Indie action roguelike Megabonk is blowing up on Steam, having broken its concurrent player record several times on September 22 alone. The growth appears partly driven by the game’s chaotic spin on the Vampire Survivors formula, which resonated with tens of thousands of players.
Released in late 2022 following a year-long period of early access, Poncle’s Vampire Survivors was such a huge hit that it spawned an entire (sub)genre of games. Its core concepts involve roguelike-style procedural level generation and auto-shooter gameplay, where players move a character who engages enemies on their own. Megabonk, made by solo developer Vedinad, leans into that blueprint, but swaps Vampire Survivors‘ 2D visuals for fully three-dimensional environments and more floaty movement.
Megabonk Surges Past 23,000 Concurrent Steam Players
Since its September 18 Steam launch, Megabonk has seen consistent growth on Valve’s storefront, reaching new player heights on a daily basis. On September 22, it recorded its highest concurrent player peak of 23,886. Looking at the slightly bigger picture, it ranks 14 on the current Steam Top Sellers list and is the 69th most-wishlisted game on the platform. It’s also the 108th most popular Steam title by daily active users, according to data compiled by SteamDB.
Current Megabonk User Reviews Are 'Overwhelmingly Positive'
Not only are Megabonk‘s player numbers surging, but most of its early adopters appear to be loving it. That’s suggested by the current state of its Steam user reviews, which are in the “Overwhelmingly Positive” category, based on over 2,300 player impressions. Looking at the comments attached to these reviews, plenty of players are praising the game’s bouncy controls and satisfying gameplay loop characterized by short runs and plenty of meaningful progression opportunities. Its visuals and numbers-go-up mechanics have elicited fan comparisons to everything from Vampire Survivors to Risk of Rain.
While it was originally planned to launch earlier in the month, Megabonk ended up being delayed due to Hollow Knight: Silksong. It is one of several indie titles pushed back after Team Cherry announced the highly anticipated metroidvania’s September 4 launch, alongside Baby Steps, Aeterna Lucis, Demonschool, and Faeland, among others. Unlike many popular action roguelikes, Megabonk does not offer multiplayer, which some players have already started asking for via Steam reviews and community boards.
Megabonk Is 15% Off Until October 2
Megabonk will soon begin retailing for $9.99. However, like many indies, it was treated to a limited-time Steam discount to commemorate its release. The launch deal slashes its price by 15%, bringing it down to its current total of $8.49. This promotional price will be valid until October 2.