The night is dark, the moon is high, and prey roams. That means vampires are lurking in the shadows: ready to strike. Vampiresused to be everywhere in films, shows, and, of course, video games. However, bloodsuckers have lost some of their allure in recent years, andvampire gameshave grown quite rare.
Though vampires have slowed down, they have had quite a history in gaming. Whether they are the main protagonist or the antagonist, vampires have been part of games since the 1980s. Some of thebest vampire gamesever made know exactly why these disturbing creatures are so riveting, withCastlevaniabeing just one of the many games that capture their allure perfectly! If players are wondering whyVampire Survivorsis not mentioned here, it’s because the game doesn’t feature any vampires despite what the name may suggest.
Updated August 10, 2025 by Mark Sammut:Vampire games do not come around all that often, although a couple of major releases are currently in the works. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 might one day become a reality, and Arkane is working on a much-anticipated game based on Marvel’s Blade comics. While those projects are likely far away from completion, players can always check out a few oldervampire games.
DescribingDarkstalkers: The Night Warriorsas a vampire game is a bit of a stretch since only one of the characters is a vamp; however, the game’s Japanese name isVampire: The Night Warriors, so it is right there in the title. Technically, the rest of the series' games qualify since they also incorporate the term, but let’s limit things to just the first entry.
Capcom knows a thing or two about crafting fun fighting games, andDarkstalkersis right up there with the developer’s greatest achievements in the genre. The roster covers most monster archetypes, and this “sillier” approach allows for a wild range of characters who feel quite different from each other. Their designs are also immaculate, and the visuals have aged incredibly well considering the arcade version debuted in 1994. Demitri is the resident vampire, and he is a decent fighter by most metrics. That said, he is completely overshadowed by the likes of Morrigan, Felicia, and Victor, and those are onlyDarkstalkerscharactersfrom the first game.
While not completely extinct nowadays,light-gun shootersare a product of a bygone era, one defined by arcades.Vampire Nightdebuted in those halls, before eventually making its way to the PS2. Although the former is likely the definitive version, the latter is far more readily available nowadays, and it is a fine enough example of the genre. The campaign follows two vampire hunters who head into a Gothic village/castle to take down a few powerful vamps, all the while facing off against a slew of different monsters.
Vampire Nightdoes not do anything particularly special, except for telling a story that has a few interesting twists. However, the voice acting and dialogue are so unapologetically over-the-top that they give the game a tongue-in-cheek B-movie tone, which is by no means a criticism. The gunplay is very typical for the light-gun genre, but it is enhanced by atmospheric environments.
Bram Stoker’sDraculais a major reason why vampires have become such a major part of pop culture. Any IP trying to draw inspiration from the same needs to do justice to the source material, andThe Incredible Adventures of Van Helsingjust does enough to justify itself in this department, with fans getting the opportunity to control the son of the great Abraham Van Helsing.
Exterminating monsters in the city of Borgova makes for a great time, even if some people feel that this title didn’t do anything new or revolutionary. Still, fans of coolaction RPGswill have a lot of fun in this title and the two sequels that followed, which were considered by many to be improvements over the foundation set in the first game.
Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachiwas not for everyone in 2003, and time has done little to enhance its accessibility. However, at its core, the game has a lot to offer, even if the execution leaves something to be desired. Seemingly inspired by 1922’sNosferatu,The Wrath of Malachidrops players in a castle and tells them to survive. Also, they have to save their sibling within a time limit, which entails exploring the castle’s unpredictable layout while completing dungeons, acquiring keys, and avoiding (or defeating) monsters.
Clunky and far from polished,Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachidoes not leave a particularly great first impression, and its positive traits do not become apparent until players gain some familiarity with the mechanics, which usually takes a few failed runs. At that point, the setting and presentation can start to sink their teeth into players, delivering some surprisingly effective scares.
Players who want to experience a stylish third-person shooter with a flair for style and finesse will love whatEl Paso, Elsewherebrings to the table. The game is an ode to Remedy’s stylish action games likeMax Payneand is perfect for fans of this studio’s games who want to take on Dracula himself.
The stylish action of this game coupled with its focus on supernatural elements is a blast. The fact thatEl Paso, Elsewheremanages to nail its action game feel to such an impressive degree speaks volumes about developer Strange Scaffold’s love for both Remedy’s style of action and classic vampire stories.
Code Veinis one of the many Soulslikes that adds its unique spin to the formula. This one has a rather unique take on vampires,referring to them as Revenants. The lore and story of this game are pretty interesting as players create a Revenant from scratch and fight the monsters that have awakened during an apocalyptic event called the Great Collapse.
It’s up to the player to figure out what’s going wrong, uncovering a tantalizing mystery and meeting a wealth of intriguing characters in the process. While the level design of this game can be pretty disappointing at times, the core gameplay ofCode Veincoupled with its stylistic presentation makes up for its negatives, which are easy to overlook after a point.
The Sims 4had one of the most disastrous launches in gaming history, missing many features that were commonplace in previous entries and missing the groundbreaking open-world that had madeThe Sims 3such an incredible game. It took a long while for EA to help fans come around to this title… and, even then, many detractors aren’t huge fans ofThe Sims 4and what they perceive to be a game that is missing the soul of Maxis' beloved franchise.
However, fans who gaveThe Sims 4a chance after the many expansions and updates that were released are pleased by the way this game has turned its reputation around, establishing itself as one of the best life simulation titles on the market. Many DLCs were launched for this game, includingThe Sims 4: Vampires, which added the creatures of the night to the title and let players control numerous Vampire Sims who had to blend into society while feeding off other Sims to satiate their bloodthirst.
Darkest Dungeonhas a reputation for having a punishing difficulty level. It’s not enough that one’s party of intrepid heroes can be stabbed, bludgeoned, melted, and otherwise killed by the legion of horrific monsters they face; they must also avoid losing their minds to stress. This grim premise is the perfect backdrop for introducing the vampiric curse and making things that much worse for players.
Characters afflicted with the Crimson Curse develop an insatiable thirst for blood. The player can try to cure their characters of this vampiric malady, but it may be preferable to let them dive deeper into their unnatural hunger. Characters who succumb to the Crimson Curse and are allowed to feed bolster their strength with the supernatural power of blood, leaving it up to the player to decide whether the Crimson Curse is more of a horrific blessing in disguise.
Apoint-and-click adventure reminiscent of classicssuch as theMonkey Islandseries,A Vampyre Storyfollows Mona, a woman who is unwillingly turned into a vampire and forced to live in a castle. After her “husband” comes into intimate contact with a stake, Mona sets out on an adventure to head back to Paris.
A puzzle game with a somewhat cheesy sense of humor,A Vampyre Storybenefits greatly from having a devilishly charming art style. Mona is a fine enough protagonist, and it is just a shame that her story’s continuation was canceled asA Vampyre Story: Year Onenever made it to store shelves.
Buffy the Vampire Slayeris one of the best vampire-related TV shows of all time, and the franchise even spawned a few decent games. 2002’sBuffy the Vampire Slayeron the Xbox is a fun action-adventure title, but 2003’sChaos Bleedsis slightly superior. Taking place during the fifth season of the show and involving the “First,” the personification of pure evil inBuffy’s universe,Chaos Bleedsties into the series impressively well, serving something more satisfying than just fan service.
Along with Buffy,Chaos Bleedscomes with a couple of other playable characters, including Spike. So, not only does this game offer players the chance to kill vampires as the slayer, but they can also step into the shadows of a vamp.
