellkeeper NPC hubworld to equip at the stash. Incremental upgrades can be purchased for in game currency between runs. Players can brew potions with the cupbearer NPC allowing temporary options like rerolls in the next run." It's possible to reset and restore backups of progress in player profiles. Content By The Numbers - + 9 Characters ("Heroes") each with 3 Class Traits 16 Abilities each with trait upgrade options. 15 Base Traits 10 Elevated Traits 500+ trait options total that upgrade characters and abilities 22 Visible Player Stats 2 NPCs 4 Stages / "Dhapters" 30+ Unique Monsters 12+ Bosses 2 Difficulty Options (Normal, Agony) 250 Quests (Challenges) Total, split between chapter related and character related. 1 XP pickup item, 4 Healing Drops 1 Gold meta progression currency 4 Temporary Powerups (inc XP magnet) 50+ Equipment Items 18 Meta Upgrades ("Blessings") 6 Potions, brewed with 15 ingredients drops 9 Equippable Buffs ("Marks") In Game Lore & Extras 2 rescuable hub zone NPCs with light voice acted dialog. UI Walkthrough: Main Menus - + Any other accessibility or menu options not mentioned already in the game modes. Instead of deciding what to list here, I'm going to just list it all. This should make for a pretty interesting UI study, actually, but probably won't be needed by most players. These are all likely missing late game unlock options! Please comment in corrections! From top left, back or close buttons are assumed. Spoiler Warning! Menu unlocks often happen later in play. See also meta unlock menu walkthrough. Main Menu Initial - Character Select (Left Stick) -> Avatar Control / "Camp" Hub Zone -> Menu (Start, also option during hub world) Camp (Hubzone, Walk, button to interact) - Wellkeeper (Merchant NPC, buy found items) - Item Stash (Equip) - Change Character - Shrine of Blessings (Currency Meta Powerups) --> Register of Halls / Door (Choose Stage) - Quests (Tab through challenges, see unlock rewards) - Cupbearer (Potion Crafting NPC) Menu (LB - RB to tab) - Settings Tab (Display, Input, Audio, Interface) - Profile Tab - Quit Tab (Yes/No Confirmation) Display & Sound On the settings tab of the main menu Display and Window Toggles - Fullscreen, Performance Mode, Pause when Focus Lost Audio Sliders - Master Volume, Music Volume, SFX Volume, Voice Volume Interface -Cursor Select - Sliders: Cursor Size, Damage Flash Intensity, Ability Effect Opacity - Toggles: Aiming Line, Damage Numbers, Show Input Hints on Start Gameplay / Input / Other Options On the settings tab of the main menu Input Method Toggles - Auto Aim, Auto Attack, Mouse Only Mode, Mouse Only On Hold Keyboard Bindings - Move Up, Move Left, Move Down, Move Right, Attack Up, Attack Left, Attack Down, Attack Right, Tab Left, Tab Right, Confirm / Interact UI Walkthrough: Player HUD & Pause - + From top left of the screen, persistent UI during play (aka Heads Up Display) and other menus during your run. Player HUD / Gameplay UI Play area is in center with persistent sidebars on left and right. Left Sidebar - Player Level, XP Meter, XP Gained / Required Number, Health/Max, Health Orb. Right Sidebar - Menu/Pause Button, Ability Cooldown Icons, Powerups, Gold Count, Enemies Slain Count, Time Remaining On Run Start (optionally) displays controls in bottom left corner of play area. Optional damage numbers. Arrows on edge direct players to objectives. Pause Menus On "start" or Menu click, both left and right sidebars persist while center is replaced with menu. Tab Menus - Character, Traits and Abilities, Settings, Quit Character - View and equip items, view stats. Traits and Abilities - View Traits and Ability Stats Settings - (Same as Main Menu Settings) Quit - Return to Camp, Quit Game UI Walkthrough: Leveling & Progression - + Listing UI display as well. "In run" applies to "round end" UI in games with rounds. May use in game terms for complicated concepts. See also metaprogression system notes in the game mode notes. Level / Power Up / Treasure: In Run and End Menus XP drops as gems. Gold and health drop from enemies and breakables. Items sit on map. Enemies drop chests. Sidebars persist in all views. On XP Gain Event - Pick from 4 "Traits" - 4 Level Options in vertical bordered list - Potions: Reroll, Banish, Memorize, Double On "Scroll of Mastery" pickup - Pick from 3 "Abilities" - Discard for 50% Level XP "Dried Up Well" interactable - Drop found equipment into the well to retrieve it at camp End Run Displays Results - View stats and completed quests -> Return to camp Meta Unlock Menus Various features for the hub world unlock through play. Players can find equipment and then purchase it from the wellkeeper NPC hubworld to equip at the stash. Item Stash: 7 slots, 4 loadouts, sorted tabs. Equip items found for bonuses during the next run. Shrine of Blessings: Purchase upgrades for Health Capacity, Health Regeneration, Defense, Movement Speed, Pickup Range, Damage, Attack Speed, Area / Projectile Size, Attack Range. Can be refunded individually or all at once. Players can brew potions with the cupbearer NPC allowing temporary options like rerolls in the next run.
	[edit] Gunlocked Released A very interesting genre-twisting option if you want a vertically scrolling space game that otherwise checks off most survivors-like features. Fairly unique for its presentation as a classic shoot em up, limiting it on exploration scores but perhaps making it more fun than most clones with a twist on the format. Surprisingly, the "lock on" mechanic makes this less of a bullet heaven than other titles, despite the shmup format. Interesting for our scale, this is an aiming mechanic but with only movement controls. Runs are 15 minutes but also more difficult. If you want to avoid rather than mow, Gunlocked supplies a nice gameplay loop. Dev? Experienced player? Help us rank this game! [Submit Feature Survey] [Submit Review]	Auto-Shooter Enemy Hell Roguelite Shoot 'Em Up Single Stick Shooter Survivors-like Vertical Scrolling Shmup Wave Shooter	8.8 Combined Ranking Score 5/72 Ranking Position 1476/1600 Total Points	9.2 Final Review 91% Steam 9.9 Scale 8.7 Vibes 335 Steam Reviews 377/400 Review Points	8.3 Similarity Score 92% Diagnosis: Similar 1099/1200 Comparison Points	94% Genre 7.1/8 genre	96% Simple Controls 6.5/7 move	94% Survival Modes 3.5/4 modes	100% Power Progression 4/4 level	92% Buildcrafting Depth 4.2/5 build	72% Stage Features 3.1/7 stage	92% Content Breadth 7.6/9 stuff	90% Aesthetics 4.8/6 style	96% Gameplay Vibe Check 9.1/10 vibe vibe
Gunlocked Ranking Notes - + Scaling and Review Notes Personal Hours Played: 2.4 Review Disclaimer Every game ranked was played, but also scaled based on research, talking to developers & your feedback. The priority with the scale's initial design was to compare similarity on relatively objective features - so it doesn't claim to include reviews of the depth and clarity you'd get at a games journalism site, nor the intensive time played you might get from player reviews on steam. We try to incorporate and link all of that along with a 'review scale' that checks for bugs. See the heatmap and breakdown! Time played noted so you can take any notes with a big grain of salt! I can't get to high level gameplay in 850+ games so I heavily research every game. Over 80 game creators let me interview or survey them! I Hope to go back and refine. Please argue or submit your own scores and reviews to be incorporated with credit into the notes and score numbers. Added or last checked on 10/23/2023 Gunlocked puts a spin on the survivors-like formula by switching format to a vertically scrolling shooter. It's an auto shooter with only movement control but the primary mechanic (expressed with many pilots and weapons) is 'locking' or positioning your shot by moving the aiming reticule into place along with your ship - so it gets a partial score in 'aiming.' We're going to call "upgrade data", where I have to go in a certain point to get an upgrade, a "treasure chest" on the scale. Ships are cosmetic unfortunately, but pilots have a interesting variety of skills. Soundtrack is great, though maybe could be more procedural or have more tracks. Overall the game is very satisfying, from the challenge to upgrade loop, though it doesn't have quite the same 'mowing down hordes of enemies' vibe and surprisingly few bullets for the shmup stylings. I think it's great and will play more, but not for the same reason I play overpowered screenwiping games like PoE or VS. Gunlocked Similarity Scale Heatmap - + Measured in 60 categories via likert-scale style options -1 to 1 in tenths, how does this game compare to Vampire Survivors. This allows 1200 total "points". It's easier to have a point of comparison and we just picked Vampire Survivors since it's the most popular and commonly referenced game in the subgenre. For detailed methodology read the explainer. For in depth examples at score value, see the scoring guide and for term definitions see the key. 8.3 Similarity Score 92% Diagnosis: 1099/1200 Comparison Points Rogue-lite 1/1 Auto-Fire / Auto-Battle 1/1 Real Time 1/1 Top Down or Isometric 0.8/1 Direct Control of Single Avatar 1/1 Arcade Style 1/1 Bullet Heaven A (Many Player Bullets) 0.7/1 Bullet Heaven B (Few Enemy Bullets) 0.6/1 One Handed Play (w Controller) 1/1 Move Only 1/1 No Dash 1/1 No Trigger 1/1 No Special Move 1/1 No Aiming 0.5/1 No On-Aim / On-Fire Movement Penalty 1/1 Timed / Boss Ended Survival 1/1 Endless Mode 1/1 Organic / Unannounced Waves 1/1 High Enemy Count (Horde) 0.5/1 Level Up on XP Gain Event 1/1 Streamlined Level Choices (Simple UI) 1/1 Currency Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Goal Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Build Crafting 0.9/1 1/1 Weapon Combination / "Evolution" 1/1 Interesting Item / Weapon / Ability Synergy 1/1 Broken / Invincible Builds Possible 0.3/1 Explorable Map 0/1 BIG Maps 0.1/1 XP on Ground 1/1 Health on Ground 0/1 Temp Powerups / Items on Ground 1/1 Treasure Chests and/or Loot Events 1/1 Vendor / Merchant on Run 0/1 Enemy Variety 0.8/1 Bosses / Elites 1/1 Many Interesting Characters 1/1 Many Challenges 1/1 Multiple Stages 0.8/1 Difficulty Modifiers 1/1 Bestiary / Lore 1/1 Achievements 1/1 Secrets 0/1 Retro / Pixel Art 1/1 Damage Numbers 0/1 Lofi Charm 1/1 Bumpin Music 1/1 Fun Writing 1/1 Subtle Humor 0.8/1 Panic & Zen Duo Vibe 0.9/1 Over the Top 0.4/1 "One More Run" / Short Runs 1/1 Difficulty Ramp 1/1 Fun Ramp 1/1 Low Price 1/1 Technical Check 1/1 Controls Check 1/1 Fun Check 1/1 Feels like VS 0.8/1 Gunlocked Review Scale Heatmap - + The review scale is judged from -1 to 1 in 10 categories, with 200 possible "points" earned. Steam review positive percentage is worth another 100 points, and a "ten point" pure vibe review number adds extra subjectivity. Converted into points, that's 400 points total. The points aren't used directly in the ranking, though, which averages the three number scores for the final review score listed in the game line above. 9.2 Final Review 91% Positive Steam Reviews 335 Steam Reviews 8.7 Pure Vibes 9.9 Review Scale 377/400 Review Points Not Buggy 1/1 Not Janky 1/1 Good UI 0.9/1 Controller and Deck 1/1 Lots of Content 1/1 Good Theme 1/1 Good Graphics and Sound 1/1 Fun Feel 1/1 Unique Twists 1/1 Vibe Check 1/1 Gunlocked Tag Cloud - + More sortable taxonomies and categories associated with the game (genre tags are available in the main game table line!) We've just started adding tags to enable more sorting options, this section will get more filled out as we go! Release Tags Steam DeckWindows PCReleased Sorting Categories SimilarRanked Genre and Control Style Tags Auto-ShooterEnemy HellRogueliteShoot 'Em UpSingle Stick ShooterSurvivors-likeVertical Scrolling ShmupWave Shooter Aesthetic Tags 2DPixel ArtRetro Setting / Story Tags Sci-fiShip (Air/Space)Space Control Styles Auto-FireControllerController Move Only Game Mode Tags Endless ModeIgnorable TutorialTimed SurvivalWave Survival15m Features and Extras Steam AchievementsSteam Cloud Dev/Publisher FromLefcourt Release Info & Community Links - + Direct Permalink: survivorslikes.com/videogame/gunlocked Contextual Table Link: survivorslikes.com/#gunlocked Google Sheet Edit Link: edit.survivorslikes.com row 9 Steam Link: steampowered.com/app/1512480/gunlocked Steam Price: 4.99 (USD) Release Date: Early Access 4/29/2022 Full 12/6/2022 Developer: FromLefcourt Publisher: FromLefcourt Fully Released? Yes Recent Updates? Yes Steam Compatibility Windows: Yes Mac: No Linux: No Steam Deck: Verified Other Platforms None Community & Social Links Forum Discord Subreddit Game Features - + Listing various features we've got info on. Multiplayer Local: No Online: No Player Count: 1 Leaderboards: ? Steam Features Steam Cloud: Yes Steam Achievements: 65 Steam Leaderboards: No Steam Workshop: No Steam Trading Cards: No Extras, Etc. NSFW: No Demo Available: No DLC Available: Yes Soundtrack Available: No Marketing Blurb - + Some description of the game and its features from the creators. "A twin stick shooter without the twin stick, Gunlocked is a sci-fi action roguelike about careful positioning and upgrade selection. Manage unique targeting systems across multiple weapons and upgrades, as you battle legions of alien ships, and then do it all over again!" "You only control movement, but every weapon has its own unique targeting system that you can influence." More info and fan reviews on steam Control Style Notes - + Single stick shooter, it's vertically scrolling. It's an auto shooter with only movement control but the primary mechanic (expressed with many pilots and weapons) is 'locking' or positioning your shot by moving the aiming reticule into place along with your ship. Overall it's more about avoiding and targeting than mowing. Automated Features Auto-Fire Auto-aim might be bit of a stretch because really everything is aimed by positioning of your ship - but it does decide when to lock, and thus fire, and it's impossible to manual aim in any way. Supported Controls Controller: Full Controller Move Only: Yes Controller One Handed: Yes Mouse Only: ? Keyboard Only: ? Keyboard One Handed: ? Game Modes - + Timed Survival Endless Survival Game Mode Notes Dev: "Endless is unlocked last" Run Times & Speedups - + Average Run Time: 15m Run Time Notes ? Speed Settings ?
