Vampire Survivors-alike Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors has a release date

Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors – a Vampire Survive ’em up set in Paizo’s D&D-adjacent pen-and-paper setting Golarion – launches into Steam Early Access on 14th September 2023, Paizo and developer BKOM Studios have announced. If you’re new to the much-imitated Vampire Survivors format, the idea is to steer an auto-attacking character around a map that is slowly invaded by increasingly hazardous waves of foes, levelling up as you go. Think of it as a bullet hell shooter, but set to the tune of a walking sim. At first, anyway: at higher levels, Vampire Survivors is a perfectly withering experience, for all its initial glacial pace.

The premise of Gallowspire Survivors: you’re a hero – the options include fighter, rogue and wizard, each with their signature ability such as time control – trying to seal away Tar-Baphon, aka the Whispering Tyrant, aka an upstart skeleton git, who resides in the titular tower of Gallowspire. You’ll descend through the latter, harvesting gold and XP with which to acquire new abilities and equipment, as well as undead essences that confer special powers, limited to the duration of each run. The twist here is that you get to pick another character class as your companion.

It may be difficult to recall right now, what with all the Baldur’s Gating going on, but the previous Pathfinder RPGs are pretty solid, though Giada Zavarise wasn’t entirely besotted by Pathfinder Kingdom back in 2018. Nate drew warmer conclusions of its sequel Wrath of the Righteous, describing it as “a CRPG belter, if you can handle your fantasy admin”. Neither, however, made our list of the best RPGs.