Poncle is turning Vampire Survivors into a first‑person deck‑builder — weirdly brilliant move

Why Poncle’s Vampire Crawlers actually matters to players

This caught my attention because Poncle – the studio behind the runaway hit Vampire Survivors – is doing something almost nobody expected: turning a minimalist, top‑down session game into a first‑person dungeon crawler that mixes deck‑building and turn‑based tactical combat. On paper it sounds like a total reinvention, and that’s both exciting and worrying for fans who fell in love with four‑minute chaos and simple, addictive loops.

• Key takeaway: Vampire Crawlers keeps the session focus (10-15 minute runs) but swaps twitch dodging for tactical, card‑driven fights.
• Game Pass at launch is huge – instant exposure but also monetization tradeoffs.
• Big question: can Poncle translate its “one more run” hook into slower, turn‑based dungeon crawling?

Breaking down the announcement

Poncle announced Vampire Crawlers as a 2026 release and confirmed it will be available on Game Pass at launch and on “all recent platforms.” The core pitch: explore first‑person dungeons, build a deck between runs, and fight using tactical, turn‑based combat. Sessions are expected to last 10-15 minutes — a deliberate nod to Vampire Survivors’ session design — but the mechanics and perspective are radically different.

Why this matters now

Vampire Survivors was a revelation because Poncle proved you could strip down action to essentials and still be wildly addictive. The indie landscape in the 2020s is crowded with deck‑builders (Slay the Spire, Monster Train) and roguelikes, but few studios have successfully pivoted a clear gameplay identity into an entirely different genre without losing players. Doing this on Game Pass amplifies both risk and reward: the game will be immediately discoverable by millions, but Poncle also hands a portion of its launch exposure to Microsoft’s subscription model.

The real questions gamers should be asking

• How will deck‑building fit into 10-15 minute runs? Deck construction usually benefits from longer runs and meta progression — will we get quick, modular decks or a pre‑run build phase?
• Does first‑person perspective add immersion or strip away the clarity that made Vampire Survivors readable at a glance?
• Will Game Pass availability at launch change Poncle’s design choices — more accessible, less hardcore, or free to experiment?
• What about post‑launch monetization? Free access is great, but will DLC or cosmetics creep in?

What to expect as a player

If you loved Vampire Survivors for its addictive loops, expect Poncle to keep session pacing as a core constraint: runs will be short, progression likely layered with meta upgrades between runs, and permadeath or run‑reset mechanics probable. The tactical combat element suggests slower, more deliberative choices during fights — think rewarding puzzle‑like encounters rather than pure reflex tests. Deck‑building could act as the “build” for each run, with cards defining your loadout or special actions.

There are promising parallels. Slay the Spire proved card systems can deliver extremely satisfying decision loops across short runs. If Poncle pares down its deck options and makes each choice immediately impactful, Vampire Crawlers could hit that sweet spot where runs feel meaningful without overstaying their welcome. But if card complexity bloats run length, the core appeal of quick sessions will be at risk.

Industry context and developer track record

Poncle has shown a knack for distilling ideas into compulsive loops. Vampire Survivors was almost a design manifesto: simple systems, explosive results. That gives me confidence they’ll approach Vampire Crawlers with the same lean philosophy — but reinvention isn’t guaranteed to land. Indie studios sometimes struggle when shifting genres: fans can be split, and marketing needs to frame the change correctly so newcomers aren’t expecting the same gameplay as the original.

Why you should care — and why to wait

You should care because Poncle is betting its reputation on bold experimentation. If Vampire Crawlers nails tight, tactical runs that still reward fast sessions and meta progression, it could become another indie staple. But be wary of pre‑release hype: the trailer and Game Pass deal are reasons to be curious, not to preorder. Wait for gameplay deep‑dives that show how a deck and turn‑based fights work inside a 10–15 minute loop.

TL;DR

Poncle’s Vampire Crawlers is an unexpected but intriguing pivot: Vampire Survivors’ session DNA meets first‑person, deck‑based tactical combat on Game Pass. It could be brilliant if Poncle preserves quick, meaningful runs; it could disappoint if the deck and turn layers bloat the loop. Keep an eye out for actual run‑through footage before deciding.