	[edit] Boneraiser Minions Released A auto-battler necromancy game if you want to raise hell but not freeze your computer. As a summoning focused horde avoidance game, it has a lot of depth. But it may not satisfy bullet heaven cravings if you want to see a million things pop out of your character or so many enemies you get one frame a second. It also has a dash and special move button, differentiating it from VS there. Active updates, a beloved title by many! Additional notes and score adjust by Raring on discord. Dev? Experienced player? Help us rank this game! [Submit Feature Survey] [Submit Review]	Arena Survival Auto-Battler Content Rich Enemy Hell Horde Survival Roguelite Summoning Game Survivors-like Top Down or Isometric Wave Survival	8.8 Combined Ranking Score 6/72 Ranking Position 1475/1600 Total Points	9.2 Final Review 96% Steam 9.6 Scale 8.5 Vibes 3865 Steam Reviews 377/400 Review Points	8.3 Similarity Score 92% Diagnosis: Similar 1098/1200 Comparison Points	90% Genre 6.4/8 genre	71% Simple Controls 3/7 move	100% Survival Modes 4/4 modes	100% Power Progression 4/4 level	90% Buildcrafting Depth 4/5 build	78% Stage Features 3.9/7 stage	100% Content Breadth 9/9 stuff	100% Aesthetics 6/6 style	98% Gameplay Vibe Check 9.5/10 vibe vibe
Boneraiser Minions Ranking Notes - + Scaling and Review Notes Personal Hours Played: 5.8 Review Disclaimer Every game ranked was played, but also scaled based on research, talking to developers & your feedback. The priority with the scale's initial design was to compare similarity on relatively objective features - so it doesn't claim to include reviews of the depth and clarity you'd get at a games journalism site, nor the intensive time played you might get from player reviews on steam. We try to incorporate and link all of that along with a 'review scale' that checks for bugs. See the heatmap and breakdown! Time played noted so you can take any notes with a big grain of salt! I can't get to high level gameplay in 850+ games so I heavily research every game. Over 80 game creators let me interview or survey them! I Hope to go back and refine. Please argue or submit your own scores and reviews to be incorporated with credit into the notes and score numbers. Added or last checked on 10/18/2023 This game is notable both for being widely loved but also for being a firm twist on the genre by focusing on summoning (though plenty of other games on this list like Keeper's Toll have necromancer or summoner characters or skills.) This is not only one of the best VS-likes, though, it's also one of the best necromancer games ever! Also includes a card game mini-game that's totally optional accessed through your lair. Lots of unlocks from characters to game modes and a lot of depth in a lofi presentation. Patches may have removed the ability to go infinite without amazing luck unfortunately. It's possible this won't scratch the itch for you if you want to see a lot of attacks/bullets come out of your character. You spend most of the time running away from, not into, mobs of enemies while your summons mop up. This is one of the more unique and fully realized title on this list and also well supported with an active fandom. Raring Review Notes: "It's a bullet heaven title with a heavy horde focus. While there are plenty of projectiles, it leans more into dodging large groups of mobs in melee range. While it is isometric depending on the map and the layout you choose through upgrades any map can and will feel different. Opposed to the likes of VS, it features (Mini)bosses with distinctive skills and high mobility. The various classes all have their unique playstyle and the game is not strictly build around weapons and passives." "Controls are great. You only need movement keys and 2 trigger keys or your stick and 2 buttons" Raring: "In its core outside of spell based classes it's still a necromancy game. You raise your minions and while you can support them, they will do most of the work for you. In earlier iterations the game used to be fairly hard and unlocking Bosses to raise them as minions felt very rewarding. Sadly my review score took a bit of a hit when it started to orient itself more on VS adding features that made difficulty redundant unless you kept looping for higher leaderboard scores." "While it has become a tad too easy and as such the incentive of "one more run" has been lowered, it is still a solid recommendations. For less than 5 bucks you get an incredible bang for buck value if achievement hunting is your thing. It's still the best class/necromancy based horde survivor if pixel art is your jam." Raring and I both came to the same pure vibes score: 8.5 Boneraiser Minions Similarity Scale Heatmap - + Measured in 60 categories via likert-scale style options -1 to 1 in tenths, how does this game compare to Vampire Survivors. This allows 1200 total "points". It's easier to have a point of comparison and we just picked Vampire Survivors since it's the most popular and commonly referenced game in the subgenre. For detailed methodology read the explainer. For in depth examples at score value, see the scoring guide and for term definitions see the key. 8.3 Similarity Score 92% Diagnosis: 1098/1200 Comparison Points Rogue-lite 1/1 Auto-Fire / Auto-Battle 0.9/1 Real Time 1/1 Top Down or Isometric 1/1 Direct Control of Single Avatar 1/1 Arcade Style 1/1 Bullet Heaven A (Many Player Bullets) 0/1 Bullet Heaven B (Few Enemy Bullets) 0.5/1 One Handed Play (w Controller) 0/1 Move Only 0/1 No Dash 0/1 No Trigger 1/1 No Special Move 0/1 No Aiming 1/1 No On-Aim / On-Fire Movement Penalty 1/1 Timed / Boss Ended Survival 1/1 Endless Mode 1/1 Organic / Unannounced Waves 1/1 High Enemy Count (Horde) 1/1 Level Up on XP Gain Event 1/1 Streamlined Level Choices (Simple UI) 1/1 Currency Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Goal Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Build Crafting 0.6/1 1/1 Weapon Combination / "Evolution" 1/1 Interesting Item / Weapon / Ability Synergy 1/1 Broken / Invincible Builds Possible 0.4/1 Explorable Map 0.1/1 BIG Maps 0/1 XP on Ground 1/1 Health on Ground 0.8/1 Temp Powerups / Items on Ground 1/1 Treasure Chests and/or Loot Events 1/1 Vendor / Merchant on Run 0/1 Enemy Variety 1/1 Bosses / Elites 1/1 Many Interesting Characters 1/1 Many Challenges 1/1 Multiple Stages 1/1 Difficulty Modifiers 1/1 Bestiary / Lore 1/1 Achievements 1/1 Secrets 1/1 Retro / Pixel Art 1/1 Damage Numbers 1/1 Lofi Charm 1/1 Bumpin Music 1/1 Fun Writing 1/1 Subtle Humor 1/1 Panic & Zen Duo Vibe 1/1 Over the Top 0.6/1 "One More Run" / Short Runs 1/1 Difficulty Ramp 1/1 Fun Ramp 0.9/1 Low Price 1/1 Technical Check 1/1 Controls Check 1/1 Fun Check 1/1 Feels like VS 1/1 Boneraiser Minions Review Scale Heatmap - + The review scale is judged from -1 to 1 in 10 categories, with 200 possible "points" earned. Steam review positive percentage is worth another 100 points, and a "ten point" pure vibe review number adds extra subjectivity. Converted into points, that's 400 points total. The points aren't used directly in the ranking, though, which averages the three number scores for the final review score listed in the game line above. 9.2 Final Review 96% Positive Steam Reviews 3865 Steam Reviews 8.5 Pure Vibes 9.6 Review Scale 377/400 Review Points Not Buggy 1/1 Not Janky 0.9/1 Good UI 0.8/1 Controller and Deck 1/1 Lots of Content 1/1 Good Theme 1/1 Good Graphics and Sound 1/1 Fun Feel 0.9/1 Unique Twists 1/1 Vibe Check 1/1 Metacritic Scores - + This title has metacritic data! The "fuck the man" score is adjusted so each person's review is equally weighted, regardless of critic or fan status. Critic 9.0 Converted 10 Point Score 3 Number of Critic Reviews User 7.7 User Review Average 7 Number of User Reviews Average 8.4 Direct Average 8.1 "Fuck The Man" Combined Mean Boneraiser Minions Tag Cloud - + More sortable taxonomies and categories associated with the game (genre tags are available in the main game table line!) We've just started adding tags to enable more sorting options, this section will get more filled out as we go! Release Tags Steam DeckWindows PCReleased Sorting Categories SimilarRanked Genre and Control Style Tags Arena SurvivalAuto-BattlerContent RichEnemy HellHorde SurvivalRogueliteSummoning GameSurvivors-likeTop Down or IsometricWave Survival Aesthetic Tags 2DCuteNeonPixel ArtRetro Setting / Story Tags ComedyFantasyHorror ThemedMagicNecromancyUndeadVillain Protagonist Control Styles Auto-AimAuto-FireController Game Mode Tags Card GameCustom Mode/ScenarioDaily ChallengesEndless ModeMinigamesTimed SurvivalWave Survival20m Features and Extras SoundtrackSteam AchievementsSteam CloudSteam LeaderboardsSteam Trading Cards Dev/Publisher Caiys Release Info & Community Links - + Direct Permalink: survivorslikes.com/videogame/boneraiser-minions Contextual Table Link: survivorslikes.com/#boneraiser-minions Google Sheet Edit Link: edit.survivorslikes.com row 10 Steam Link: steampowered.com/app/1944570/boneraiser_minions Steam Price: 4.99 (USD) Release Date: Early Access 8/5/2022 Full 3/9/2023 Developer: Caiys Publisher: Caiys Fully Released? Yes Recent Updates? Yes Steam Compatibility Windows: Yes Mac: No Linux: No Steam Deck: Verified Other Platforms None Community & Social Links Discord Game Features - + Listing various features we've got info on. Multiplayer Local: No Online: No Player Count: 1 Leaderboards: Yes Steam Features Steam Cloud: Yes Steam Achievements: 190 Steam Leaderboards: Yes Steam Workshop: No Steam Trading Cards: Yes Extras, Etc. NSFW: No Demo Available: No DLC Available: No Soundtrack Available: Soundcloud Marketing Blurb - + Some description of the game and its features from the creators. "Amass an army of deamonic undead to fight endless waves of heroes intent to end your boneraising ways! In this gothic-horror auto-battle roguelite, use the bones of slain heroes to raise your minions, collect powerful relics and spells, and unlock meta upgrades, all to survive King Gigald's crusade!" "Dash around avoiding enemies and collecting their bones" "There's several game modes to keep play fresh." More info and fan reviews on steam Control Style Notes - + A movement focused game that I wouldn't call a single stick shooter, since you don't shoot. Mostly using your dash to stay out of trouble while gathering the resource to power up, you spend most of the time running away from, not into, mobs of enemies while your summons mop up. Automated Features Auto-Battler You summon a great deal of enemies to do damage for you Supported Controls Controller: Full Controller Move Only: No Controller One Handed: ? Mouse Only: ? Keyboard Only: ? Keyboard One Handed: ? Game Modes - + Timed Survival Endless Survival Daily & Weekly Challenges Custom Mode ("Creative Plaything") Card Game Minigame ("Clashful Cards") Game Mode Notes Timed Survival is also called Mausoleum Awakening, Endless is Necrotic Skirmishes, dailies called Boneworld Challenges. Raring: "The goal is survival until the "final" boss of the map. Then either loop for endless if you want to place higher on the leaderboards or end your run to invest into unlockable boons. Those will either grant you access to more classes, allow you to modify the hub for more features or to either increase or lower the difficulty by spending on perks for yourself and the hordes. It also features daily and weekly challenges." Run Times & Speedups - + Average Run Time: 20m Run Time Notes Raring: "It has loops and endless mode but on average about 15 minutes on the early maps to 25 minutes on latter ones" Speed Settings ?
