The chaos of Vampire Survivors is leaping from screens to animation, as Story Kitchen-the studio founded by the creator of John Wick-brings its frantic pixel battles and bizarre heroes to a new stage.
The show will be produced by Story Kitchen, which was co-founded by John Wick creator and writer Derek Kolstad and producer Dmitri M. Johnson (Sonic the Hedgehog), among others. Story Kitchen was originally founded to focus on “world-building action” and “non-traditional intellectual property,” which makes Vampire Survivors feel like a perfect adaptation for the studio.
The video game could best be described as minimalist, asking players to survive hordes of enemies without actively attacking. The player character attacks automatically, meaning that players are only in control of movement and which upgrades they get. Vampire Survivors‘ story isn’t too complicated, either – it takes place in rural Italy, where a person named Bisconte Draculó lives and creates magical evil, while members of the Belpaese family are tasked with stopping him from destroying the world.
What is the storyline of Vampire Survivors game
Vampire Survivors actually has a simple “official” plot, with most of the complexity coming from optional lore and secrets.
Core storyline
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The game is set in rural Italy in 2021, where hordes of monsters are ravaging the countryside.
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An evil figure called Bisconte Draculó, a Dracula parody, is blamed for summoning these creatures and causing chaos.
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The Belpaese family (and other heroes) take up arms to hunt Draculó, fighting through waves of monsters across various cursed locations (forest, library, dairy plant, tower, chapel, etc.).
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The campaign ultimately leads not to a traditional vampire boss, but to an eldritch, godlike entity known as “The Directer,” who stands behind much of what is happening.
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Despite the title, the joke is that you never really fight a proper vampire; you are always “hunting the vampire” while dealing with everything else around that premise.
If you want, I can also outline how the DLCs (like Legacy of the Moonspell and Tides of the Foscari) expand the lore with parallel clans and worlds.
Who are the main playable characters and their backstories
Vampire Survivors features over 50 playable characters (called “Survivors”), each with unique starting weapons, stats, and brief lore tied to the game’s gothic Italian setting and monster outbreaks. Backstories are often whimsical or cryptic, revealed through in-game descriptions, achievements, and hidden arcs. Below are key main characters from the base game and major DLCs, focusing on originals and fan-favorites.
Base Game Highlights
| Character | Backstory/Lore | Starting Stats/Weapon |
|---|---|---|
| Antonio Belpaese | Patriarch of the Belpaese family, a noble fighter rallying against Draculá’s hordes in 2021 rural Italy. Represents family leadership in the monster crisis. | High power; Knife. |
| Imelda Belpaese | Antonio’s daughter, a skilled driver turned warrior wielding a trusty whip amid the chaos. | High speed/might; Whip. |
| Poe Ratcho | Ex-garageman Poe fled his job after garlic-allergic horrors invaded; now survives with a bat-summoning book. | Balanced; Runetracer. |
| Gennaro Belpaese | Antonio’s son, a clockwork garrote expert from the family estate, fighting family foes. | High cooldown; Garlic. |
| Pasqualina Belpaese | Eldest Belpaese daughter, runaway nun channeling lightning against unholy swarms. | High area; Lightning Ring. |
| Arca Ladonna | Reclusive Mad Forest wizard whose spells accidentally worsened the outbreaks; seeks redemption. | High duration; Holy Wand. |
DLC Additions (Key Examples)
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Queen Sigma (Legacy of the Moonspell): Warrior queen from a parallel moonlit realm, wielding dual garlic heads; ties into interdimensional threats. Starts with max level Garlic.
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Megalo Menya Moonspell (Moonspell): Blue-haired vampire heiress of the Moonspell clan, lazy but deadly with a fan; backstory hints at family rivalries.
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Eleonora Villari (Tides of the Foscari): Foscari Academy student cursed by forbidden magic; uses sharp feathers in her scholarly rebellion.
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Maelle Foscari (Tides): Dean’s prodigy daughter, whip-master exploring haunted archives against eldritch foes.
Characters unlock progressively via achievements or secrets, with lore expanding through collections like the Dairy Plant’s “Bluebook” entries. Most emphasize survival themes-orphans, defectors, or cursed locals battling Draculá’s influence-without deep personal arcs, fitting the game’s roguelite focus.
