adminVampirium 1997 is Mike Bithell’s experimental take on the immersive sim: a compact, tile-based game designed to focus on player choices rather than elaborate 3D visuals. After a difficult period for Bithell Games, the project also reflects a practical question for independent studios: how can a game’s scope match the audience it is likely to reach?
Image credit: Bithell Games
From studio growth to a smaller team
Bithell became known as an independent developer with Thomas Was Alone, released in 2012, followed by the stealth game Volume in 2015. The studio also made the short narrative games Subsurface Circular and Quarantine Circular. Later, Bithell Games worked on licensed properties, including John Wick Hex and two games set in the Tron universe: Tron: Identity and Tron: Catalyst.
The studio expanded as it took on larger projects, but the results were uneven. Estimates from Video Game Insights put John Wick Hex at nearly 450,000 sales across Steam, PlayStation and Xbox. The same estimates suggest Tron: Catalyst sold around 16,000 copies across those platforms, while Tron: Identity sold just under 9,000 on Steam. Switch sales were not available for either Tron title.
After 11 roles were made redundant in August, Bithell Games was reduced to three people: Bithell, business partner Alexander Sliwinski and a marketing staff member. Bithell described the layoffs as particularly difficult because of the strength of the team. The studio’s experience is a reminder that a larger team and a high-profile licence do not guarantee commercial success.
Mike Bithell | Image credit: Bithell Games
Vampirium 1997 and the “im-slim” approach
Set in an alternative version of the 1990s where Dracula rules England, Vampirium 1997 puts players in the role of an assassin working for him. The game takes ideas associated with immersive sims such as Thief, Deus Ex and Dishonored, then presents them through a top-down, tile-based format, static character portraits and choices expressed through actions or “verbs.” Bithell calls this approach an “im-slim.”
The project began as a way for Bithell to experiment with Godot after years of using Unity. He tried several prototypes while learning the engine, and one gradually developed into the game. The smaller format also means he can test and add mechanics relatively quickly, rather than spending months building a new feature for a traditional 3D environment.
That flexibility supports experimentation, but it can also encourage a project to grow without limits. Bithell’s approach is to keep the presentation simple while investing development effort in the interactions between characters, objects and locations. For players, this means the appeal is less about visual spectacle and more about finding different ways to solve a situation.
One example began with a playtester wondering why they could not push a character off a balcony. Adding a push action led to further possibilities: characters could be shoved into objects, damaged or moved between rooms. A single mechanic could therefore create several new interactions without requiring a major visual overhaul.
Vampirium 1997 uses a tile-based system | Image credit: Bithell Games
Taking a measured approach to risk
The game was announced in early July after nine months of development, without a release date. Bithell said the announcement was not intended to attract investors and that the studio did not want outside funding. He believes income from the company’s back catalogue can support its smaller operating costs for the time being.
Bithell also noted that an experimental concept can be difficult to finance before there is evidence of an audience. In his view, developers are increasingly expected to demonstrate demand before publishers commit, even though proving that demand may itself require time and resources. He acknowledged that publishers face their own pressures, while arguing that cautious funding can make it harder to get new projects started.
For Vampirium 1997, the plan is to build interest gradually through social media and a mailing list. The list includes chapters of The Lost Portrait, a story that expands the game’s world. For a small team, direct communication with interested players can be a manageable way to share updates and gauge engagement without relying only on a large launch campaign.
Why scope matters for Vampirium 1997
Bithell’s central idea is to choose a project size that fits its likely market. Immersive sims can be complex to make, while their audiences do not always justify the budgets and production scale associated with major releases. A smaller game can reduce financial exposure while still exploring the genre’s defining appeal: meaningful choices and multiple ways through a situation.
That does not remove risk, and a deliberately limited presentation still needs enough depth to keep players engaged. But designing around the interactions that matter most can help a small team use its time effectively. For Bithell, Vampirium 1997 is an opportunity to test that balance: keep the visuals restrained, make experimentation affordable and let the game’s possibilities grow carefully.
Ultimately, Vampirium 1997 offers a focused alternative to the assumption that every immersive sim must aim for a large-scale production. Its development strategy puts scope, budget and audience in conversation from the beginning—a practical lesson for independent projects as well as an unusual new direction for the genre.