	[edit] Void Scrappers Free Available Released A fan loved tightly designed little space survivors-like with a really jammin soundtrack that seals the deal. One handed play possible if you map the boost. Definitely faster and much harder than most games here start off. There's a lot of competition among the space games, this is one of the better ones. It manages to straddle the line of simple and complex in many ways, never seeming to suffer from the lack of trappings in some other games, but also hiding a bit of its depth under arcade stylings and unclear unlocks. Dev? Experienced player? Help us rank this game! [Submit Feature Survey] [Submit Review]	Arena Shooter Auto-Shooter Enemy Hell Roguelite Survivors-like Top Down or Isometric	8.8 Combined Ranking Score 7/72 Ranking Position 1471/1600 Total Points	9.3 Final Review 91% Steam 9.6 Scale 9.3 Vibes 404 Steam Reviews 380/400 Review Points	8.2 Similarity Score 91% Diagnosis: Similar 1091/1200 Comparison Points	94% Genre 7.1/8 genre	87% Simple Controls 5.2/7 move	99% Survival Modes 3.9/4 modes	100% Power Progression 4/4 level	100% Buildcrafting Depth 5/5 build	79% Stage Features 4.1/7 stage	74% Content Breadth 4.4/9 stuff	100% Aesthetics 6/6 style	99% Gameplay Vibe Check 9.7/10 vibe vibe
Void Scrappers Ranking Notes - + Scaling and Review Notes Personal Hours Played: 5.0 Review Disclaimer Every game ranked was played, but also scaled based on research, talking to developers & your feedback. The priority with the scale's initial design was to compare similarity on relatively objective features - so it doesn't claim to include reviews of the depth and clarity you'd get at a games journalism site, nor the intensive time played you might get from player reviews on steam. We try to incorporate and link all of that along with a 'review scale' that checks for bugs. See the heatmap and breakdown! Time played noted so you can take any notes with a big grain of salt! I can't get to high level gameplay in 850+ games so I heavily research every game. Over 80 game creators let me interview or survey them! I Hope to go back and refine. Please argue or submit your own scores and reviews to be incorporated with credit into the notes and score numbers. Added or last checked on 11/4/2023 An incredibly satisfying and easy to loop into space survivors-like. The controls remind me of playing the drifty UFO style Arilou in Star Control 2, where you'll keep moving a little bit but it's never annoying because you can zip right back around. It's got what I'd say are bullet hell hitboxes (in the best way) where you can cruise quite close to an enemy and still save your neck at the last second. That's good because it's honestly also very challenging due to the fast movement and generally only 3 or 4 health you've got, with few ways to make yourself more resistant to a hit. Feels a little slow to unlock things, but also the minimal menu design makes it easy to forget there are also challenge based unlocks and not just the currency ones. Once I got in the habit of finding a challenge to chase I was fully sucked into the "one more run" loop. It adds a dash but besides that it's mostly an auto shooter. While most space games (and most survivors-likes in general it seems) add twin stick controls, this one happily handles the aiming all on its own. I love that there's a no dashing challenge because I hate dashing. It's technically an arena shooter but an enjoyable parallax scroll effect and the zippy travel makes it seem like you're in the endless void and not a tiny box, so it doesn't get negative scores in the map size and exploration, even a tiny positive in "big" maps. When you finish the survival/boss mode it just kills you with spawns VS style, but if you make an invincible build it's possible to continue until you break the game. We'll call this full points for both. Really really good menu music. Great music overall. Like if star control was scored by trent reznor. Accidentally left it paused for a half hour just enjoying it on my phone. Game is considered complete with no updates planned, dev is working now on Bore Blasters, also on this spreadsheet. Void Scrappers Similarity Scale Heatmap - + Measured in 60 categories via likert-scale style options -1 to 1 in tenths, how does this game compare to Vampire Survivors. This allows 1200 total "points". It's easier to have a point of comparison and we just picked Vampire Survivors since it's the most popular and commonly referenced game in the subgenre. For detailed methodology read the explainer. For in depth examples at score value, see the scoring guide and for term definitions see the key. 8.2 Similarity Score 91% Diagnosis: 1091/1200 Comparison Points Rogue-lite 1/1 Auto-Fire / Auto-Battle 0.8/1 Real Time 1/1 Top Down or Isometric 1/1 Direct Control of Single Avatar 1/1 Arcade Style 1/1 Bullet Heaven A (Many Player Bullets) 0.8/1 Bullet Heaven B (Few Enemy Bullets) 0.5/1 One Handed Play (w Controller) 0.5/1 Move Only 0.7/1 No Dash 0/1 No Trigger 1/1 No Special Move 1/1 No Aiming 1/1 No On-Aim / On-Fire Movement Penalty 1/1 Timed / Boss Ended Survival 1/1 Endless Mode 1/1 Organic / Unannounced Waves 1/1 High Enemy Count (Horde) 0.9/1 Level Up on XP Gain Event 1/1 Streamlined Level Choices (Simple UI) 1/1 Currency Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Goal Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Build Crafting 1/1 1/1 Weapon Combination / "Evolution" 1/1 Interesting Item / Weapon / Ability Synergy 1/1 Broken / Invincible Builds Possible 1/1 Explorable Map 0/1 BIG Maps 0.1/1 XP on Ground 1/1 Health on Ground 1/1 Temp Powerups / Items on Ground 1/1 Treasure Chests and/or Loot Events 1/1 Vendor / Merchant on Run 0/1 Enemy Variety 0.4/1 Bosses / Elites 1/1 Many Interesting Characters 1/1 Many Challenges 1/1 Multiple Stages 0/1 Difficulty Modifiers 0/1 Bestiary / Lore 0/1 Achievements 1/1 Secrets 0/1 Retro / Pixel Art 1/1 Damage Numbers 1/1 Lofi Charm 1/1 Bumpin Music 1/1 Fun Writing 1/1 Subtle Humor 1/1 Panic & Zen Duo Vibe 0.7/1 Over the Top 1/1 "One More Run" / Short Runs 1/1 Difficulty Ramp 1/1 Fun Ramp 1/1 Low Price 1/1 Technical Check 1/1 Controls Check 1/1 Fun Check 1/1 Feels like VS 0.7/1 Void Scrappers Review Scale Heatmap - + The review scale is judged from -1 to 1 in 10 categories, with 200 possible "points" earned. Steam review positive percentage is worth another 100 points, and a "ten point" pure vibe review number adds extra subjectivity. Converted into points, that's 400 points total. The points aren't used directly in the ranking, though, which averages the three number scores for the final review score listed in the game line above. 9.3 Final Review 91% Positive Steam Reviews 404 Steam Reviews 9.3 Pure Vibes 9.6 Review Scale 380/400 Review Points Not Buggy 1/1 Not Janky 1/1 Good UI 0.8/1 Controller and Deck 1/1 Lots of Content 0.8/1 Good Theme 1/1 Good Graphics and Sound 1/1 Fun Feel 1/1 Unique Twists 1/1 Vibe Check 1/1 Metacritic Scores - + This title has metacritic data! The "fuck the man" score is adjusted so each person's review is equally weighted, regardless of critic or fan status. Critic 7.3 Converted 10 Point Score 2 Number of Critic Reviews User 9.0 User Review Average 1 Number of User Reviews Average 8.2 Direct Average 7.9 "Fuck The Man" Combined Mean Void Scrappers Tag Cloud - + More sortable taxonomies and categories associated with the game (genre tags are available in the main game table line!) We've just started adding tags to enable more sorting options, this section will get more filled out as we go! Release Tags BrowserGOGitch.ioLinuxMacSteam DeckSwitchWindows PCFree AvailableReleased Sorting Categories SimilarRanked Genre and Control Style Tags Arena ShooterAuto-ShooterEnemy HellRogueliteSurvivors-likeTop Down or Isometric Aesthetic Tags 2DLofiPixel ArtRetro Setting / Story Tags ComedySci-fiShip (Air/Space)Space Control Styles Auto-AimAuto-FireController Game Mode Tags Difficulty ModifiersEndless ModeNo TutorialSpeed UpTimed SurvivalWave Survival30m Features and Extras SoundtrackSteam AchievementsSteam Cloud Dev/Publisher 8BitSkull Release Info & Community Links - + Direct Permalink: survivorslikes.com/videogame/void-scrappers Contextual Table Link: survivorslikes.com/#void-scrappers Google Sheet Edit Link: edit.survivorslikes.com row 11 Steam Link: steampowered.com/app/2005210/void_scrappers Steam Price: 3.99 (USD) Release Date: 10/21/2022 Developer: 8BitSkull Publisher: 8BitSkull Fully Released? Yes Recent Updates? Yes Steam Compatibility Windows: Yes Mac: Yes Linux: Yes Steam Deck: Verified Other Platforms Switch GOG itch.io Community & Social Links Discord Game Features - + Listing various features we've got info on. Multiplayer Local: No Online: No Player Count: 1 Leaderboards: ? Steam Features Steam Cloud: Yes Steam Achievements: 11 Steam Leaderboards: No Steam Workshop: No Steam Trading Cards: No Extras, Etc. NSFW: No Demo Available: itch.io DLC Available: No Soundtrack Available: Steam YouTube Bandcamp GOG Marketing Blurb - + Some description of the game and its features from the creators. Blast hordes of alien ships into junk. Collect the scrap to upgrade your ship into an unstoppable force of destruction. Unlock new characters and weapons and upgrade your stats between runs. "Void Scrappers Post Mortem" - dev interview "I wanted to play into the power fantasy that a lot of these recent horde shooters aspire to by letting the player move fast. I never liked walking around slowly while doing my slaying, so I've put the player in a zippy space ship. Not just that - but the ship has a dash ability which provides a brief turbo boost (with invincibility!). The game is still difficult, just not because you move slowly." Great responsive dev, helped clarify several features in interview. More info and fan reviews on steam Control Style Notes - + Zippy fast moving single stick shooter. It adds a dash but otherwise limits attack controls. Automated Features Auto-Fire Auto-Aim There's no way to disable. Supported Controls Controller: Full Controller Move Only: No Controller One Handed: ? Mouse Only: No Keyboard Only: ? Keyboard One Handed: ? Game Modes - + Timed/Endless Survival Difficulty Setting (Enemy Projectiles) Game Mode Notes Dev: "Enemy projectiles can be turned off in settings. This slightly increases enemy HP." Only one mode, but we're considering it both timed and endless - see run time notes. Run Times & Speedups - + Average Run Time: 30m Run Time Notes Dev: "In-game time, the end stages of a run are triggered at 20 minutes. However time stops for upgrades and weapons, so actual time is longer." When you finish the survival/boss mode it just kills you with spawns VS style, but if you make an invincible build it's possible to continue until you break the game. We'll call this full points for both. Speed Settings 0.75x - 1.25x Game speed can be changed in settings with no other impact to achievements or anything else.
