We’ve had lots of fun obliterating hordes of lo-fi enemies in Vampire Survivors, so it was only a matter of time before something like BIOTA Swarm arrived to put a new spin on the emergent genre of roguelike auto-shooter survival games. BIOTA Swarm swaps Vampire Survivors’ top-down perspective for a platformer-style side view, but keeps the upgradeable weapons that plough through ceaseless hordes of enemies that fill up the screen with mutant pixels.
BIOTA Swarm is a sequel of sorts to 8-bit style platformer BIOTA, which launched earlier this year. You’re still fighting the menace of an alien plague on a far-flung mining colony, but this time, all your weapons fire automatically, and it’s up to you to find and choose upgrades that will allow you to carve a path through each stage.
BIOTA Swarm, which is set to launch in early 2023, will feature randomised campaign maps that unfold across six different hostile environments. You’ll have four characters unlock, who can equip dozens of different skills and power-ups.
The game was revealed at Realms Deep, 3D Realms’ digital games festival. You can tune into the action on Twitch or head over to Steam to check out the games and demos featured in the event.
Be sure to check out our guide to Vampire Survivors cheats if you’re looking to unlock everything poncle’s smash hit has to offer.