It’s rare to see the birth of a new genre, or at least a subgenre with a cute nickname, in video games. It’s rarer that we’re living through a time where we see so many new ones keep popping up! Soulslikes, gacha games, visual novels, walking simulators, tree punchers, survival games, rougelikes, roguelites, boomer shooters, and garlic-likes. And whatever “Lethal Company” and “Peak” and “Content Warning” are known as.

Now, this is not going to be a discussion about names of genres, or the evolution of subgenres, or even garlic-likes themselves. I don’t have the time nor the word count to get into that thorny, sensitive subject. What I do want to talk about is “Megabonk,” the new garlic-like that came out recently that’s been topping the Steam charts (for a cheap price, too!) and my YouTube recommended algorithm. All the top content creators and streamers are playing it since it’s the next big thing in games that rely on heavy RNG, fast-paced RPG upgrades, quick decisions, and automatic shooting where you don’t aim.

And I think it’s pretty good!

I’m a gigantic fan of “Vampire Survivors” —the biggest name in the garlic-like subgenre (the garlic item being the namesake here). It was an instant success when it released in 2022, enjoyed loads of DLC, and has since birthed the subgenre. There have been so many attempts to recreate the same magic, bottle the same lightning, but the only game I’ve been interested in playing is more “Vampire Survivors.”

I can see the why some indie devs look at “Vampire Survivors” and think that it’s an easy game to rip off. The graphics aren’t impressive, the enemy AI isn’t complex, there isn’t any voiced dialogue, and it’s a replayable core loop. However, there hasn’t been really any innovation or eye-popping revolution as of yet. You move around, kill, gain XP, pick a perk, and go until the timer stops or you die.

And that’s why I find the viral success of “Megabonk” to make sense. Beyond the low price and good word of mouth, it takes the 2D template of “Vampire Survivors,” and translates it beautifully into 3D. The game utilizes the new axis not as a complete rethinking of the formula, but as a tool to both harass and empower the player.

You can jump! Slide down slopes! Bunny hop, climb walls (as a gorilla named “Monke”), and even choose an upgrade that gives you more damage when you’re in the air. Enemies can come flying in to pin you, not just corner you like usual. There are big towers and objects that can fall over or roll around, like a boulder in the forest level, and some bosses are gigantic targets for your weapons. Hell, there’s even a sniper rifle that you can aim manually which really opens up the possibilities to new DLC characters and guns.

Now, the elephant in the room when discussing this game is that it’s a blatant clone of “Vampire Survivors.” Down to the UI, sound effects, stats, basic concept, and even items. I could go on and on about all of the similarities, including the cringe internet humor used as set dressing, but I can’t really hold that against “Megabonk.” This game knows what it is, and you should too.

It’s more “Vampire Survivors,” but in 3D! This is a great starting point for way more content and mods to make it into a real compelling forever game, if you’re into online leader boards and discussions about the “meta.” But for $10 (or less if you catch it in a sale), you cannot go wrong with giving this one a spin.

If that’s not enough to convince you, maybe you should check what else it’s packing:

• A skateboarding skeleton named “Calcium”
• Killer bees
• Blood magic
• A foxy mage who is a literal fox
• Banana boomerangs
• Goblins with axes

It’s such a delight! One that might not necessarily crack my top ten of the year, but something that is a honorable mention for sure.

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“Megabonk” is available on PC.

Image Credit: “Megabonk” by vedinad