	[edit] Elemental Survivors EA Free Available A "party based" jrpg styled survivors-like with togglable auto-aim. Some have noted this is a more chill survivors-like in Steam reviews, and it does seem less horror themed at least. My concern is it might be too easy at the start and I'm rarely forced to make a wacky useless build. I don't prefer an easy early game in this genre, but some on steam specifically say they like it because it's "more forgiving". If you find VS a little too stressful, this might be a great pick for you. Looking forward to checking back in on it during EA. Meta notes via dev! Dev? Experienced player? Help us rank this game! [Submit Feature Survey] [Submit Review]	Bullet Heaven Enemy Hell Hack and Slash Horde Survival JRPG Mowing Game Party Based Roguelite Single Stick Shooter Survivors-like Top Down or Isometric Twin Stick Shooter Wave Survival	8.7 Combined Ranking Score 8/72 Ranking Position 1484/1600 Total Points	8.6 Final Review 89% Steam 9.1 Scale 7.7 Vibes 53 Steam Reviews 357/400 Review Points	8.8 Similarity Score 94% Diagnosis: Similar 1127/1200 Comparison Points	99% Genre 7.9/8 genre	95% Simple Controls 6.3/7 move	84% Survival Modes 2.7/4 modes	100% Power Progression 4/4 level	86% Buildcrafting Depth 3.6/5 build	96% Stage Features 6.5/7 stage	88% Content Breadth 6.9/9 stuff	95% Aesthetics 5.4/6 style	96% Gameplay Vibe Check 9.2/10 vibe vibe
Elemental Survivors Ranking Notes - + Scaling and Review Notes Personal Hours Played: 2.6 Review Disclaimer Every game ranked was played, but also scaled based on research, talking to developers & your feedback. The priority with the scale's initial design was to compare similarity on relatively objective features - so it doesn't claim to include reviews of the depth and clarity you'd get at a games journalism site, nor the intensive time played you might get from player reviews on steam. We try to incorporate and link all of that along with a 'review scale' that checks for bugs. See the heatmap and breakdown! Time played noted so you can take any notes with a big grain of salt! I can't get to high level gameplay in 850+ games so I heavily research every game. Over 80 game creators let me interview or survey them! I Hope to go back and refine. Please argue or submit your own scores and reviews to be incorporated with credit into the notes and score numbers. Added or last checked on 11/5/2023 This is a survivors-like with a very cute SNES era RPG inspired vibe, complete with Nintendo Power themed menu and 4:3 ratio gameplay area. It's both more contemporary and more simplified in art style, but that's not a nitpick just an observation from a huge fan of the genre. It's overall very fun. It's a nice find, very familiar to VS in the relaxing ways and just a little different thematically, enough that it feels new and worth exploring. In fact the little world map style exploring is a fun part of it, though minimalistic. Technically waves are announced in a scrolling box on the right sidebar but it's easy to not notice and still feels organic. The visual theme fits since it's little twist is you hire a "party" not just picking weapons or abilities. It's got aim enabled by default but can be turned off in the menu quickly, so we're giving it high partial points in movement only. Some characters have "on stop moving" abilities hence a tenth off in "no on attack movement penalty." I have mixed feelings about "stats", sometimes preferring the more arcade style games, but I know many Brotato and RPG fans will appreciate more overt numbers on the screen. I think I do agree with the steam reviewer who prefers to not have borders on the screen, this also causes burn in on my OLED not just less immersion. I like a lot about the music but also it could relax just a little bit. I wish there were more lofi/relaxed options on start anyway. You can switch it at any time and for a bit I didn't realize I had it on shuffle, which was frustrating, using the trigger locks it to the track it's on. But I do have a concern it may be too easy. Or at least too tilted towards the player in a way that makes the ramp odd. My first run in I got all the way until the end of run boss without much effort,then got stomped. I would have rather had a series of shorter runs feeling like I earned it and then a chance at winning with more upgrades. Also, it tells me to pick STR abilities for a STR character, then hands me all and only level ups with the ones I pick. There's no way to make a badly optimized build or be forced to deal with a "bad draw". I imagine that comes later outside of my limited first look, but usually I encounter some of it quickly (that difficulty dropping down quick that rogue-inspired games are known for.) That challenge of high risk high reward is what draws me and makes me want to learn the new system. My hope is that I'll find more if it when I check back in on this early access title. The data for this one is based on a dev submitted scorecard, my personal review and another review submitted by Silver721 earlier. Here's Silver's review note: "Elemental Survivors wear's Vampire Survivors' inspiration on its sleeve, but distinguishes itself by incorporating Dungeons & Dragons and RPG elements to it. It features a party of characters with one main character, and each character has an array of stats like you would see in D&D. These stats influence which weapons are stronger with certain characters and allow for a wide variety of builds." Elemental Survivors Similarity Scale Heatmap - + Measured in 60 categories via likert-scale style options -1 to 1 in tenths, how does this game compare to Vampire Survivors. This allows 1200 total "points". It's easier to have a point of comparison and we just picked Vampire Survivors since it's the most popular and commonly referenced game in the subgenre. For detailed methodology read the explainer. For in depth examples at score value, see the scoring guide and for term definitions see the key. 8.8 Similarity Score 94% Diagnosis: 1127/1200 Comparison Points Rogue-lite 1/1 Auto-Fire / Auto-Battle 1/1 Real Time 1/1 Top Down or Isometric 1/1 Direct Control of Single Avatar 1/1 Arcade Style 1/1 Bullet Heaven A (Many Player Bullets) 1/1 Bullet Heaven B (Few Enemy Bullets) 0.9/1 One Handed Play (w Controller) 0.8/1 Move Only 0.8/1 No Dash 1/1 No Trigger 1/1 No Special Move 1/1 No Aiming 0.8/1 No On-Aim / On-Fire Movement Penalty 0.9/1 Timed / Boss Ended Survival 1/1 Endless Mode 0/1 Organic / Unannounced Waves 0.7/1 High Enemy Count (Horde) 1/1 Level Up on XP Gain Event 1/1 Streamlined Level Choices (Simple UI) 1/1 Currency Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Goal Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Build Crafting 0.8/1 0.8/1 Weapon Combination / "Evolution" 0.8/1 Interesting Item / Weapon / Ability Synergy 0.5/1 Broken / Invincible Builds Possible 0.7/1 Explorable Map 0.8/1 BIG Maps 0.7/1 XP on Ground 1/1 Health on Ground 1/1 Temp Powerups / Items on Ground 1/1 Treasure Chests and/or Loot Events 1/1 Vendor / Merchant on Run 1/1 Enemy Variety 0.8/1 Bosses / Elites 1/1 Many Interesting Characters 1/1 Many Challenges 1/1 Multiple Stages 0.9/1 Difficulty Modifiers 1/1 Bestiary / Lore 0/1 Achievements 1/1 Secrets 0.2/1 Retro / Pixel Art 1/1 Damage Numbers 1/1 Lofi Charm 0.8/1 Bumpin Music 1/1 Fun Writing 0.8/1 Subtle Humor 0.8/1 Panic & Zen Duo Vibe 1/1 Over the Top 0.8/1 "One More Run" / Short Runs 1/1 Difficulty Ramp 0.8/1 Fun Ramp 0.8/1 Low Price 1/1 Technical Check 1/1 Controls Check 1/1 Fun Check 1/1 Feels like VS 1/1 Elemental Survivors Review Scale Heatmap - + The review scale is judged from -1 to 1 in 10 categories, with 200 possible "points" earned. Steam review positive percentage is worth another 100 points, and a "ten point" pure vibe review number adds extra subjectivity. Converted into points, that's 400 points total. The points aren't used directly in the ranking, though, which averages the three number scores for the final review score listed in the game line above. 8.6 Final Review 89% Positive Steam Reviews 53 Steam Reviews 7.7 Pure Vibes 9.1 Review Scale 357/400 Review Points Not Buggy 1/1 Not Janky 0.9/1 Good UI 0.9/1 Controller and Deck 1/1 Lots of Content 1/1 Good Theme 0.9/1 Good Graphics and Sound 0.9/1 Fun Feel 0.8/1 Unique Twists 0.7/1 Vibe Check 1/1 Elemental Survivors Tag Cloud - + More sortable taxonomies and categories associated with the game (genre tags are available in the main game table line!) We've just started adding tags to enable more sorting options, this section will get more filled out as we go! Release Tags Steam DeckWindows PCEAFree Available Sorting Categories SimilarRanked Genre and Control Style Tags Bullet HeavenEnemy HellHack and SlashHorde SurvivalJRPGMowing GameParty BasedRogueliteSingle Stick ShooterSurvivors-likeTop Down or IsometricTwin Stick ShooterWave Survival Aesthetic Tags 2DCuteJRPGPixel ArtRetro Setting / Story Tags Fantasy Control Styles Auto-AimControllerController 1 HandedController Move Only Game Mode Tags Goal Based RoundsNo TutorialTimed SurvivalWave Survival20m Features and Extras Steam AchievementsSteam Cloud Dev/Publisher Samobee Games Release Info & Community Links - + Direct Permalink: survivorslikes.com/videogame/elemental-survivors Contextual Table Link: survivorslikes.com/#elemental-survivors Google Sheet Edit Link: edit.survivorslikes.com row 12 Steam Link: steampowered.com/app/2180000/elemental_survivors Steam Price: 4.99 (USD) Release Date: Early Access 8/25/2023 Developer: Samobee Games Publisher: Samobee Games Fully Released? No Recent Updates? Yes Steam Compatibility Windows: Yes Mac: No Linux: No Steam Deck: Yes Other Platforms None Community & Social Links Discord Game Features - + Listing various features we've got info on. Multiplayer Local: No Online: No Player Count: 1 Leaderboards: Yes Steam Features Steam Cloud: Yes Steam Achievements: 94 Steam Leaderboards: No Steam Workshop: No Steam Trading Cards: No Extras, Etc. NSFW: No Demo Available: Yes DLC Available: No Soundtrack Available: No Marketing Blurb - + Some description of the game and its features from the creators. "Grind, die, upgrade, repeat in this auto-attacking roguelite/RPG! Transform into an enemy-blender with your fave attacks made devastating with equipment, party members, and elemental evolutions. Survive to earn gems to unlock areas, permanent upgrades, characters, and god-like summons." "A wide variety of attacks to level as you destroy your enemies. Varied randomly-generated areas to explore and unlock. Upgradeable equipment to aid you or powerup your attacks. Party members who increase your stats or skills, and who have their own specific attacks to make your party a powerhouse! More info and fan reviews on steam Control Style Notes - + Mostly movement focused, it's has manual aim enabled by default but can be toggled in the menu. Automated Features Auto Aim Toggle in menu, defaults to off. Supported Controls Controller: Yes Controller Move Only: Yes Controller One Handed: Yes Mouse Only: ? Keyboard Only: ? Keyboard One Handed: ? Game Modes - + Quest Mode (Goal Based Mamp) Journey Mode (Timed Survival) Game Mode Notes Quest Mode: "Enter a specific unlocked area and defeat bosses to complete quests and earn gems. Defeat the area boss to complete the area." Journey Mode: "Drops you into escalating areas for 1 minute chunks until final boss at minute 20. There are leaderboards for this mode (both overall and per character)" Run Times & Speedups - + Average Run Time: 20m Run Time Notes "Area boss spawns at 20 minute mark and gameplay ends when the player is defeated or defeats the area boss." "Journey mode is played in escalating difficulty chunks of 1 minute each." Speed Settings None
	[edit] Time Survivors Free Available Upcoming Full game not out yet, but this is a fairly tight to formula survivors-like, with just a special move button you don't need to often use. Some fun powerups and a pixel inspired 3d art style that feels relatively unique so far on this list, uninspired weapon names but some interesting twists. I'll be watching it, scores subject to change! Meta notes via dev! Review score via Chapter 0 Dev? Experienced player? Help us rank this game! [Submit Feature Survey] [Submit Review]	Auto-Shooter Bullet Heaven Enemy Hell Horde Survival Mowing Game Roguelite Single Stick Shooter Survivors-like Top Down or Isometric Wave Survival	8.3 Combined Ranking Score 17/72 Ranking Position -/1600 Total Points	8.0 Final Review -% Steam 7.7 Scale 8.0 Vibes 31 Steam Reviews 257/400 Review Points	8.5 Similarity Score 93% Diagnosis: Similar 1110/1200 Comparison Points	99% Genre 7.8/8 genre	84% Simple Controls 4.8/7 move	88% Survival Modes 3/4 modes	100% Power Progression 4/4 level	82% Buildcrafting Depth 3.2/5 build	93% Stage Features 6/7 stage	94% Content Breadth 8/9 stuff	94% Aesthetics 5.3/6 style	95% Gameplay Vibe Check 8.9/10 vibe vibe
Time Survivors Ranking Notes - + Scaling and Review Notes Personal Hours Played: 3.4 Review Disclaimer Every game ranked was played, but also scaled based on research, talking to developers & your feedback. The priority with the scale's initial design was to compare similarity on relatively objective features - so it doesn't claim to include reviews of the depth and clarity you'd get at a games journalism site, nor the intensive time played you might get from player reviews on steam. We try to incorporate and link all of that along with a 'review scale' that checks for bugs. See the heatmap and breakdown! Time played noted so you can take any notes with a big grain of salt! I can't get to high level gameplay in 850+ games so I heavily research every game. Over 80 game creators let me interview or survey them! I Hope to go back and refine. Please argue or submit your own scores and reviews to be incorporated with credit into the notes and score numbers. Added or last checked on 12/9/2023 Earlier on Steam there were 3 different free versions, released in the order Prologue > Chapter 0 > Demo. Prologue and demo are no longer available, so Chapter 0 is the current free version. Achievements will be available in 1.0 on Jan 15th, 2024 Played for a bit in each version. Personally I don't love when the upgrades are character specific or spread out on a map (I just want to get into the next run as soon as possible), but it looks like there may be some depth here. Problem is the way the upgrades are laid out slows me down a lot. I would rather have there be less depth if I could get into a run quicker! Right now the weapon names and too incremental upgrades feel a little plain. Has a sidescroller stage which is interesting. Weird choice to lead with no-name in a time travel cameo game, but I think she's interestingly creepy. I dig the art style - feels like pixel crusted retro pre-rendered 3d art but is actually 3d, I think. Sandbox mode to test your builds is a nice addition. Really takes the map/exploration aspect seriously, which I appreciate. Really enjoyed some stuff like the powerups, which are often boring in games but the mushroom one is super fun. Serious UI issues with controller / steam deck and bugs in the menues bringing down review scale store. I'll revisit on full release! Time Survivors Similarity Scale Heatmap - + Measured in 60 categories via likert-scale style options -1 to 1 in tenths, how does this game compare to Vampire Survivors. This allows 1200 total "points". It's easier to have a point of comparison and we just picked Vampire Survivors since it's the most popular and commonly referenced game in the subgenre. For detailed methodology read the explainer. For in depth examples at score value, see the scoring guide and for term definitions see the key. 8.5 Similarity Score 93% Diagnosis: 1110/1200 Comparison Points Rogue-lite 1/1 Auto-Fire / Auto-Battle 0.8/1 Real Time 1/1 Top Down or Isometric 1/1 Direct Control of Single Avatar 1/1 Arcade Style 1/1 Bullet Heaven A (Many Player Bullets) 1/1 Bullet Heaven B (Few Enemy Bullets) 1/1 One Handed Play (w Controller) 0.8/1 Move Only 0/1 No Dash 1/1 No Trigger 1/1 No Special Move 0/1 No Aiming 1/1 No On-Aim / On-Fire Movement Penalty 1/1 Timed / Boss Ended Survival 1/1 Endless Mode 0/1 Organic / Unannounced Waves 1/1 High Enemy Count (Horde) 1/1 Level Up on XP Gain Event 1/1 Streamlined Level Choices (Simple UI) 1/1 Currency Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Goal Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Build Crafting 0.8/1 0.7/1 Weapon Combination / "Evolution" 0.2/1 Interesting Item / Weapon / Ability Synergy 0.5/1 Broken / Invincible Builds Possible 1/1 Explorable Map 1/1 BIG Maps 1/1 XP on Ground 1/1 Health on Ground 1/1 Temp Powerups / Items on Ground 1/1 Treasure Chests and/or Loot Events 1/1 Vendor / Merchant on Run 0/1 Enemy Variety 1/1 Bosses / Elites 1/1 Many Interesting Characters 1/1 Many Challenges 1/1 Multiple Stages 1/1 Difficulty Modifiers 1/1 Bestiary / Lore 1/1 Achievements Planned/1 Secrets 1/1 Retro / Pixel Art 1/1 Damage Numbers 1/1 Lofi Charm 0.8/1 Bumpin Music 0.5/1 Fun Writing 1/1 Subtle Humor 1/1 Panic & Zen Duo Vibe 1/1 Over the Top 0.7/1 "One More Run" / Short Runs 1/1 Difficulty Ramp 1/1 Fun Ramp 0.7/1 Low Price 1/1 Technical Check 0.8/1 Controls Check 0.9/1 Fun Check 0.8/1 Feels like VS 1/1 Time Survivors Review Scale Heatmap - + The review scale is judged from -1 to 1 in 10 categories, with 200 possible "points" earned. Steam review positive percentage is worth another 100 points, and a "ten point" pure vibe review number adds extra subjectivity. Converted into points, that's 400 points total. The points aren't used directly in the ranking, though, which averages the three number scores for the final review score listed in the game line above. 