adminVampire Crawlers began with an opportunity to turn a card-game concept into a full spin-off of Vampire Survivors. For Nosebleed Interactive, the project involved more than adapting familiar characters and ideas: the team had to understand what made the original work, collaborate closely with its creator, and shape a distinct game around those strengths. Studio CEO and creative director Andreas Firnigl shares six lessons from the development process that can help teams working with another developer’s intellectual property.
Andreas Firnigl began his career as a tester on Big Mutha Truckers for GameCube. He founded Nosebleed Interactive almost 15 years ago and serves as its CEO and creative director.
In 2023, a former colleague who had joined Poncle approached Nosebleed with the chance to collaborate on a Vampire Survivors spin-off. Vampire Survivors creator Luca Galante had already developed an early card-game prototype. Poncle brought in Nosebleed to help develop the idea into a complete game, with lead designer Luke Wintflint and Firnigl working alongside Galante and the Poncle team.
Image credit: Nosebleed Interactive/Poncle
Firnigl says the project reinforced lessons the studio had learned through 15 years of making games and partnering with other teams. The following principles helped guide the work.
Vampire Crawlers: Six lessons from developing an IP spin-off
1. Show that you understand the original IP
It is not enough to know the property you are adapting; your partner needs to see that understanding in the work. Firnigl spent extensive time playing Vampire Survivors to identify the small details that shape its feel, as well as the elements that are essential to the experience.
That distinction helps a team decide what can be changed and what should remain familiar. It also prevents a spin-off from becoming a superficial imitation. A practical first step is to document the IP’s defining traits and use them as a reference when evaluating new mechanics, names, and visual choices.
Playing the paper prototype of Vampire Crawlers in the pub | Image credit: Nosebleed Interactive
The team’s early pen-and-paper prototype, tested in a pub, was already close to the eventual game. However, the first months of development focused more on adding content than on making the connection to Vampire Survivors clear. The temporary names and placeholder elements made sense to the developers, but did not yet demonstrate that the game respected the source material.
Nosebleed paused other work to refine those details, including character and item names and how statistics would carry over from Survivors to Crawlers. Once Poncle saw the revised build, it approved the direction. The lesson: make the connection visible early, rather than assuming a partner will understand your intentions.
2. Make room for people who are new to the IP
Existing fans may be eager to try a spin-off, but a new game should also make sense to players unfamiliar with the original. Nosebleed had team members who had not played Vampire Survivors, and the studio asked them not to try it during development.
Their fresh perspective helped the team assess onboarding without relying on knowledge that newcomers would not have. When testing a spin-off, include people outside the fan base and observe where they need explanation. This can reveal confusing terminology, unclear goals, or assumptions built into the design.
3. Set aside assumptions about how games should be made
A partner brings its own expertise and understanding of the IP, while the external studio contributes its own strengths. Firnigl recommends making use of that experience without assuming that established habits will suit every project.
Nosebleed had recently worked on Arcade Paradise, where pixel-level detail was important. For Vampire Crawlers, Poncle’s approach to attacks was simpler: instead of elaborate animations, sprites could be flipped and moved forward briefly. That approach better suited this property.
An early-development screenshot of Vampire Crawlers | Image credit: Nosebleed Interactive
Before investing in a familiar technique, ask whether it serves this particular game. A different production choice is not automatically a compromise; it may be the clearest way to preserve the IP’s character.
4. Talk directly and regularly
Email and messaging tools are useful, but video calls and in-person conversations can make feedback easier to interpret. Direct discussion gives both sides the chance to explain their reactions, ask follow-up questions, and develop ideas together.
Nosebleed stayed in regular contact with Luca Galante throughout development. During a lunchtime conversation late in production, Galante suggested that the game could still be improved, even though it was already in good shape and no release date had been announced. The discussion led to the Gems system, which Firnigl says made the game stronger.
In-person discussion can be highly effective. | Image credit: Nosebleed Interactive
Schedule direct conversations at key milestones, not just when a problem arises. They can help a team identify opportunities that might be missed in a series of short written updates.
5. Focus on the intention behind feedback
Not every proposed feature or adaptation will fit neatly into a game. When a suggestion creates friction, consider the reason behind it rather than treating the specific feature as non-negotiable.
Ask what experience the partner wants players to have and what outcome the suggestion is meant to achieve. If the original approach conflicts with other systems, the team can look for another solution that preserves the same intent while fitting the game more naturally. This keeps feedback productive and makes room for design improvements.
6. Build a shared vision and give the team ownership
Calling a project a card game based on Vampire Survivors does not, by itself, explain how it should feel. Many deckbuilders emphasize slow, considered strategy, while Vampire Survivors is designed to be easy to enter. The team made progress when everyone understood that the goal was to capture the original game’s pace and accessibility, not simply to follow conventional deckbuilding patterns.
Conventional deckbuilding would not have suited the Vampire Survivors IP. | Image credit: Nosebleed Interactive
A shared direction also needs to give team members a meaningful role in achieving it. Leaders can clarify the project’s boundaries, areas of flexibility, goals, and open problems, then invite the team to propose solutions. Giving people ownership encourages them to contribute ideas while keeping the project aligned with the IP.
Conclusion: What Vampire Crawlers teaches about collaboration
The development of Vampire Crawlers shows how an IP spin-off can balance familiarity with a new studio’s creative contribution. Understand the original, test the game with newcomers, adapt working methods to the property, and keep communication open. Above all, make the project’s purpose clear and let the team help shape how it is achieved. These practices give partners a stronger foundation for building a game that feels both distinctive and true to its source.
