Vampire Survivors Dev Poncle Outlines Challenges of Film Adaptation: 'The Game Has No Plot'

Vampire Survivors developer Poncle has shed light on the challenges of adapting their hit game into a film, a project initially announced as an animated series. In a recent Steam post, Poncle confirmed they are "still working with Story Kitchen on a live action film," despite the original announcement in 2023. The primary hurdle they face is the game's lack of a traditional plot, which complicates the adaptation process.

Poncle emphasized their cautious approach, stating, "rather than jumping the gun and make stuff for the sake of making it, we have preferred to wait to find partners that felt right, especially because to make anything that isn't a video game out of Vampire Survivors requires good ideas, creativity, and that quirky knowledge of the game." They acknowledged the difficulty in achieving this "very difficult triplet" perfectly, adding, "Please remember the game has no plot — it doesn't? — so nobody can really anticipate how a film about it is going to be. That is part of what makes it exciting."

The developer humorously noted the irony of adapting a game with no story, sarcastically remarking, "the most important thing in Vampire Survivors is the story." As a result, no release date has been set for the film, reflecting the uncertainty surrounding the project.

Vampire Survivors is a fast-paced gothic horror game with rogue-lite elements, known for its ability to let players quickly gain power against hordes of monsters. Initially launched as a modest indie game on Steam, it unexpectedly became a massive hit, leading Poncle to expand the game significantly. It now boasts 50 playable characters and 80 weapons, not including the two major expansions and the Ode to Castlevania DLC.

IGN's 8/10 review praised the game, saying, "Need a game to play while listening to podcasts? This is it. Vampire Survivors is outwardly simple but turns out to be an incredibly deep hole to fall down — though it's not without extended dull periods when you get ahead of its curve."