What is Vampire Crawlers?
Vampire Crawlers is a turn-based deckbuilder roguelite — the first-ever spin-off of Vampire Survivors. Each run, you select a character, build a deck of cards, and navigate dungeons fighting enemies. Unlike action Vampire Survivors, combat here is strategic: you choose which cards to play each turn based on mana and enemy patterns.
Core Game Loop
- Select a Character — Each has unique Crawler effects and starter deck
- Enter a Dungeon — Navigate floors, fight enemies, collect cards and relics
- Play Cards — Spend mana to play attack, defense, stat boost, and mana cards
- Build Synergies — Combine cards that trigger your character's Crawler effects
- Defeat Bosses — Each dungeon has a boss at the end for unlocks
- Upgrade Power-Ups — Between runs, spend coins to permanently boost stats
Understanding Card Types
Cards are the heart of Vampire Crawlers. Each type serves a specific purpose in combat.
Attack Cards (Red)
Deal damage to enemies. Most attacks have projectile counts, area effects, or special properties like Knockback. Attack cards are key to triggering red card Crawler effects.
Defense Cards (Blue)
Grant armor that absorbs damage. Defense cards protect you and can have additional effects like pulling enemies or buffing your next attack.
Stat Boost Cards (Yellow)
Temporarily increase stats like Might, Speed, or Recovery for a duration. These buffs expire after a set number of turns.
Mana Cards (Purple)
Generate mana so you can play more cards. Mana is the resource cost for playing cards — no mana means no plays.
Wild Cards (Grey)
Flexible cards with unique effects. Some reduce card costs, draw extra cards, or provide free plays.
Mana System
Mana is the resource that powers your deck. Each card costs a certain amount of mana to play. You start each turn with mana regenerated by mana cards (Arca, Empty Tome) or your character's base mana pool.
Balancing mana generation (mana cards) with damage output (attack cards) and defense (armor cards) is the core strategic decision in every hand.
Crawler Effects
Every character has a unique Crawler effect — an ability that triggers when you play specific types of cards. Understanding your character's Crawler is key to building an effective deck.
Example: Antonio
Crawler: Deal 10% more damage when a red card is played.
This means you want as many red attack cards as possible to maximize Antonio's damage output.
Your First Dungeon: Tutorial
The Tutorial dungeon teaches basic mechanics. It's a single floor with simple Bat enemies and one elite encounter. Complete it to unlock Antonio (if not already unlocked).
Focus on learning:
- How mana costs work
- Playing cards in sequence
- When to attack vs. defend
- Drawing cards with Empty Tome
Basic Deck Strategy
A balanced deck typically follows this ratio:
- 40-50% Attack Cards — Your primary damage dealers
- 20-25% Defense Cards — Keep you alive
- 15-20% Mana Cards — Enable more plays per turn
- 10-15% Stat Boosts — Buffs for tough encounters
- 5% Wild Cards — Flexibility and combo enablers
Weapon Evolution Basics
Weapons can evolve into more powerful forms. To evolve:
- Have the base weapon card in your deck
- Add cards from the same Evolution Group
- Obtain an Evolution Gem (rare drop from glowing enemies)
- Evolution happens automatically when conditions are met
See Weapons & Evolutions for the full list of evolution chains.
Progression Tips
- Complete the Tutorial first — Unlocks Antonio and teaches basics
- Focus on one character — Master their Crawler before spreading resources
- Upgrade Power-Ups early — Might and Armor provide the biggest early-game boost
- Check every floor — Hidden items and secret doors contain valuable relics
- Don't ignore defense — Even glass cannon builds need survival tools