This chaotic co-op game is my Steam Next Fest highlight, and it reminds me of some of my favourite roguelikes of all time

gamesradar.com:

When it comes to roguelikes, my preference is always for a game that lets me lean into crazy combos. Unkillable Binding of Isaac runs, or blinding Vampire Survivors attempts that throw so much onto the screen that I can scarcely see my approaching enemies. To that end, Steam Next Fest has thrown me a bizarre gem in the shape of Apocalypse Party.

Currently sitting firmly in the top ten for daily active users, Apocalypse Party is a top-down roguelike that reminds me of a 3D Vampire Survivors. Hordes of enemies close in on your choice from a huge roster of characters, and it's your job to cut through them. You gain new skills every time you level up, and it's worth investing heavily in one or two ability types. So far, so vampiric.

But for all that I enjoy the gameplay, I very nearly bounced off Apocalypse Party hard. It's a game with no cohesive vibe, with a story to match. You start off in a noir zombie apocalypse, letting a plague-ending nuclear blast end your life after you're forced to put down your zombified wife as she devours your daughter. You then wake up in a medieval village, undead peasants shuffling towards you as an angelic capybara tries to lead you by the hand to whatever this game wants to show you next. The first time I died, I unlocked a new character, but rather than a spin on my grizzled agent, I was now playing as a gladiator. Next, I unlocked 'King,' but after him came 'Football Player.'

For its sins, however, Apocalypse Party is a lot of fun. It's not the first game to riff on the Vampire Survivors formula, but it is perhaps the most outlandish one I've seen. In one run, a level-up perk granted me a small barbecue that would follow me around doing fire damage to my foes. In another, I went for a