8.0 Final Review -% Positive Steam Reviews 31 Steam Reviews 8.0 Pure Vibes 7.7 Review Scale 257/400 Review Points Not Buggy 0.8/1 Not Janky 0.7/1 Good UI 0.5/1 Controller and Deck 0.7/1 Lots of Content 0.8/1 Good Theme 0.7/1 Good Graphics and Sound 1/1 Fun Feel 1/1 Unique Twists 0.7/1 Vibe Check 0.8/1 Time Survivors Tag Cloud - + More sortable taxonomies and categories associated with the game (genre tags are available in the main game table line!) We've just started adding tags to enable more sorting options, this section will get more filled out as we go! Release Tags Windows PCFree AvailableUpcoming Sorting Categories SimilarRanked Genre and Control Style Tags Auto-ShooterBullet HeavenEnemy HellHorde SurvivalMowing GameRogueliteSingle Stick ShooterSurvivors-likeTop Down or IsometricWave Survival Aesthetic Tags Pre-rendered SpritesRetro Setting / Story Tags Meme GameTime Travel Control Styles Auto-AimAuto-FireControllerKeyboard 1 HandedKeyboard Only Game Mode Tags Difficulty ModesTimed Survival20m Features and Extras Steam AchievementsSteam Cloud Dev/Publisher Lunar Chill Release Info & Community Links - + Direct Permalink: survivorslikes.com/videogame/time-survivors Contextual Table Link: survivorslikes.com/#time-survivors Google Sheet Edit Link: edit.survivorslikes.com row 21 Steam Link: steampowered.com/app/2211390/time_survivors Steam Price: 4.99 (USD) Release Date: Prologue 4/17/2023 Chapter 0 9/18/2023 Full 01/15/2024 Developer: Lunar Chill Publisher: Lunar Chill Fully Released? No Recent Updates? Yes Steam Compatibility Windows: Yes Mac: No Linux: No Steam Deck: No Other Platforms None Community & Social Links Discord Twitter Game Features - + Listing various features we've got info on. Multiplayer Local: No Online: No Player Count: 1 Leaderboards: No Steam Features Steam Cloud: Yes Steam Achievements: Planned Steam Leaderboards: No Steam Workshop: No Steam Trading Cards: No Extras, Etc. NSFW: No Demo Available: "Chapter 0" DLC Available: No Soundtrack Available: No Marketing Blurb - + Some description of the game and its features from the creators. "The Most Historically Inaccurate Roguelike Ever Made. Slay hordes of minions as Lincoln, Tesla, Cleopatra and other historic heroes with new unique abilities! Fight through various historical eras, collect resources, unlock and enhance gameplay through our skill-tree metaprogression." "Hundreds of different weapons, buffs, Cursed Relics, Powerups, and unlockables to choose from for a unique experience every run." More info and fan reviews on steam Control Style Notes - + Single stick auto shooter with one active ability specific for each character Automated Features Auto-Aim Auto-Fire Supported Controls Controller: Partial Controller Move Only: No Controller One Handed: ? Mouse Only: No Keyboard Only: Yes Keyboard One Handed: Yes Game Modes - + Timed Survival Difficulty Modes (Ghost Mode, Night Mode, Turbo Mode) Endless Mode (Planned) Game Mode Notes Ghost Mode: All enemies will be barely visible ghosts Night Mode: the level is dark! Only a small light around the player is given and weapons that emit light will be extremely valuable. Turbo Mode: The player and all enemies move 150% faster Run Times & Speedups - + Average Run Time: 20m Run Time Notes "Most levels (stages) are designed to last 20m. After 18m the final boss will appear and the purple fog will move the battle towards the exit portal. At 20m the portal becomes active. The player can chose to complete the level without killing the boss or keep fighting." Speed Settings No clock speed changes, but in Turbo Mode the player and all enemies move 150% faster. Player Power Progression - + Detailed notes on progression systems. In Run Progression "There are 3 ways to progress during the run: 1) Grab experience and level up. Allows you to pick/upgrade weapons and passive items 2) Find a Relic shrine, choose one of the challenges offered and defeat the curse. You will get a Relic that gives you special powers. You have 2 or 3 slots (depending on character/metaprogression) 3) at 5, 10 and 15 minutes you will be able to upgrade the character innate ability. You must choose between two options and you will not be offered the option you discard again." Meta Progression "The Time Map is presented to the player before and after every run. It's a skill tree where every node is a character/weapon/level/item that the player unlocked. The map unlocks over time with specific challenges and goals. Additionally, each character/weapon/level has multiple upgrades that make it more powerful during runs. The player can buy upgrades using the in-game currencies harvested during runs (gold, damascus, guardian hears and time crystals)."
	[edit] Nova Drift EA Different. A great pick if you you want to pull the trigger in space. Despite not sharing all the features, it can really scratch the "over the top" survivors-like itch with beautiful neon screenwipes. More asteroids influenced than "twin stick" influenced. I personally find the drift physics quite engaging once I've gotten going. Really fun game. Dev? Experienced player? Help us rank this game! [Submit Feature Survey] [Submit Review]	Arena Shooter Asteroids-like Bullet Heaven Bullet Hell Content Rich Mowing Game Roguelite Top Down or Isometric Wave Shooter Wave Survival	8.2 Combined Ranking Score 21/72 Ranking Position 1386/1600 Total Points	9.8 Final Review 96% Steam 9.7 Scale 10.0 Vibes 9217 Steam Reviews 393/400 Review Points	6.6 Similarity Score 83% Diagnosis: Different 993/1200 Comparison Points	88% Genre 6.1/8 genre	54% Simple Controls 0.5/7 move	88% Survival Modes 3/4 modes	88% Power Progression 3/4 level	100% Buildcrafting Depth 5/5 build	57% Stage Features 1/7 stage	91% Content Breadth 7.3/9 stuff	88% Aesthetics 4.5/6 style	91% Gameplay Vibe Check 8.2/10 vibe vibe
Nova Drift Ranking Notes - + Scaling and Review Notes Personal Hours Played: 20.1 Review Disclaimer Every game ranked was played, but also scaled based on research, talking to developers & your feedback. The priority with the scale's initial design was to compare similarity on relatively objective features - so it doesn't claim to include reviews of the depth and clarity you'd get at a games journalism site, nor the intensive time played you might get from player reviews on steam. We try to incorporate and link all of that along with a 'review scale' that checks for bugs. See the heatmap and breakdown! Time played noted so you can take any notes with a big grain of salt! I can't get to high level gameplay in 850+ games so I heavily research every game. Over 80 game creators let me interview or survey them! I Hope to go back and refine. Please argue or submit your own scores and reviews to be incorporated with credit into the notes and score numbers. Added or last checked on 10/13/2023 This one came out before VS but has been refined throughout the boom. An excellent space shooter (the creator says they're not space ships but biomechanical life) which is themed with leveling like VS and over the top combos, but also does rely on trigger and propulsion and a blink ability which we'll call a dodge in the VS-like rating. The cargo trains essentially fill the treasure chest role. We'll call the ship gears selected on starting the run a "character" select. So it may satisfy build crafters, but not zen one handed players (though it really got me into its own zone). Not exactly a twin stick shooter - it's a "drift" style game in the vein of Asteroids. Still in early access somehow, will apparently have a campaign too on release. Don't take my lack of notes as a lack of enthusiasm, I don't have many complaints. Try this one! This is one of my favorite games on the list and unfortunately just doesn't have full review notes because I put in most of my time before it was "research." I fully intend to come back and shove 100 hours into this title, though, so I will make more notes. I can't believe it's still in Early Access lol but let's let him cook. Nova Drift Similarity Scale Heatmap - + Measured in 60 categories via likert-scale style options -1 to 1 in tenths, how does this game compare to Vampire Survivors. This allows 1200 total "points". It's easier to have a point of comparison and we just picked Vampire Survivors since it's the most popular and commonly referenced game in the subgenre. For detailed methodology read the explainer. For in depth examples at score value, see the scoring guide and for term definitions see the key. 6.6 Similarity Score 83% Diagnosis: 993/1200 Comparison Points Rogue-lite 1/1 Auto-Fire / Auto-Battle 0.1/1 Real Time 1/1 Top Down or Isometric 1/1 Direct Control of Single Avatar 1/1 Arcade Style 1/1 Bullet Heaven A (Many Player Bullets) 1/1 Bullet Heaven B (Few Enemy Bullets) 0/1 One Handed Play (w Controller) 0/1 Move Only -0.5/1 No Dash 0/1 No Trigger -0.8/1 No Special Move 0/1 No Aiming 0.8/1 No On-Aim / On-Fire Movement Penalty 1/1 Timed / Boss Ended Survival EA/1 Endless Mode 1/1 Organic / Unannounced Waves 1/1 High Enemy Count (Horde) 1/1 Level Up on XP Gain Event 1/1 Streamlined Level Choices (Simple UI) 1/1 Currency Based Meta Unlocks 0/1 Goal Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Build Crafting 1/1 1/1 Weapon Combination / "Evolution" 1/1 Interesting Item / Weapon / Ability Synergy 1/1 Broken / Invincible Builds Possible 1/1 Explorable Map -1/1 BIG Maps -1/1 XP on Ground 1/1 Health on Ground 0/1 Temp Powerups / Items on Ground 1/1 Treasure Chests and/or Loot Events 1/1 Vendor / Merchant on Run 0/1 Enemy Variety 1/1 Bosses / Elites 1/1 Many Interesting Characters 1/1 Many Challenges 1/1 Multiple Stages 0/1 Difficulty Modifiers 1/1 Bestiary / Lore 0.3/1 Achievements 1/1 Secrets 1/1 Retro / Pixel Art 1/1 Damage Numbers 1/1 Lofi Charm 1/1 Bumpin Music 1/1 Fun Writing 0.5/1 Subtle Humor 0/1 Panic & Zen Duo Vibe 1/1 Over the Top 1/1 "One More Run" / Short Runs 1/1 Difficulty Ramp 1/1 Fun Ramp 1/1 Low Price 0.2/1 Technical Check 1/1 Controls Check 1/1 Fun Check 1/1 Feels like VS 0.7/1 Nova Drift Review Scale Heatmap - + The review scale is judged from -1 to 1 in 10 categories, with 200 possible "points" earned. Steam review positive percentage is worth another 100 points, and a "ten point" pure vibe review number adds extra subjectivity. Converted into points, that's 400 points total. The points aren't used directly in the ranking, though, which averages the three number scores for the final review score listed in the game line above. 9.8 Final Review 96% Positive Steam Reviews 9217 Steam Reviews 10.0 Pure Vibes 9.7 Review Scale 393/400 Review Points Not Buggy 1/1 Not Janky 1/1 Good UI 1/1 Controller and Deck 1/1 Lots of Content 0.8/1 Good Theme 0.9/1 Good Graphics and Sound 1/1 Fun Feel 1/1 Unique Twists 1/1 Vibe Check 1/1 Metacritic Scores - + This title has metacritic data! The "fuck the man" score is adjusted so each person's review is equally weighted, regardless of critic or fan status. Critic 8.0 Converted 10 Point Score 1 Number of Critic Reviews User - User Review Average - Number of User Reviews Average 8.0 Direct Average 8.0 "Fuck The Man" Combined Mean Nova Drift Tag Cloud - + More sortable taxonomies and categories associated with the game (genre tags are available in the main game table line!) We've just started adding tags to enable more sorting options, this section will get more filled out as we go! Release Tags Directitch.ioMacSteam DeckWindows PCEA Sorting Categories DifferentRanked Genre and Control Style Tags Arena ShooterAsteroids-likeBullet HeavenBullet HellContent RichMowing GameRogueliteTop Down or IsometricWave ShooterWave Survival Aesthetic Tags 2DArtyGeometricNeonRaveRetroVector InspiredVivid Setting / Story Tags AbstractShip (Air/Space)Space Control Styles Controller Game Mode Tags Unknown20m Features and Extras SoundtrackSteam AchievementsSteam CloudSteam Leaderboards Dev/Publisher ChimericPixeljam Release Info & Community Links - + Direct Permalink: survivorslikes.com/videogame/nova-drift Contextual Table Link: survivorslikes.com/#nova-drift Google Sheet Edit Link: edit.survivorslikes.com row 25 Steam Link: steampowered.com/app/858210/nova_drift Steam Price: 17.99 (USD) Release Date: Early Access 03/24/2019 Developer: Chimeric Publisher: Pixeljam Fully Released? No Recent Updates? Yes Steam Compatibility Windows: Yes Mac: Yes Linux: No Steam Deck: Yes Other Platforms Direct itch.io Community & Social Links Discord Game Features - + Listing various features we've got info on. Multiplayer Local: No Online: No Player Count: 1 Leaderboards: ? Steam Features Steam Cloud: Yes Steam Achievements: 40 Steam Leaderboards: Yes Steam Workshop: No Steam Trading Cards: No Extras, Etc. NSFW: No Demo Available: No DLC Available: No Soundtrack Available: Steam Bandcamp SoundCloud Marketing Blurb - + Some description of the game and its features from the creators. "Nova Drift distills the mechanical depth and strategy of an ARPG into classic arcade space combat. Control an endlessly evolving bio-mechanical ship, face legions of strange and deadly foes, and ride the wake of a dying star across the void." "Nova Drift is a 'rogue-lite' space shooter that melds a classic arcade experience with modern action-RPG elements like theory-crafting and deep player choice." "Cunning and creativity are rewarded as you chain upgrade modules for powerful synergies, reminiscent of deck-building games." More info and fan reviews on steam Run Times & Speedups - + Average Run Time: 20m Run Time Notes ? Speed Settings ?
