Angry Birds devs are making a Vampire Survivors-inspired card game

Village Studio

Village Studio, led by former Angry Birds devs at Rovio and Sega, are making a battle royale card game inspired by indie game hits including Slay the Spire, Tetris 99, and Vampire Survivors. It’s a co-op multiplayer game called Inferni: Hope and Fear, and while there’s no anticipated release date yet, you can wishlist it on Steam now.

Two teams of four players each pick Waywards, Inferni’s version of character cards that embody roles such as healer or tank, and battle it out in an arena. There’s a fair bit of lore behind this – a world engulfed in chaos, a tyrannical overlord holding these brutal arena matches for their own amusement – but it’s definitely a battle royale at heart.

Inferni has a ranked and league system, where winning players claw their way to the top and maintain their lead by continuing to refine their strategies. Village Studio didn’t say exactly how Inferni borrows from Vampire Survivors or Tetris 99, but Magic the Gathering influences are there and intentional.

“As a lifelong Magic the Gathering player, Inferni is about adapting that experience from one-on-one to a game where I can play alongside, and not just against, my friends. This one comes from the heart,” Village Studio creative director Will Luton, formerly an associate producer at Sega, said in a statement.

Village Studio is demoing Inferni at WASD, so expect to see more from them in the coming weeks.