Quick Verdict
Megabonk is easily the most fun game I’ve played all year, one that doesn’t take itself too seriously and proves just how important game design can be. This $9.99 indie title swaps modern day gaming conventions for internet culture memes, blending the best of Vampire Survivors and Risk of Rain 2. There’s a surprising amount of depth to the builds, even if that isn’t apparent at first. With plenty to unlock and challenges to complete, Megabonk has made me set aside games like Hades II and Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
Given the success of Vampire Survivors, it was just a matter of time before a 3D version existed. But Megabonk is more than that, because in a week I’ve spent more hours with it than I have with Vampire Survivors in its lifetime. The game does have some frustrating bugs that can ruin a run, but the mysterious developer behind it has been quick to fix many of them. If you’re a fan of Survivors-likes or Risk of Rain 2, there’s no point in reading the rest of this review. Just go get the game and enjoy.
Numbers Go Brr
I’ve said this many times before, but one of the biggest issues I have with modern games is that it feels like each one has to follow a checklist of prerequisites before it ships. This ranges from open-world design and an overabundance of side quests to parrying and dodging mechanics and out-of-this-world graphics, and so on. The recent Ghost of Yōtei is a perfect example of this. Objectively and mechanically, it’s a stellar game. However, at times I felt extremely bored going down my checklist of to-dos. It’s also why games like Hades, Vampire Survivors, Balatro, Return of the Obra Dinn, and now Megabonk have resonated so well. They feel as if the developers focused more on making a fun, entertaining game rather than conforming to modern gaming conventions.
I missed the initial release of Megabonk because of games like Borderlands 4, Dying Light: The Beast, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, and Ghost of Yōtei. While I caught the buzz around it as it grew in popularity, we decided to jump into the new Vampire Survivors online co-op mode after I rolled credits on Ghost of Yōtei. As we started down that road of unlocking everything we’d missed out on in the past couple of years, a friend of mine was having so much fun with Megabonk that he gifted me a copy. Well, I was already in that Survivors-like mode, so I decided to see what all the hype was about.
Let Him Cook
Fifty or so hours later, I’m forcing myself to write this review instead of unlocking the remaining items I’m missing in Megabonk. The game is clearly heavily inspired by Vampire Survivors, and even the developer says as much, but it plays a lot more like Risk of Rain 2. Like Vampire Survivors, the core gameplay involves running around a map while your character automatically attacks. The game lets you choose your targeting priority, and certain weapons can be manually aimed, but for the most part your focus is on navigating the map. There’s a time limit for each stage, and in order to progress, you’ll have to locate the boss portal and kill the boss before time runs out. The run doesn’t necessarily end when the clock strikes 0:00. Instead, a final swarm appears, and you’ll eventually get overpowered, at least initially.
As you run around the map, there are several ways to power up your character. Killing enemies drops XP you need to pick up, just like in Vampire Survivors, but there are also shrines, chests, and vendors for other enhancements. Activating a shrine involves standing within its circle for a set time, which grants you raw stat bonuses such as movement speed, attack speed, or damage. Chests and vendors are where you’ll find items, and you’ll need gold to obtain them. There are also free items from the Moai shrine as well as other ways to increase the game’s difficulty or spawn extra bosses. In other words, a lot of the game involves exploring the entire map, not just killing as many enemies as possible.
Certified Busted
As the counter ticks down, you’ll run into mini-boss spawns and swarms at set intervals, so they’re predictable. These essentially serve as checkpoints to provide you with feedback on how well your build is performing, which lets you make decisions for the rest of the run. For example, if you’re defeating the first mini-boss in seconds or handling the swarm with ease, you can focus on other things, such as movement speed or increasing the difficulty. It’s not that different from other Survivors-likes in that sense, but the heavy focus on exploring the map really changes the game’s dynamics.
Eventually, each build consists of four weapons and four tomes. Weapons are what you’d expect, with a mix of ranged and melee, some of which have special effects. Each weapon can be leveled up to enhance stats, such as size or damage, but much of your power comes from tomes, since they affect all of your weapons. Take the Quantity Tome: it increases the number of projectiles for each of your weapons and is typically the better upgrade to choose. At first, the builds may seem a bit simplistic because a lot of the weapons and tomes rely on raw number upgrades, rather than working towards something like the evolution mechanic in Vampire Survivors, but there’s a wide range of possibilities once you understand the systems better.