	[edit] Shape Shifter: Formations EA A game that applies all of the survivors-like lessons to a classic abstract arena shooter format, so far seems to be very good at both. Vibes of Geometry Wars or the vintage vector shooters both are based on. I've been playing mostly with auto aim / auto shoot which I think works pretty well and makes it feel a lot more survivors-like in a way my sore hands enjoy. Build depth is pretty good for a more arcade-style title and while there isn't much setting/stage variety I don't spend much time thinking about it. I admit I'd love if there was at least an unlockable boss-free mode, since it feels full on bullet hell with them. Great vibe overall, looking forward to more content. Dev? Experienced player? Help us rank this game! [Submit Feature Survey] [Submit Review]	Arcade Arena Shooter Auto-Shooter Bullet Heaven Bullet Hell Enemy Hell Roguelite Single Stick Shooter Survivors-like Top Down or Isometric Twin Stick Shooter Wave Shooter	7.9 Combined Ranking Score 26/72 Ranking Position 1357/1600 Total Points	9.6 Final Review 100% Steam 9.5 Scale 9.2 Vibes 62 Steam Reviews 387/400 Review Points	6.2 Similarity Score 81% Diagnosis: Similar 970/1200 Comparison Points	95% Genre 7.2/8 genre	72% Simple Controls 3.1/7 move	83% Survival Modes 2.6/4 modes	100% Power Progression 4/4 level	69% Buildcrafting Depth 1.9/5 build	50% Stage Features 0/7 stage	78% Content Breadth 5.1/9 stuff	83% Aesthetics 4/6 style	93% Gameplay Vibe Check 8.6/10 vibe vibe
Shape Shifter: Formations Ranking Notes - + Scaling and Review Notes Personal Hours Played: 3.5 Review Disclaimer Every game ranked was played, but also scaled based on research, talking to developers & your feedback. The priority with the scale's initial design was to compare similarity on relatively objective features - so it doesn't claim to include reviews of the depth and clarity you'd get at a games journalism site, nor the intensive time played you might get from player reviews on steam. We try to incorporate and link all of that along with a 'review scale' that checks for bugs. See the heatmap and breakdown! Time played noted so you can take any notes with a big grain of salt! I can't get to high level gameplay in 850+ games so I heavily research every game. Over 80 game creators let me interview or survey them! I Hope to go back and refine. Please argue or submit your own scores and reviews to be incorporated with credit into the notes and score numbers. Added or last checked on 11/14/2023 First impressions on this Early Access arcade style arena shooter are very positive. Honestly I'm super thankful for this resurgence of arcade style games so I can get stuff like this. It's a top down shooter in a small arena, with "shape" enemies more complicated than you might see in some retro shooters but very much giving the abstract vibe. While the aesthetics are quite good in my opinion, the general direction of them is that you should concentrate entirely on the play and the play so far is worth concentrating on. I absolutely don't mind when an arcade style game doesn't have plot/setting trappings, it can still get a full score for on the review scale categories from me if it feels like the 'world' is still crafted for the experience the player is supposed to have. You know, Tron without all that talking. I haven't yet encountered what I would really call multiple maps or stages, though the arena changes at different stages through the run. After beating a run once (referred to as "the game" in the guide accessible in the main menu), you unlock difficulty modifiers. Has both goal based and currency based unlocks. The goal based ones are pretty solid for giving you something to do in a run, as in the best of these games (get a new ship!) and I enjoy how the refundable currency upgrades also include different play or build styles, like deciding to prioritize burn for the burn ship. Some of these games don't really understand that meta unlocks can be like offering the player interesting new puzzles and not just ways to make the game easier. The skill tree luckily isn't too baroque and easy access to it at the death screen made it easy to loop into another run. Speaking of ease it certainly feels harder at first but I think this is partially the classic arcade style format. I'm not sure how much content actually exists here yet with early access, but in many of the games in this lineage you're not really expected to be beating all the bosses on your first run or very quickly. At least, I tried to tell myself this as I got used to actually dodging boss bullets again. There is a special move button and dash. It's in no way bloated, but does include some fun stuff like stats. No bestiary, but then again not a lot of enemy variety yet either. I'd love to be able to unlock an endless mode without bosses so I could truly zone out. It's definitely not a mowing game, with very projectile based attacks. The auto-aim/auto-fire is sometimes off in a way that feels a little bugged, but for the most part does work pretty satisfyingly. I found myself doing up close strafing more than I would in a classic arcade shooter, partially because I'm trying to collect the XP drops as well. In that way, while in an aesthetic wrapping of an older wave shooter, the gameplay can feel very much like a modern survivors-like. You move towards some things and away from others, getting into a fairly zen state interrupted only by quickly selecting from a simple selection of upgrades and eventually only sorely interrupted by the arrival of an often run ending boss. I'm a big fan of older arcade style shooters (my favorite perhaps being Super Stardust HD) and while this one is a little slower to get started because it has the metaprogression aspect I found it very much tickled that old enjoyment. The music seems to keep on the same theme and the visuals are a very satisfying mix of retro aesthetics and fairly active and busy scenery in implementation. Overall I had a lot of fun with it so far and am eager to see it get more content through Early Access. Shape Shifter: Formations Similarity Scale Heatmap - + Measured in 60 categories via likert-scale style options -1 to 1 in tenths, how does this game compare to Vampire Survivors. This allows 1200 total "points". It's easier to have a point of comparison and we just picked Vampire Survivors since it's the most popular and commonly referenced game in the subgenre. For detailed methodology read the explainer. For in depth examples at score value, see the scoring guide and for term definitions see the key. 6.2 Similarity Score 81% Diagnosis: 970/1200 Comparison Points Rogue-lite 1/1 Auto-Fire / Auto-Battle 0.8/1 Real Time 1/1 Top Down or Isometric 1/1 Direct Control of Single Avatar 1/1 Arcade Style 1/1 Bullet Heaven A (Many Player Bullets) 0.9/1 Bullet Heaven B (Few Enemy Bullets) 0.5/1 One Handed Play (w Controller) 0.5/1 Move Only 0/1 No Dash 0/1 No Trigger 0.8/1 No Special Move 0/1 No Aiming 0.8/1 No On-Aim / On-Fire Movement Penalty 1/1 Timed / Boss Ended Survival 1/1 Endless Mode Planned/1 Organic / Unannounced Waves 1/1 High Enemy Count (Horde) 0.6/1 Level Up on XP Gain Event 1/1 Streamlined Level Choices (Simple UI) 1/1 Currency Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Goal Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Build Crafting 1/1 0.9/1 Weapon Combination / "Evolution" 0/1 Interesting Item / Weapon / Ability Synergy 0.5/1 Broken / Invincible Builds Possible -0.5/1 Explorable Map -1/1 BIG Maps -1/1 XP on Ground 1/1 Health on Ground 0/1 Temp Powerups / Items on Ground 0/1 Treasure Chests and/or Loot Events 0/1 Vendor / Merchant on Run 1/1 Enemy Variety 0/1 Bosses / Elites 1/1 Many Interesting Characters 1/1 Many Challenges 1/1 Multiple Stages 0.1/1 Difficulty Modifiers 1/1 Bestiary / Lore 0/1 Achievements 1/1 Secrets 0/1 Retro / Pixel Art 1/1 Damage Numbers 1/1 Lofi Charm 0.9/1 Bumpin Music 1/1 Fun Writing 0.1/1 Subtle Humor 0/1 Panic & Zen Duo Vibe 0.8/1 Over the Top 0.8/1 "One More Run" / Short Runs 1/1 Difficulty Ramp 1/1 Fun Ramp 1/1 Low Price 1/1 Technical Check 1/1 Controls Check 1/1 Fun Check 1/1 Feels like VS 0.5/1 Shape Shifter: Formations Review Scale Heatmap - + The review scale is judged from -1 to 1 in 10 categories, with 200 possible "points" earned. Steam review positive percentage is worth another 100 points, and a "ten point" pure vibe review number adds extra subjectivity. Converted into points, that's 400 points total. The points aren't used directly in the ranking, though, which averages the three number scores for the final review score listed in the game line above. 9.6 Final Review 100% Positive Steam Reviews 62 Steam Reviews 9.2 Pure Vibes 9.5 Review Scale 387/400 Review Points Not Buggy 0.9/1 Not Janky 0.9/1 Good UI 1/1 Controller and Deck 1/1 Lots of Content 0.8/1 Good Theme 1/1 Good Graphics and Sound 1/1 Fun Feel 1/1 Unique Twists 0.9/1 Vibe Check 1/1 Shape Shifter: Formations Tag Cloud - + More sortable taxonomies and categories associated with the game (genre tags are available in the main game table line!) We've just started adding tags to enable more sorting options, this section will get more filled out as we go! Release Tags Steam DeckWindows PCEA Sorting Categories SimilarRanked Genre and Control Style Tags ArcadeArena ShooterAuto-ShooterBullet HeavenBullet HellEnemy HellRogueliteSingle Stick ShooterSurvivors-likeTop Down or IsometricTwin Stick ShooterWave Shooter Aesthetic Tags 3DGeometricNeonRaveRetroVector InspiredVivid Setting / Story Tags Abstract Control Styles Controller Game Mode Tags Unknown30m Features and Extras Steam AchievementsSteam Cloud Dev/Publisher Castec Studios Release Info & Community Links - + Direct Permalink: survivorslikes.com/videogame/shape-shifter-formations Contextual Table Link: survivorslikes.com/#shape-shifter-formations Google Sheet Edit Link: edit.survivorslikes.com row 30 Steam Link: steampowered.com/app/2202590/shape_shifter_formations Steam Price: 6.99 (USD) Release Date: Early Access 09/29/2023 Developer: Castec Studios Publisher: Castec Studios Fully Released? No Recent Updates? Yes Steam Compatibility Windows: Yes Mac: No Linux: No Steam Deck: Yes Other Platforms None Community & Social Links Discord Game Features - + Listing various features we've got info on. Multiplayer Local: Co-Op Online: Co-Op (Remote Play) Player Count: 2 Leaderboards: ? Steam Features Steam Cloud: Yes Steam Achievements: 86 Steam Leaderboards: No Steam Workshop: No Steam Trading Cards: No Extras, Etc. NSFW: No Demo Available: No DLC Available: No Soundtrack Available: No Marketing Blurb - + Some description of the game and its features from the creators. "Shape Shifter: Formations is an action twin-stick shooter with rogue-lite elements, where you must destroy hordes of geometric enemies alone or with a friend. Select your ship and combine a large variety of weapons, abilities and infinitely stacking upgrades to craft your own unique build." "Choose from a wide variety of ships each with their own unique active and passive abilities, ranging from protective barriers or invisibility, to shocking tesla towers and a burning laser. Pick the ship the suits your play style and outfit it with a weapon of your choice. Spend cores gained each run on the skill tree to provide powerful permanent upgrades." Co-op notes: "So each player can select their own ship/weapon and receives their own choice of upgrades when levelling up. Players earn currency in each run together, but they get their own pool to spend at the shop separately. The only thing that's shared, is progression on the skill tree, but this is offset by the fact you progress through this a little quicker in co-op" More info and fan reviews on steam Run Times & Speedups - + Average Run Time: 30m Run Time Notes ? Speed Settings ?
