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Though vampires have slowed down, they have had quite a history in gaming. Whether they are the main protagonist or the antagonist, vampires have been part of games since the 1980s. It’s time to take a look at the best vampire games ever, although Castlevania will be left out so that some other properties can be highlighted.

Updated October 7, 2022, by Patrick Armstrong: The allure of the undead has been the driving force behind countless games. Though vampires, ghouls, and zombies are enemies in many stories, they can be compelling protagonists and anti-heroes in games of their own. Whether the game is set in modern New York or a Steampunk fantasy land, a few things stay the same: the thirst for blood and the constant threat of one’s enemies, be they vampire hunters or one’s fellow bloodsuckers. Roleplaying games have made excellent use of the vampire trope over the years, but that’s far from the only genre to get its fangs wet. With vampires showing up in FPSs, strategy games, and even cozy sims, no genre is safe from vampires in gaming.

17 Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt

There’s seemingly no end to the battle royale genre, and while most games have come off as cheap imitators of the genre’s biggest success stories, a handful have distinguished themselves with unique aesthetics, interesting mechanics, or both. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodhunt is a solid entrant in the “both” category.

The game allows players to make their own custom character belonging to one of several vampire clans. From there, they’re set free in the streets of Prague to drink the blood of mortals, hunt down their fellow Kindred, and avoid violating the Masquerade and exposing the secret existence of vampires. Thanks to the game’s verticality, breakneck combat, and diverse suite of powers, Bloodhunt easily sets itself apart as not only one of the best vampire games but also one of the best battle royales.

16 Darkest Dungeon – The Crimson Court

Darkest Dungeon has a reputation for having a punishing difficulty level. It’s not enough that one’s party of intrepid heroes can be stabbed, bludgeoned, melted, and otherwise killed by the legion of horrific monsters they face; they must also avoid losing their minds to stress. This grim premise is the perfect backdrop for introducing the vampiric curse and making things that much worse for players.

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Characters afflicted with the Crimson Curse develop an insatiable thirst for blood. The player can try to cure their characters of this vampiric malady, but it may be preferable to let them dive deeper into their unnatural hunger. Characters who succumb to the Crimson Curse and are allowed to feed bolster their strength with the supernatural power of blood, leaving it up to the player to decide whether the Crimson Curse is actually more of a horrific blessing in disguise.

15 V Rising

Many vampire games are narrow affairs. As a member of the undead, one is beset by enemies on all sides, and the player’s top priority is making sure their undeath isn’t abruptly ended. There’s nothing wrong with such plots, but they don’t leave much room for exploring other aspects of vampiric life, such as what a vampire is actually supposed to do with all the time their immortality gives them.

V Rising is an ambitious open-world title that does its best to answer that question, at least in part. In it, the player is free to travel the countryside, develop their castle, and make friends (and enemies) among the living and the dead, all while avoiding the killing glare of the sun. With crafting, base-building, combat, and numerous other activities to get sunk into, V Rising makes a compelling case for being one of the most complete undead experiences out there, ensuring it won’t be forgotten any time soon.

14 A Vampyre Story

A point-and-click adventure reminiscent of classics such as the Monkey Island series, A Vampyre Story follows Mona, a woman who is unwillingly turned into a vampire and forced to live in a castle. After her “husband” comes into intimate contact with a stake, Mona sets out on an adventure to head back to Paris.

A puzzle game with a somewhat cheesy sense of humor, A Vampyre Story benefits greatly from having a devilishly charming art style. Mona is a fine enough protagonist, and her adventure is set to continue in the future with the release of A Vampyre Story: Year One.

13 BloodLust 2: Nemesis

Since 2015, WRF Studios has been quietly putting together an enjoyable vampire-centric universe. As a sequel to 2015’s BloodLust Shadowhunter, Nemesis builds well upon the foundations laid by its predecessor. Both games take some inspiration from Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines, although the BloodLust games place a heavier emphasis on combat and dungeon crawling.

While rough around the edges, these vampire games are clearly passion projects made by a small but dedicated team. Permitting someone goes in knowing full well that these are budget titles, they should have quite a bit of fun.. 2021’s Vampirem is also pretty good.

12 Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the best vampire-related TV shows of all time, and the franchise even spawned a few decent games. 2002’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer on the Xbox is a fun action-adventure title, but 2003’s Chaos Bleeds is slightly superior. Taking place during the fifth season of the show and involving the “First,” the personification of pure evil in Buffy’s universe, Chaos Bleeds ties into the series impressively well, serving something more satisfying than just fan service.

Along with Buffy, Chaos Bleeds comes with a couple of other playable characters, including Spike. So, not only does this game offer players the chance to kill vampires as the slayer, but they can also step into the shadows of a vamp.

11 Infamous 2: Festival of Blood

Cole MacGrath has led quite a peculiar life. As gaining superpowers was not weird enough, Infamous: Festival of Blood throws vampires into the mix. Now, this game is not canon, and Cole’s meeting with Bloody Mary is just a story told by Zeke, but that doesn’t make Festival of Blood any less enjoyable to play through.

