Following the Vampire Survivors (Free) co-op mode and Nintendo Switch release date announcement from the recent Nintendo Direct, I’ve had a chance to play the co-op mode on Steam Deck for preview. Next week, poncle will update all versions of the game with 4 player local co-op coming through a free update. This update is also when the Steam version will move to the new engine (like mobile and console) making it dramatically better. I was already on that engine thanks to a beta branch, but everyone will benefit from the improvements next week with the co-op update. While this feature focuses on the Steam Deck version, I’ll also be covering other versions next week.
I took a break from Vampire Survivors for a bit because I spent far too much time on it across different platforms over the last year and leading into the mobile version. I’ve been jumping back for the DLC launches, but was basically in maintenance mode with the game if you will until the Switch port was announced. I was curious to see how the Switch version would look and run, but more interested in how local co-op would feel. Having spent a few days with it on Steam Deck, I’m very pleased with the implementation including how level-ups happen, turns for specific things, and with how much more chaotic things get. There are also a few interactions that will make Vampire Survivors feel a bit like Overcooked with rage-inducing situations, but everything has been fun so far.
The downside right now is that Remote Play Together isn’t fully implemented in the preview build. I hope this is fixed for the final release because I can’t use alternatives on Steam Deck to invite friends to play with me. Vampire Survivors co-op is local only, so I will be relying on Steam Remote Play Together on Steam Deck to play with friends. Thanks to tools like Parsec or Steam’s Remote Play Together, co-op in Vampire Survivors will shine the most on PC for me. I’m also interested to see how it works on other platforms when the update goes live next week alongside the Nintendo Switch release date.
If you’re curious about how co-op will work, read the official FAQ here. I have more Vampire Survivors coverage next week. Until then, read my Steam Deck review of Vampire Survivors here, Legacy of the Moonspell DLC review here, iOS review here, and Tides of the Foscari DLC review here. We featured it as our Game of the Week as well when it launched. You can get Vampire Survivors on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Check out our forum thread here for more discussion and impressions around the game. Have you been playing it recently and will you be trying co-op or the Switch port next week?