Pokémon meets Vampire Survivors in new Temtem ‘bullet heaven’ spinoff

polygon.com:

Before Palworld combined the adorable monster-collecting appeal of Pokémon with survival and crafting gameplay, there was Temtem, the game that blended MMO mechanics with friendly monsters. Now, the folks behind Temtem are mashing up Tems with another style of game — the “bullet heaven” genre popularized by Vampire Survivors.

The game is called Temtem: Swarm, and it’s set to pair the strategic elements of Temtem combat and monster evolution with fast-paced, frenetic gameplay. In the game’s debut trailer, we see Tems like Platypet, Oree, and Pigepic battling swarms of enemies, evolving into new forms and acquiring new abilities, and laying waste to screens full of foes. Powerful Tems like Gharunder, Yowlar, and Nessla appear to be the game’s boss-like foes. Screens don’t appear to be as densely packed as they are in a game of Vampire Survivors, but they’re still plenty crowded.

Evolving monsters, à la Pokémon, fees like a good fit for the bullet heaven genre, which requires powering up and picking loadouts to progress and keep gameplay interesting over multiple replay attempts. Temtem: Swarm also includes a catching mechanic to let players add new Tems to their playable roster.

Developers Crema and GGTech Studios say Temtem: Swarm is being “built from the ground up with online 3-player co-op in mind,” and players will be able to strategize, share (or battle for) resources, and unleash coordinated attacks. Co-op features a mechanic called Ghost Mode, in which downed teammates can become a “spectral helper” who can support their teammates until they’re revived.

Temtem: Swarm is coming to Windows PC via Steam with Steam Deck support. Console versions are also in development. Crema and GGTech Studios did not announce a release date.