	[edit] Disfigure Free Available Released A survivors-like for horror fans, if you want to pull the trigger in the dark with a flashlight. And considering it's totally free (with an optional tip for the dev DLC) there's little reason not to try it. Especially if you came way from VS looking for more arcade games. Bare bones in some ways, but it gets you quickly into the next run eager to try a totally new build. Minimalist horror vibe is just right. Dev? Experienced player? Help us rank this game! [Submit Feature Survey] [Submit Review]	Arcade Arena Shooter Bullet Heaven Enemy Hell Roguelite Survivors-like Top Down or Isometric Twin Stick Shooter Wave Survival	7.8 Combined Ranking Score 29/72 Ranking Position 1352/1600 Total Points	9.4 Final Review 96% Steam 9.5 Scale 9.1 Vibes 1803 Steam Reviews 382/400 Review Points	6.2 Similarity Score 81% Diagnosis: Similar 970/1200 Comparison Points	93% Genre 6.8/8 genre	56% Simple Controls 0.9/7 move	99% Survival Modes 3.9/4 modes	88% Power Progression 3/4 level	98% Buildcrafting Depth 4.8/5 build	50% Stage Features 0/7 stage	62% Content Breadth 2.2/9 stuff	100% Aesthetics 6/6 style	99% Gameplay Vibe Check 9.8/10 vibe vibe
Disfigure Ranking Notes - + Scaling and Review Notes Personal Hours Played: 2.1 Review Disclaimer Every game ranked was played, but also scaled based on research, talking to developers & your feedback. The priority with the scale's initial design was to compare similarity on relatively objective features - so it doesn't claim to include reviews of the depth and clarity you'd get at a games journalism site, nor the intensive time played you might get from player reviews on steam. We try to incorporate and link all of that along with a 'review scale' that checks for bugs. See the heatmap and breakdown! Time played noted so you can take any notes with a big grain of salt! I can't get to high level gameplay in 850+ games so I heavily research every game. Over 80 game creators let me interview or survey them! I Hope to go back and refine. Please argue or submit your own scores and reviews to be incorporated with credit into the notes and score numbers. Added or last checked on 10/23/2023 Disfigure is a cool game with an obviously cool dev who put it up for optional donation. Perhaps it's humble due to the lack of surface breadth - characters, skill trees, bestiaries - but the gameplay is tight. Steam reviewers seem to agree. Sometimes you just want an arcade game! It's an arena shooter without exploration and slower and more tense than most survivors-likes. It's got a shadowy minimalist vibe and great shifty beats on the soundtrack. While it's got a trigger button, I found it totally fine to play with auto fire on - aiming, however, is not optional with the strategy of pointing your light. We're going to count the "switch flashlight" button as a special move button. Rogue-lite aspects are limited to weapon unlocks and not permanent incremental upgrades, so still around the same level of skill (and luck) required each run. Steam cloud would be nice. I'll be playing more of this one! More notes to come then! Disfigure Similarity Scale Heatmap - + Measured in 60 categories via likert-scale style options -1 to 1 in tenths, how does this game compare to Vampire Survivors. This allows 1200 total "points". It's easier to have a point of comparison and we just picked Vampire Survivors since it's the most popular and commonly referenced game in the subgenre. For detailed methodology read the explainer. For in depth examples at score value, see the scoring guide and for term definitions see the key. 6.2 Similarity Score 81% Diagnosis: 970/1200 Comparison Points Rogue-lite 1/1 Auto-Fire / Auto-Battle 0.4/1 Real Time 1/1 Top Down or Isometric 1/1 Direct Control of Single Avatar 1/1 Arcade Style 1/1 Bullet Heaven A (Many Player Bullets) 0.8/1 Bullet Heaven B (Few Enemy Bullets) 0.6/1 One Handed Play (w Controller) 0/1 Move Only -0.5/1 No Dash 1/1 No Trigger 0.4/1 No Special Move 0/1 No Aiming -1/1 No On-Aim / On-Fire Movement Penalty 1/1 Timed / Boss Ended Survival 1/1 Endless Mode 1/1 Organic / Unannounced Waves 1/1 High Enemy Count (Horde) 0.9/1 Level Up on XP Gain Event 1/1 Streamlined Level Choices (Simple UI) 1/1 Currency Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Goal Based Meta Unlocks 0/1 Build Crafting 1/1 1/1 Weapon Combination / "Evolution" 0.8/1 Interesting Item / Weapon / Ability Synergy 1/1 Broken / Invincible Builds Possible 1/1 Explorable Map -1/1 BIG Maps 0/1 XP on Ground 1/1 Health on Ground 0/1 Temp Powerups / Items on Ground 0/1 Treasure Chests and/or Loot Events 0/1 Vendor / Merchant on Run 0/1 Enemy Variety 0.7/1 Bosses / Elites 1/1 Many Interesting Characters -1/1 Many Challenges 0/1 Multiple Stages 0/1 Difficulty Modifiers 0.5/1 Bestiary / Lore 0/1 Achievements 1/1 Secrets 0/1 Retro / Pixel Art 1/1 Damage Numbers 1/1 Lofi Charm 1/1 Bumpin Music 1/1 Fun Writing 1/1 Subtle Humor 1/1 Panic & Zen Duo Vibe 1/1 Over the Top 0.8/1 "One More Run" / Short Runs 1/1 Difficulty Ramp 1/1 Fun Ramp 1/1 Low Price 1/1 Technical Check 1/1 Controls Check 1/1 Fun Check 1/1 Feels like VS 0.6/1 Disfigure Review Scale Heatmap - + The review scale is judged from -1 to 1 in 10 categories, with 200 possible "points" earned. Steam review positive percentage is worth another 100 points, and a "ten point" pure vibe review number adds extra subjectivity. Converted into points, that's 400 points total. The points aren't used directly in the ranking, though, which averages the three number scores for the final review score listed in the game line above. 9.4 Final Review 96% Positive Steam Reviews 1803 Steam Reviews 9.1 Pure Vibes 9.5 Review Scale 382/400 Review Points Not Buggy 1/1 Not Janky 1/1 Good UI 1/1 Controller and Deck 1/1 Lots of Content 0.5/1 Good Theme 1/1 Good Graphics and Sound 1/1 Fun Feel 1/1 Unique Twists 1/1 Vibe Check 1/1 Metacritic Scores - + This title has metacritic data! The "fuck the man" score is adjusted so each person's review is equally weighted, regardless of critic or fan status. Critic - Converted 10 Point Score - Number of Critic Reviews User 9.0 User Review Average 1 Number of User Reviews Average 9.0 Direct Average 9.0 "Fuck The Man" Combined Mean Disfigure Tag Cloud - + More sortable taxonomies and categories associated with the game (genre tags are available in the main game table line!) We've just started adding tags to enable more sorting options, this section will get more filled out as we go! Release Tags itch.ioSteam DeckWindows PCFree AvailableReleased Sorting Categories SimilarRanked Genre and Control Style Tags ArcadeArena ShooterBullet HeavenEnemy HellRogueliteSurvivors-likeTop Down or IsometricTwin Stick ShooterWave Survival Aesthetic Tags 2DPixel ArtRetroScary Setting / Story Tags AbstractHorrorHorror Themed Control Styles Controller Game Mode Tags Unknown20m Features and Extras Steam Achievements Dev/Publisher Cold Brew Entertainment Release Info & Community Links - + Direct Permalink: survivorslikes.com/videogame/disfigure Contextual Table Link: survivorslikes.com/#disfigure Google Sheet Edit Link: edit.survivorslikes.com row 33 Steam Link: steampowered.com/app/2083160/disfigure Steam Price: 0 (USD) Release Date: 7/27/2023 Developer: Cold Brew Entertainment Publisher: Cold Brew Entertainment Fully Released? Yes Recent Updates? Yes Steam Compatibility Windows: Yes Mac: No Linux: No Steam Deck: Playable Other Platforms itch.io Community & Social Links Discord Game Features - + Listing various features we've got info on. Multiplayer Local: No Online: No Player Count: 1 Leaderboards: ? Steam Features Steam Cloud: No Steam Achievements: 23 Steam Leaderboards: No Steam Workshop: No Steam Trading Cards: No Extras, Etc. NSFW: No Demo Available: Totally Free DLC Available: No Soundtrack Available: No Marketing Blurb - + Some description of the game and its features from the creators. "Disfigure is a top-down shooter rogue-like in which you fight countless grotesque creatures shrouded in darkness. Choose from a variety of weapons and over a hundred upgrades to create unique builds each run and survive." "In an arena shrouded by darkness, pay keen attention to your surroundings where monsters could be lurking. Choose between circle and cone vision" "Choose from over 100 upgrades and 90 weapon perks" More info and fan reviews on steam Run Times & Speedups - + Average Run Time: 20m Run Time Notes ? Speed Settings ?
	[edit] 20 Minutes Till Dawn Released Here's a game for people who would rather aim carefully and pull the trigger, at least for the first few hours of meta unlocks and the start of every run. It's got a cool vibe but feels more like 'traditional' arena shooters of the past couple decades, despite the obvious modern horde survival inspiration. Dev? Experienced player? Help us rank this game! [Submit Feature Survey] [Submit Review]	Arena Shooter Bullet Heaven Enemy Hell Horde Survival Roguelite Survivors-like Top Down or Isometric Twin Stick Shooter Wave Shooter Wave Survival	7.7 Combined Ranking Score 31/72 Ranking Position 1365/1600 Total Points	8.6 Final Review 92% Steam 9.0 Scale 7.5 Vibes 21787 Steam Reviews 357/400 Review Points	6.8 Similarity Score 84% Diagnosis: Similar 1008/1200 Comparison Points	93% Genre 6.8/8 genre	46% Simple Controls -0.5/7 move	100% Survival Modes 4/4 modes	100% Power Progression 4/4 level	93% Buildcrafting Depth 4.3/5 build	66% Stage Features 2.2/7 stage	93% Content Breadth 7.7/9 stuff	89% Aesthetics 4.7/6 style	86% Gameplay Vibe Check 7.2/10 vibe vibe
20 Minutes Till Dawn Ranking Notes - + Scaling and Review Notes Personal Hours Played: 5.9 Review Disclaimer Every game ranked was played, but also scaled based on research, talking to developers & your feedback. The priority with the scale's initial design was to compare similarity on relatively objective features - so it doesn't claim to include reviews of the depth and clarity you'd get at a games journalism site, nor the intensive time played you might get from player reviews on steam. We try to incorporate and link all of that along with a 'review scale' that checks for bugs. See the heatmap and breakdown! Time played noted so you can take any notes with a big grain of salt! I can't get to high level gameplay in 850+ games so I heavily research every game. Over 80 game creators let me interview or survey them! I Hope to go back and refine. Please argue or submit your own scores and reviews to be incorporated with credit into the notes and score numbers. Added or last checked on 10/13/2023 Reliance on trigger is particular to this one, making it a twin stick shooter in VS arena style wrapping. Dark pixel art style will be a matter of taste, I like it. Moving slower when firing and reliance on trigger for early progression makes it feel slower and a little more boring personally, though. Also earns it a lower spot on this list for mechanic differences. 20 Min is a common suggestion for folks looking for another VS-like game, likely because it had a public version out pretty early in the wave, but I feel it's also kind of closer to other top down shooters pre-Survivors, before the genre got as defined. Some may like it more due to the more hands on feel, others will bounce before getting to the real bullet heaven aspects. Like a few other titles on this list I put in most of my time with it before I was "officially" researching survivors-likes. So it just has a bit less in the way of notes. Sorry! 20 Minutes Till Dawn Similarity Scale Heatmap - + Measured in 60 categories via likert-scale style options -1 to 1 in tenths, how does this game compare to Vampire Survivors. This allows 1200 total "points". It's easier to have a point of comparison and we just picked Vampire Survivors since it's the most popular and commonly referenced game in the subgenre. For detailed methodology read the explainer. For in depth examples at score value, see the scoring guide and for term definitions see the key. 6.8 Similarity Score 84% Diagnosis: 1008/1200 Comparison Points Rogue-lite 1/1 Auto-Fire / Auto-Battle 0.4/1 Real Time 1/1 Top Down or Isometric 1/1 Direct Control of Single Avatar 1/1 Arcade Style 1/1 Bullet Heaven A (Many Player Bullets) 0.8/1 Bullet Heaven B (Few Enemy Bullets) 0.6/1 One Handed Play (w Controller) -0.5/1 Move Only 0/1 No Dash 1/1 No Trigger -0.5/1 No Special Move 0/1 No Aiming -0.5/1 No On-Aim / On-Fire Movement Penalty 0/1 Timed / Boss Ended Survival 1/1 Endless Mode 1/1 Organic / Unannounced Waves 1/1 High Enemy Count (Horde) 1/1 Level Up on XP Gain Event 1/1 Streamlined Level Choices (Simple UI) 1/1 Currency Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Goal Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Build Crafting 0.8/1 0.9/1 Weapon Combination / "Evolution" 1/1 Interesting Item / Weapon / Ability Synergy 0.8/1 Broken / Invincible Builds Possible 0.8/1 Explorable Map 0.5/1 BIG Maps -0.3/1 XP on Ground 1/1 Health on Ground 0/1 Temp Powerups / Items on Ground 0/1 Treasure Chests and/or Loot Events 1/1 Vendor / Merchant on Run 0/1 Enemy Variety 0.9/1 Bosses / Elites 1/1 Many Interesting Characters 1/1 Many Challenges 1/1 Multiple Stages 0.8/1 Difficulty Modifiers 1/1 Bestiary / Lore 0/1 Achievements 1/1 Secrets 1/1 Retro / Pixel Art 1/1 Damage Numbers 1/1 Lofi Charm 1/1 Bumpin Music 1/1 Fun Writing 0.5/1 Subtle Humor 0.2/1 Panic & Zen Duo Vibe 0.3/1 Over the Top 0.5/1 "One More Run" / Short Runs 1/1 Difficulty Ramp 0.9/1 Fun Ramp 0.5/1 Low Price 1/1 Technical Check 1/1 Controls Check 1/1 Fun Check 0.8/1 Feels like VS 0.6/1 20 Minutes Till Dawn Review Scale Heatmap - + The review scale is judged from -1 to 1 in 10 categories, with 200 possible "points" earned. Steam review positive percentage is worth another 100 points, and a "ten point" pure vibe review number adds extra subjectivity. Converted into points, that's 400 points total. The points aren't used directly in the ranking, though, which averages the three number scores for the final review score listed in the game line above. 8.6 Final Review 92% Positive Steam Reviews 21787 Steam Reviews 7.5 Pure Vibes 9.0 Review Scale 357/400 Review Points Not Buggy 1/1 Not Janky 1/1 Good UI 1/1 Controller and Deck 1/1 Lots of Content 0.9/1 Good Theme 0.9/1 Good Graphics and Sound 0.8/1 Fun Feel 1/1 Unique Twists 0.4/1 Vibe Check 1/1 Metacritic Scores - + This title has metacritic data! The "fuck the man" score is adjusted so each person's review is equally weighted, regardless of critic or fan status. Critic 7.5 Converted 10 Point Score 1 Number of Critic Reviews User 6.0 User Review Average 1 Number of User Reviews Average 6.8 Direct Average 6.8 "Fuck The Man" Combined Mean 20 Minutes Till Dawn Tag Cloud - + More sortable taxonomies and categories associated with the game (genre tags are available in the main game table line!) We've just started adding tags to enable more sorting options, this section will get more filled out as we go! Release Tags AndroidiOSSteam DeckWindows PCReleased Sorting Categories SimilarRanked Genre and Control Style Tags Arena ShooterBullet HeavenEnemy HellHorde SurvivalRogueliteSurvivors-likeTop Down or IsometricTwin Stick ShooterWave ShooterWave Survival Aesthetic Tags 2DArtyLofiPixel ArtRetro Setting / Story Tags FantasyHorror Themed Control Styles Controller Game Mode Tags Trigger Focus20m Features and Extras SoundtrackSteam AchievementsSteam Cloud Dev/Publisher Erabitflanne Release Info & Community Links - + Direct Permalink: survivorslikes.com/videogame/20-minutes-till-dawn Contextual Table Link: survivorslikes.com/#20-minutes-till-dawn Google Sheet Edit Link: edit.survivorslikes.com row 35 Steam Link: steampowered.com/app/1966900/20_minutes_till_dawn Steam Price: 4.99 (USD) Release Date: Early Access 06/08/2022 Full 06/08/2023 Developer: flanne Publisher: Erabit Fully Released? Yes Recent Updates? Yes Steam Compatibility Windows: Yes Mac: Yes Linux: No Steam Deck: Verified Other Platforms iOS Android Community & Social Links Discord Subreddit Game Features - + Listing various features we've got info on. Multiplayer Local: No Online: No Player Count: 1 Leaderboards: ? Steam Features Steam Cloud: Yes Steam Achievements: 33 Steam Leaderboards: No Steam Workshop: No Steam Trading Cards: No Extras, Etc. NSFW: No Demo Available: No DLC Available: No Soundtrack Available: YouTube Marketing Blurb - + Some description of the game and its features from the creators. "20 Minutes Till Dawn is a survival roguelite where endless hordes of creatures lurk from the dark. Craft an array of overpowering builds and eradicate waves of Lovecraftian nightmares. Will you be able to survive the night?" "Create dynamic builds from a variety of weapons, runes, and special abilities in order to survive for 20 minutes." "Precise Control: Directional aim and active firing delivers a methodical battle system." More info and fan reviews on steam Run Times & Speedups - + Average Run Time: 20m Run Time Notes ? Speed Settings ?
