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Pets Survivors is one of those games where the title literally says it all, as the game really is rather a lot like Vampire Survivors, but with pets!
And while the gameplay loop of Pets Survivors may, indeed, owe a huge debt to that of the gaming phenomenon that is Vampire Survivors, that’s not necessarily bad thing, as the game also does enough to distinguish itself from all the other “me too” “Survivorslikes” that sprang up in the wake of Vampire Survivors’ success, and even though Pets Survivors may not offer anything particularly original, what it does offer is a great looking, thoughtfully made game that’s a lot of fun to play.
Yes, much like Vampire Survivors, Pets Survivors is a roguelite arena shooter, in which you level up your character by collecting gems that are deposited upon disposing of your enemies. But the game’s power-ups have all been thoughtfully designed, and are well balanced, making choosing your upgrade a matter of weighing up the risk versus reward of an all-out assault with an attacking power up, such as faster weapon reload times, multishots, extra bullets, or bouncing bullets, or opting to play defensively with a power up such as an extra heart, or replenished energy, with the need to choose each power up strategically depending upon how you prefer to play, and at what stage in the level you are upon receiving the power up.
One way in which Pets Survivors does diverge from its blood-sucking inspiration is that you can choose to aim and fire your gun yourself, rather than opting for the “Survivorslike” method of automatic firing. If you do choose to fire manually, the game then has the feel of a traditional top-down shooter, rather than a “Survivorslike,” and in Pets Survivors, you also have a useful dodge manoeuvre at your disposal, which helps you escape enemy attacks unscathed, and which is especially useful against the game’s bosses.
You begin Pets Survivors by choosing one of the 14 titular pets (each of whom has its own secondary projectile that is fired in addition to the primary weapon). some of these pets must be unlocked using the in-game currency, and after choosing your pet for the run, you must then choose a weapon with which to arm your chosen critter, with weaponry on offer including the likes of a pistol, a sniper rifle, a bazooka, a toaster, a trumpet, and, erm, a fish. As with the pets themselves, not all weapons are initially available, and they must be unlocked using the in-game currency. And the sillier weapons, while adding a pleasing touch of humor to the game, are still effective against your enemies!
That aforementioned currency can also be used to buy permeant upgrades for your pets, to make it easier for future runs, as well as helping you to tackle the game’s tougher later levels and bosses, though it must be said that the game isn’t particularly difficult, making it easy for anyone to pick up and play, but the hard mode does increase the challenge for those looking to test their mettle.
In addition to that choice of two difficulty levels, there are two main game modes to choose from in Pets Survivors, the 10-minute mode, in which you must survive for,erm, 10 minutes, then defeat a boss, and infinite mode, in which you must survive for as long as you can, facing a boss every 10 minutes. You could theoretically keep playing Pets Survivors in infinite mode for years to come, and it’s so much fun that you might just do that. What’s more, the Xbox version of the game, which is the version we’ve played, adds even further longevity, thanks to its well thought out achievements, which will encourage you to experience all of the game’s stages, characters and weapons.
In summary, Pets Survivors is a thoughtfully developed top-down “Survivorslike” shooter that brings cute ‘em up aesthetics and sensibilities to the popular “Survivorslike” formula, with utterly adorable playable characters who wield Metal Slug levels of heavy artillery (as well as a toaster, fish, and trumpet!), all presented in a charmingly colorful pixel art style, and while the game may borrow heavily from a rather recent title in the form of Vampire Survivors, at it its heart it’s still a retro-style top down shooter, and it’s almost certainly the most adorable top-down shooter you’ll ever see, to boot. We don’t think we’ll ever tire of seeing the jarring but pleasing juxtaposition of the game’s adorable pets with the heavy-duty weaponry that they brandish.
Pets Survivors has been developed by Vergiu Games, and it was published today (12 August 2026) by Eastasiasoft, on PC, PlayStation4&5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One & Series X|S, priced at $4.99 USD or local equivalent, and there’ss even 20% off that already bargainous price for a limited period!
The retro-inspired budget indie games released on modern formats by publishers such as Eastasiasoft feel very much like the modern-day equivalent of the old £1.99 budget games from the era of 8-bit home computing, or the public domain games that used to be released for 16-bit home computers. They may offer little in the way of innovation, and they’re often derivative of bigger and better-known games, and they may never reach a huge mainstream audience, but they’ll be loved and fondly remembered by those who do get to play them. Yes, they may be cheap and cheerful, but most importantly of all, they can be a lot of fun. And what’s the point in gaming if it’s not to have fun?
And I certainly had a great deal of fun with Pets Survivors – and you could too, for a mere $4.99 USD or your local equivalent (or even less, if you’re quick about it)! And I know Faith also enjoyed Eastasiasoft’s puzzle-focused take on chess, MateMorphosis, on which she reported recently, so when Eastasiasoft consistently releases games of this caliber at such great prices, who cares if they’re not necessarily the most original games you’ll ever see?
