What really makes Brotato stand out, though, is its shockingly deep sense of character customization that makes each run feel totally unique. That does take away some of Vampire Survivors‘ appeal, as that game is all about its mini- Dynasty Warriors spectacle, but it makes for a more laid-back couch game where I can stop and catch my breath a little every minute. There aren’t millions of enemies on-screen at once and the single map included is just a small rectangle. In general, the structure here feels like it’s built to be a little less overwhelming. When I barely squeak by one wave, I then get a pause where I can really assess what went wrong and try to fix it in the next round by picking up smart upgrades. That alone gives Brotato an entirely different pacing that doesn’t feel quite as relentless as Vampire Survivors. Each time a wave ends, players get to stop for a moment to pick up new stat boosts and spend the resources they’ve collected on new tools before starting the next wave fresh at full health.

For one, an enemy wave only lasts 20 to 90 seconds rather than being one seamless gauntlet. There are a lot of small changes to that formula though - ones that make a big difference. Imagine what Vampire Survivors would have looked like as a Newgrounds game and you have the gist. The more players level up and clear waves, the more they’re able to equip new weapons, items, and stat boosts that make them gradually more powerful amid increasingly tougher waves. Players only need to worry about moving their potato with one stick, as all weapons auto-fire. They’re dropped into a small map and enemies start to spawn in around the screen.

The basic premise is that players start by picking one of several potato characters, each of which has their own unique perks and a simple starting weapon. On paper, Brotato might sound like a quick Vampire Survivors cash-in, right down to its price tag. It’s quickly becoming an addiction that is going to occupy a lot of my free time this summer. Brotato is a silly, but smart evolution of the Vampire Survivors formula that leaves even more room for wild character builds. While I started hearing rumblings about the game earlier this year, I’d originally written it off as an irreverent copycat.

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