Vampire Survivors: Complete Guide

A practical guide to Vampire Survivors: how runs work, which PowerUps to buy, the core base-game evolution recipes, early unlock priorities, and what's new with update 1.15, 1.16 and the Legacy of the Bloodmoon expansion.

Researched September 2026 — current as of v1.16.107 (August 30, 2026 hotfix) and the Legacy of the Bloodmoon DLC (August 28, 2026). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

1. You only move - weapons fire automatically. Your job is positioning, picking upgrades, and grabbing gems and items.
2. Gems and items don't disappear. Take your time collecting them (the game's own starting tip).
3. Pick two or three weapons early, then level one at a time rather than spreading points thin.
4. Buy Armor and Luck early in the PowerUp shop, as the game recommends, then Might, Cooldown, Area and Amount.
5. Refund PowerUps freely. Refunds are free; experiment with different setups.
6. Evolve weapons: max out a weapon (usually level 8), own its paired passive, then open a boss chest after the 10-minute mark.
7. Runs usually last 30 minutes. At 30:00 the Reaper appears and ends the run - that's a "win" for unlocks.
8. Play Mad Forest and Inlaid Library first. They unlock many characters, items and the Arcana system (via the Randomazzo relic in Inlaid Library).
9. Use the new multiple save slots (1.15) if you want a fresh unlock run without losing your main save.

How a Run Works

• Enemies spawn in waves that get denser over time.
• Defeated enemies drop experience gems; leveling up offers a choice of new weapons, passives or upgrades.
• Bosses drop chests; opening a chest can upgrade items or trigger evolutions.
• Floor pickups (Floor Chicken, Rosary, Orologion, Vacuum, Nduja Fritta Tanto) can save a run - remember where they are.
• Gold earned in runs funds PowerUps and unlocks.
• Reroll, Skip and Banish (bought with PowerUps or earned) help shape your build.

PowerUps: What to Buy

PowerUp costs rise with each purchase, so the order matters. Buy cheap, high-value ones first; save Amount for when you can afford it.

Weapon Evolutions (core base-game recipes; character-specific weapons and DLC evolutions are listed on the wiki)

Requirement: a fully leveled base weapon plus its counterpart passive (level varies by case), then a chest from a boss at or after 10:00. On some stages (such as Dairy Plant and Il Molise) chests can evolve weapons regardless of time.

Unions (two weapons become one)

Tip: passive items you evolve with stay in your build - plan passives with evolutions in mind so every slot pulls double duty.

Beginner Builds

Antonio (Whip) - classic starter

• Core: Whip into Bloody Tear (Hollow Heart), plus King Bible into Unholy Vespers (Spellbinder).
• Add: Garlic into Soul Eater (Pummarola) for healing and knockback.
• Bloody Tear heals on crit, Soul Eater drains HP - very forgiving.

Imelda (Magic Wand)

• Core: Magic Wand into Holy Wand (Empty Tome), Fire Wand into Hellfire (Spinach).
• Imelda's bonus XP means you level faster - great for early unlock hunting.

Area-control build

• Core: Santa Water into La Borra (Attractorb) and King Bible into Unholy Vespers.
• Add: Area and Duration boosts. La Borra plus Attractorb vacuums gems and covers huge areas.

Crowd-clear build

• Core: Lightning Ring into Thunder Loop (Duplicator) and Runetracer into NO FUTURE (Armor).
• Great for dense waves; Armor passive doubles as defense.

Arcanas

• Unlock the Arcana system by finding the Randomazzo relic in the Inlaid Library.
• Once unlocked, you pick an Arcana at the start of a run and more from chests later.
• Arcanas amplify specific weapon types or add powerful effects - choose ones that match your evolved weapons.
• Darkanas are a newer, darker variant; update 1.15 added three more.

Game Modes and Options

Updates and DLC (September 2026)

Update 1.15 (June 2026)

• Multiple save slots, a Character Setup panel (skins, egg selection), and content filters in Character Selection and Unlocks.
• Reduced loading times and memory optimizations for low-end devices.
• New stage The Lycaeum, 2 characters, new weapons, 3 Darkanas, 3 relics (one secret), 1 music track.
• Option to Unbanish a weapon when you pick it up from the stage.
• Buffs (e.g., Magi-Stone and Mille Bolle Blu) and fixes (e.g., Astarte's follower cap corrected to 10).

Update 1.16 and Legacy of the Bloodmoon (August 2026)

• Legacy of the Bloodmoon (paid, launched at a very low regional price): 12 new characters, 16+ new weapons and evolutions (including a FireBall), 11 music tracks, 1 new adventure, and 1 new very large stage.
• Legacy of the Moonspell also got extra content: 5 weapons, 4 characters, 1 music track, and buffs.
• 1.16.107 hotfix (Aug 30): fixes for Bloodmoon stages, missing Limit Breaks on Bloodmoon weapons, Red Moon Manor arcana holders, and Prestige skin stat bonuses.

DLC list

The two free packs are an easy first pick; Ode to Castlevania is the biggest paid expansion by content volume.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Taking every weapon offered. Six weapon slots fill fast; leave room for evolutions.
2. Ignoring passives. Without the right passive, your weapon can't evolve.
3. Opening boss chests too early. Before 10:00 (on most stages), chests won't evolve weapons.
4. Hoarding gold. PowerUps are the backbone of progression - spend it.
5. Standing still. Kiting in circles keeps enemies bunched and away from you.
6. Skipping Luck. It improves level-up choices and chest outcomes.

Advanced Tips

• Curse + Greed with a strong build is the fastest gold farm.
• Pick up the Orologion during heavy waves to freeze enemies.
• Use Banish to remove weapons you never want, making evolution parts appear more often.
• Plan six passives around your evolutions - each passive should both buff you and enable an evolution.
• Limit Break makes endless runs viable; pair with Endless for huge numbers.
• Unlock characters with high-value starting weapons (e.g., Imelda's XP bonus or Pasqualina's Runetracer) for faster early progression.
• Save slots (1.15) let you try challenge runs without risking your main save.

FAQ

How do I unlock more characters? Most are unlocked by in-game achievements (survive X minutes, evolve a weapon, find a relic). Check the Unlocks menu for hints.

What does the Reaper at 30 minutes mean? It's the end of the run. Surviving to 30:00 is what counts for most stage unlocks.

Is multiplayer online? Yes. Online co-op was added in 1.14; local co-op supports up to 4 players.

Which DLC should I buy first? Grab the free Emerald Diorama and Ante Chamber packs, then Legacy of the Moonspell (cheap) or Ode to Castlevania (biggest).

Is there Steam Workshop support? The August 2026 news post lists Workshop support for Vampire Survivors as a topic; check the Steam page for its current status.

Where do I report bugs? The developers ask for reports on the Steam discussions board, including the game version shown bottom-right on the main menu.

Sources

• Vampire Survivors on Steam
• Vampire Survivors DLC list on Steam
• Steam news: Legacy of the Bloodmoon is out now / 1.16.107 hotfixes
• Steam news: Update 1.15
• Vampire Survivors Wiki - Evolution