Vampire Survivorshas beaten all the odds, surpassing evenGod of War RagnarokandElden Ringto claim the BAFTA Games Awards' most coveted trophy. The indie darling that isVampire Survivorstook 2022 by storm, but not many could have expected a game developed by a single person to have been capable of this.
No matter where one looked as last year came to a close,Elden RingandGod of War Ragnarokdominated the “Game of the Year” discourse. It was a battle of two giants that could not have been more different in their approach to game design but offered two of the most compelling experiences in gaming.God of War Ragnarokwas nominated for 14 BAFTA awards, the most in the award show’s history. But, in what is no doubt one of the biggest upsets of the video game award season, bothElden RingandGod of Warfailed to take the mantle of Best Game.
RELATED:Vampire Survivors Developer Gives Update On Likelihood of Sequel
Instead, the honor was bestowed toVampire Survivors, a pixilated indie game developed by a single person, Luca Galante, also known as poncle.Vampire Survivorsskyrocketed in popularity early last year, popularity that did not wane thanks to consistent updates and new content. The indie darling became one of 2022’s highest-rated titles, making its way to mobile and Xbox Game Pass as it continued to dominate.Phil Spencer even revealed that he had spent 233 hoursplayingVampire Survivors, the most time dedicated to any video game that year for the head of Xbox.
Vampire Survivorswas widely considered to have been snubbed at The Game Awards last year when it lost out on Best Debut Indie toStray. But even those voices would have been hesitant to compare it to eitherElden RingorGod of War Ragnarok, which seemed poised to sweep.Elden Ringcertainly lived up to expectations, claiming (at the time of writing) a total of 433 Game of the Year wins across media outlets and reader’s choice polls, according to information compiled by ResetEra.
Elden Ringpicked up two BAFTAs andGod of War Ragnarokclaimed six, including the oddly named EE Game of the Year, the only award voted for by the public.Vampire Survivorsalso won Best Design, a victory that is likely to be much less divisive. Then again, many other video game ceremonies have come and gone with little fanfare, as award season attention is typicallyentirely focused on The Game Awards, led by Geoff Keighley. HadVampire Survivorswon Game of the Year, the subsequent fury would no doubt still be raging to this day.
Vampire Survivorsis available now for Android, iOS, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