The expansion reuses Infamous 2’s map, but Cole’s new powers and the UGC missions more than make up for it. Festival of Blood might not last too long, but it is one of the best vampire games on not just the PS3, but any console.

10 Hunter: The Reckoning

Based on a tabletop RPG, Hunter: The Reckoning is a hack and slash action game that only launched on the GameCube and original Xbox. This exclusivity led to Hunter becoming an overlooked gem of that era despite good reviews.

Vampires and a legion of monsters have taken over and it’s up to the player to fight back. This game is certainly no Devil May Cry but a fun enough equivalent for those wanting a vampire hunter game. Hunter: The Reckoning also spawned two sequels in Wayward and Redeemer.

9 Lunar Knights

When acclaimed game developer Hideo Kojima comes up, most are quick to think of the Metal Gear Solid games or the recent and disappointing Death Stranding. Well in 2006, Kojima released an action RPG focusing on vampire hunters…hunting vampires. Pretty straightforward.

Originally, the Japanese version featured an exclusive mechanic using a solar sensor and a microphone. However, when Lunar Knights was revamped for international release, these mechanics were removed. This does not stop Lunar Knights from being a fun dungeon crawler with awesome vampiric bosses to contend with.

8 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dawnguard

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim featured a decent vampire addition but nothing worth writing home about. That changed with the Dawnguard expansion which added a new faction for the Dragonborn to join. The Dawnguard battle a legion of vampires known as Volkihar.

While it can be considered cheating to add DLC to the list: the Dawnguard DLC is one of the best vampire experiences in gaming. The addition of the crossbow, the lore, and the locations all make it stand out perfectly. For those who wish to play this DLC natively on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, Skyrim: Anniversary Editionis a solid option.

7 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood And Wine

Yet another DLC expansion, this time for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. With over ten hours of main story gameplay and about fifty hours of side missions, Blood And Wine is long enough to be its own standalone game.

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Geralt is contracted by the Duchess of Toussaint to investigate and kill the monster stalking her lands. This results in a lot of vampire action and, as per usual with The Witcher 3, a seemingly endless list of side missions to have fun with.

6 Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver

The Legacy Of Kain series is often labeled as one of the pinnacle vampire gaming franchises. It combines unique lore with epic storytelling. One of the most beloved entries in the franchise is the second game, Soul Reaver. The main protagonist is a ghostly vampire which allows him to swap between the real world and the astral plane.

Combined with addictive hack and slash gameplay, Soul Reaver has become a classic that spawned several sequels. Speaking of which…

5 Blood Omen 2

Soul Reaver was a great new addition to the series but the third game returned to the franchise’s roots. Kain is the protagonist yet again and the presentation was better than ever. Kain’s vampire abilities are some of the best in the series, the story is great, and the gameplay continues to be addictive.

Fans of the Legacy Of Kain series often debate on which is better: Soul Reaver or Blood Omen 2. Even to this day, the games remain iconic gems of that era which is a testament to Crystal Dynamics’ work.

4 Darkwatch

While games like Legacy Of Kain and Vampire The Masquerade reigned supreme, there was another vampire title that passed under the radar. Darkwatch is a first-person shooter about a gunslinger turned vampire named Jericho Cross who joins the Darkwatch organization to stop a demonic vampire lord named Lazarus.

Darkwatch uses a morality system to determine what upgrades the player gets. The wild west setting was different for the time and the undead monsters are all exquisitely designed. There was a planned sequel but it was unfortunately canceled.

3 BloodRayne 2

Imagine if Devil May Cry merged with Bayonetta and a hint of the Legacy Of Kain games, and the result would be BloodRayne 2. A much superior game to its predecessor, the sequel focuses on a dhampir named Rayne as she continues the hunt for her evil father Kagan.

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Now in contemporary times, Rayne hacks and slashes to stop Kagan’s followers from taking over the world. The gameplay is at its finest here as it’s way more refined than in the first game. It takes more than just spamming a button to win, much like the Legacy Of Kain games. Good luck trying to find a copy though, it is a rare game to find these days.

2 Vampyr

After a long dry spell with barely a pip from any bloodsucker, Vampyr marked the big return of vampires to gaming. It focuses on Jonathan Reid, a vampire who is a surgeon in post-World War 1 London with the influenza outbreak.

Vampyr can best be described as a vampiric version of Mass Effect. Tons of dialogue options, story decisions, and RPG mechanics to keep the player hooked for hours. The 1918 London setting also makes for a visually stunning Gothic look for the game. For anyone in need of a modern vampire game, Vampyr is the best option.

1 Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines

Vampyr is an amazing contender for the best vampire game, however, as great of an RPG as that game is, it still does not manage to beat Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. There’s a reason why Bloodlines 2 is so anticipated: the first game is one of the most unique and massive RPGs of its time.

With Vampyr, Jonathan Reid and his awesome abilities are all the player gets. In Bloodlines, there are many classes of vampires to become and evolve in the open-ended world. It can essentially be considered the Skyrim of vampire games, that’s how free the player is with Bloodlines. Fans can only hope the long-awaited sequel lives up to the legacy that this RPG left in its wake.

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