Clap the Hordes
The game’s depth really comes from its items, similar to Risk of Rain 2. You can get multiple copies of each item, stacking their effects, and much of your endgame power comes from those interactions. There’s also a microwave that has a chance to spawn on the map that allows you to duplicate an item, but it will randomly consume a different one of the same tier. As you unlock more weapons, tomes, and items throughout your runs, you’ll eventually be able to toggle some of them off based on your character and goal. If you’re focusing on a ranged build, you’ll want to toggle off the melee weapons so you have a better chance of getting what you need.
As part of the meta progression, you’ll also be able to banish, pass, or reroll a certain number of times. RNG is still king in Megabonk, though, and most of the time it’s not easy to force a specific build. In most runs, you’ll need to adapt, and knowing what’s best for your build is key to completing a run. There’s also the leaderboard meta, in which players try to kill as many enemies as possible, particularly in the final swarm. That meta has shifted several times in the past couple of weeks since I started paying attention, and it’s been fascinating to see how people are breaking the game.
Rizzed by RNG
It’s honestly a bit difficult to explain the appeal of Megabonk if you’ve never played Vampire Survivors or Risk of Rain 2. Like Vampire Survivors, Megabonk can sound boring, especially when the bulk of the gameplay is moving around a map and making decisions based on RNG. But that’s where the fun lies, as Megabonk embraces the idea of players breaking the game. It’s amazing how weak you can feel at the start, but with each passing minute you feel stronger and stronger, assuming you’re doing the right things. Very few games can capture the idea of player progression in such a short time, and Megabonk nails it better than most.
This isn’t a game with the best graphics, and it has its share of annoying bugs, such as my banarangs hugging Monke instead of being tossed to enemies or Tony McZoom deciding he no longer wants to accelerate on his hoverboard. Some of these crop up at the worst times, but I’ve convinced myself it’s all part of the RNG (even though it’s clearly not). Megabonk is one of those extremely dangerous games where you tell yourself “one more run,” and the next thing you know, hours have passed.
This Is Fine
Further pushing you to play for dozens of hours are the challenges and unlocks. Some of these aren’t easy to pull off, and others feel like puzzles to solve as you try to figure out the best build for the task. I’d recommend avoiding guides on YouTube because it’s really fun to experiment and find ways to solve some of these challenges. Plus, it’s a lot more satisfying when you figure it out on your own. I found myself figuring out new interactions between weapons and items as I tackled some of the harder unlocks, which inspired me to try new builds. Character variety feels great, but there’s definitely a balance issue right now. Some characters, weapons, tomes, and items are clearly better than the rest, but I also don’t think the developer cares. That’s the whole point of games like this: the element of luck in getting a really overpowered item plays a huge part in the game’s satisfaction.
Even if you’ve never played a Survivors-like, Megabonk is highly recommended. It’s a great entry point to the genre, arguably better than Vampire Survivors. It’s more approachable in 3D with more “gameplay,” putting greater emphasis on map exploration and having to dodge attacks. It can be quite difficult, especially the final boss on each map. If you’re the type who cares about leaderboards, you’ll spend hours trying to get that perfect build to rise in the ranks.
Touch Grass Later
The best part of Megabonk is how well it plays on handhelds like the Steam Deck and the recent ROG Xbox Ally X. I spent dozens of hours with this game on the Steam Deck OLED each night, and have been enjoying it even more on the ROG Xbox Ally X. It runs well on those devices and on PC, which is surprising given how busy the screen can get with all the projectiles and enemies during a swarm. If you own a handheld device and need an excuse to get some use out of it, Megabonk is an easy one at $9.99.
It’s rare for me to recommend a game for everyone, since people have such different tastes. Megabonk, though, is the perfect example of how game design and a focus on fun should always be at the top of every developer’s to-do list. Sadly, though, it’s not these days. This game eschews graphical fidelity, voice acting, and even a serious tone because it’s all about entertainment. I also have to commend the soundtrack. It’s basic and very reminiscent of the 16-bit era, but somehow it’s not annoying at all, even though it’s repetitive. I guess that’s pretty much the whole game, though. Now, if you don’t mind, a friend of mine just beat my record, and I have to go take it back. Just go buy the damn game. It’s both the best and the worst gift I’ve received this year. Best because it’s so fun, and worst because it’s caused me to neglect my other review duties. Sorry, Pansage. I don’t want to play with you anymore. Monke’s more fun.
Megabonk has an official release date of September 18, 2025, for PC. This review is based on a gifted retail copy of the game on PC, but not from the developer or publisher. While FullCleared does have affiliate partnerships, they do not influence our editorial content. We may earn a commission for purchases made through links on this page.