	[edit] Heretic's Fork DLC Free Available Released Pretty Different. A great pick if you never want to move and want a game to play without having to stare at the screen. Excellent music. Recently released deckbuilding tower defense rogue-lite which ditches the movement mechanics and adds on drawing new "cards" on level up instead of an RPG style or item collecting system. So far feels like a really enjoyable throwback to old browser or freeware games - which it seems to acknowledge with the menu user interface - and has impeccable style. Seems like more content will be added, which is good, could use more card interactions and weird stuff. Dev? Experienced player? Help us rank this game! [Submit Feature Survey] [Submit Review]	Auto-Battler Bullet Heaven Deckbuilding Roguelite Survivors-like Tower Defense Turn Based Hybrid	7.5 Combined Ranking Score 34/72 Ranking Position 1343/1600 Total Points	8.6 Final Review 84% Steam 8.2 Scale 9.3 Vibes 1070 Steam Reviews 359/400 Review Points	6.4 Similarity Score 82% Diagnosis: Pretty Different 984/1200 Comparison Points	84% Genre 5.5/8 genre	75% Simple Controls 3.5/7 move	98% Survival Modes 3.8/4 modes	99% Power Progression 3.9/4 level	90% Buildcrafting Depth 4/5 build	44% Stage Features -0.9/7 stage	76% Content Breadth 4.7/9 stuff	100% Aesthetics 6/6 style	92% Gameplay Vibe Check 8.3/10 vibe vibe
Heretic's Fork Ranking Notes - + Scaling and Review Notes Personal Hours Played: 8.5 Review Disclaimer Every game ranked was played, but also scaled based on research, talking to developers & your feedback. The priority with the scale's initial design was to compare similarity on relatively objective features - so it doesn't claim to include reviews of the depth and clarity you'd get at a games journalism site, nor the intensive time played you might get from player reviews on steam. We try to incorporate and link all of that along with a 'review scale' that checks for bugs. See the heatmap and breakdown! Time played noted so you can take any notes with a big grain of salt! I can't get to high level gameplay in 850+ games so I heavily research every game. Over 80 game creators let me interview or survey them! I Hope to go back and refine. Please argue or submit your own scores and reviews to be incorporated with credit into the notes and score numbers. Added or last checked on 11/4/2023 This is a cool one and feels like it could easily have existed if Vampire Survivors never did. Excellent music. While it's an endless horde survival game, it's also a classic tower defense game. Just one big tower in the middle, troops or weapons arrayed around it, and endless waves of baddies. It is just as much a deckbuilder as a survivors-like so it's probably also Slay the Spire inspired. So far this is a favorite of mine on the steam deck and to have up while I'm doing other stuff since it can be essentially turn based. You move through "stages" in the main mode but it doesn't really feel like multiple stages in the classic sense and feels a bit more like a timed survival mode so we give partial points there. You can improve your weapons but I'm not sure evolve them. There are "torment" modes but not complex difficulty modifiers for challenges, I think. I have some quibbles. Not a ton of content, build diversity or enemy variety encountered yet, but I'm not as far in as I'd like to be. Works on steam deck (if hard to read) but not controller, really it just makes you use the controller as a mouse. Does include aimed special moves if you decide to use them in your build. Hard to read on steam deck and TV. Would like to be able to see what I have equipped while adding cards to deck (damage type etc). Can't read locked cards on steam deck since they don’t get bigger. Thanks to that, I would also like an undo button while I'm in my turn haha. There's a lot to unlock and dig into so I sent some questions to the dev/community and will revise scores when I know more. And I'll be playing a lot more later too. The soundtrack alone makes me want to have the game on and I have to remind myself to not just hang out listening to it. Heretic's Fork Similarity Scale Heatmap - + Measured in 60 categories via likert-scale style options -1 to 1 in tenths, how does this game compare to Vampire Survivors. This allows 1200 total "points". It's easier to have a point of comparison and we just picked Vampire Survivors since it's the most popular and commonly referenced game in the subgenre. For detailed methodology read the explainer. For in depth examples at score value, see the scoring guide and for term definitions see the key. 6.4 Similarity Score 82% Diagnosis: 984/1200 Comparison Points Rogue-lite 1/1 Auto-Fire / Auto-Battle 1/1 Real Time 0.5/1 Top Down or Isometric 1/1 Direct Control of Single Avatar -1/1 Arcade Style 1/1 Bullet Heaven A (Many Player Bullets) 1/1 Bullet Heaven B (Few Enemy Bullets) 1/1 One Handed Play (w Controller) 0/1 Move Only 0/1 No Dash 1/1 No Trigger 1/1 No Special Move 0/1 No Aiming 0.5/1 No On-Aim / On-Fire Movement Penalty 1/1 Timed / Boss Ended Survival 0.8/1 Endless Mode 1/1 Organic / Unannounced Waves 1/1 High Enemy Count (Horde) 1/1 Level Up on XP Gain Event 1/1 Streamlined Level Choices (Simple UI) 0.9/1 Currency Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Goal Based Meta Unlocks 1/1 Build Crafting 1/1 0.7/1 Weapon Combination / "Evolution" 0.3/1 Interesting Item / Weapon / Ability Synergy 1/1 Broken / Invincible Builds Possible 1/1 Explorable Map -1/1 BIG Maps -1/1 XP on Ground 0.1/1 Health on Ground 0/1 Temp Powerups / Items on Ground 0/1 Treasure Chests and/or Loot Events 0/1 Vendor / Merchant on Run 1/1 Enemy Variety 0.4/1 Bosses / Elites 0/1 Many Interesting Characters 1/1 Many Challenges 0.5/1 Multiple Stages 0.5/1 Difficulty Modifiers 0.3/1 Bestiary / Lore 0/1 Achievements 1/1 Secrets 1/1 Retro / Pixel Art 1/1 Damage Numbers 1/1 Lofi Charm 1/1 Bumpin Music 1/1 Fun Writing 1/1 Subtle Humor 1/1 Panic & Zen Duo Vibe 0.5/1 Over the Top 0.7/1 "One More Run" / Short Runs 1/1 Difficulty Ramp 1/1 Fun Ramp 1/1 Low Price 0.8/1 Technical Check 0.8/1 Controls Check 0.5/1 Fun Check 1/1 Feels like VS 0.6/1 Heretic's Fork Review Scale Heatmap - + The review scale is judged from -1 to 1 in 10 categories, with 200 possible "points" earned. Steam review positive percentage is worth another 100 points, and a "ten point" pure vibe review number adds extra subjectivity. Converted into points, that's 400 points total. The points aren't used directly in the ranking, though, which averages the three number scores for the final review score listed in the game line above. 8.6 Final Review 84% Positive Steam Reviews 1070 Steam Reviews 9.3 Pure Vibes 8.2 Review Scale 359/400 Review Points Not Buggy 0.9/1 Not Janky 0.7/1 Good UI 0.5/1 Controller and Deck 0.4/1 Lots of Content 0.7/1 Good Theme 1/1 Good Graphics and Sound 1/1 Fun Feel 1/1 Unique Twists 1/1 Vibe Check 1/1 Metacritic Scores - + This title has metacritic data! The "fuck the man" score is adjusted so each person's review is equally weighted, regardless of critic or fan status. Critic 7.3 Converted 10 Point Score 3 Number of Critic Reviews User - User Review Average - Number of User Reviews Average 7.3 Direct Average 7.3 "Fuck The Man" Combined Mean Heretic's Fork Tag Cloud - + More sortable taxonomies and categories associated with the game (genre tags are available in the main game table line!) We've just started adding tags to enable more sorting options, this section will get more filled out as we go! Release Tags itch.ioSteam DeckWindows PCDLCFree AvailableReleased Sorting Categories Pretty DifferentRanked Genre and Control Style Tags Auto-BattlerBullet HeavenDeckbuildingRogueliteSurvivors-likeTower DefenseTurn Based Hybrid Aesthetic Tags 2DArtyBrowser GameLofiMetalPixel ArtRetro Setting / Story Tags ComedyHorror ThemedUnderworld Control Styles Controller Game Mode Tags Currency MetaprogressionDeck ConstructionDeckbuildingGoal Based AdvancementNo MovingRoulette AdvancementSingle Tower45m Features and Extras SoundtrackSteam AchievementsSteam Cloud Dev/Publisher 9FingerGamesRavenage Games Release Info & Community Links - + Direct Permalink: survivorslikes.com/videogame/heretics-fork Contextual Table Link: survivorslikes.com/#heretics-fork Google Sheet Edit Link: edit.survivorslikes.com row 38 Steam Link: steampowered.com/app/2181610/heretics_fork Steam Price: 9.99 (USD) Release Date: 9/13/2023 Developer: 9FingerGames Publisher: Ravenage Games Fully Released? Yes Recent Updates? Yes Steam Compatibility Windows: Yes Mac: No Linux: No Steam Deck: Playable Other Platforms itch.io Community & Social Links Discord Game Features - + Listing various features we've got info on. Multiplayer Local: No Online: No Player Count: 1 Leaderboards: ? Steam Features Steam Cloud: Yes Steam Achievements: 28 Steam Leaderboards: No Steam Workshop: No Steam Trading Cards: No Extras, Etc. NSFW: No Demo Available: itch.io Prototype DLC Available: No Soundtrack Available: Steam YouTube Bandcamp Marketing Blurb

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