Practically a modern classic, Vampire Survivors has inspired countless imitators. But the upcoming Skull Horde actually looks like a novel take on its roguelike inspiration. While in Vampire Survivors you gain new abilities to upgrade your avatar, in Skull Horde you’ll build a massive army of fellow skeletons and lead them to victory through a dank dungeon. The game has an earnest and goofy tone, like a Tales from the Crypt episode that hits just right. You can give the game a try right now.
As for how Skull Horde plays, each run will start in a new procedurally generated dungeon and you’ll control your army’s route through that dungeon. However, much like Vampire Survivors, you won’t control how your army acts and moves. Instead, you’ll select upgrades, purchase units, and pick up loot to improve your forces. You can also unlock perks that you’ll select at the beginning of the run, giving you powerful abilities and shaping your strategy for that run. But Skull Horde has some subtleties too. Staying longer on any floor of a dungeon can help you find more loot and money, but your enemies also grow more powerful.
However, what makes Skull Horde really sing is its aesthetics. Its pixel sprites are detailed, but also readable at a glance. Watching armies of bone battle armies of flesh has the same aesthetic appeal as any of the best RTS games. A crunchy, guitar-heavy soundtrack completes the vibe.
You can download and play the Skull Horde demo directly from the game’s Steam page.
If the Skull Horde demo has you wanting to return to slaying undead, rather than being them, check out our guide on the best Vampire Survivors build or our list of the best Vampire Survivors power ups.
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