We loved "Vampire Survivors". In fact, we all liked it so much that it spawned a wave of copycats (opens in new tab), some with really bright ideas and clever twists. That said, "Picayune Dreams" (opens in new tab), which recently got a free demo on Steam, is the first to take the swarm mode, bullet-hell gameplay in a new direction and repurpose it instead of just following the leader (thanks to Alpha for this spot) Beta Gamer (opens in new tab)).

Here's the basics of Vampire Survivors: you're dropped into a large field of repeatable gameplay, with more and more dangerous enemies coming at you as time goes on. Defeating enemies gives you experience to level up, there are three random upgrades to choose from, and new weapons require improvised build crafting.

Instead of monotonous 30-minute levels like Vampire Survivors, Picayune Dreams has a more classic roguelike progression, with bosses in 5-minute levels. They are all bad guys that require precise and skillful moves, like the bullet hell of Eastern (open in new tab), which blows Vampire Survivors' boss fights out of the water.

I've only completed the first one. It's a deranged space rabbit with a grudge and some connection to your backstory. It's a much more difficult game than Vampire Survivors, reminiscent of the classic sim-up, and retains the fantasy of the later Vampire Survivors games, but at some point the game doesn't play itself out.

The overall look is a combination of Evangelion and 90s render packs, and for me it is truly a four-quadrant full hit (see also: Hylics (opens in new tab)" and "Dreamwild (opens in new tab)"). I was surprised to discover that the game's main artist is AndyLand (opens in new tab), who is also responsible for the equally surreal and sublime adventure game "Endacopia" (opens in new tab).

Picayune Dreams has a killer breakcore soundtrack (opens in new tab) by composer milkypossum, and the game already hints at a storyline intertwined with deep lore. At the risk of spoiling it for you, after defeating the first boss, the storytelling beats take the genre to a whole new level, recalling the "ooh" moments of "NieR" and "Undertale," where you're left with the feeling that you're in the middle of the game, and that you're not quite sure what to expect.

This work by AndyLand, milkypossum, and programmer Stepford (open in new tab) is already becoming something special. If, like me, you like shmups, surreal 90s regression art, and cryptic brainy storytelling, you can check out Picayune Dreams' substantial demo and wishlist the game on Steam (opens in new tab).