Your iPhone just got the most addictive game of the year – you might play it more than GTA 6
Warhammer Survivors is a genuine timesink
We're just about coming to the point where most game publishers write off November – with GTA 6 now just over a week away, the amount of oxygen it's going to suck up in terms of people's interest is hard to overestimate. Still, some bold ones have nonetheless thrown their games out this month.
Nintendo probably knew it would find its audience with the glossy Ocarina of Time remake, but I'm more impressed by the bravery of Auroch Digital, which today releases Warhammer Survivors, a little game that has managed to capture way more of my attention than I expected.
It's an official, branded spin-off from Vampire Survivors, which became such a runaway hit back in 2022, scoring itself some massive sales figures and, most impressively, a BAFTA for Best Game. Now wrapped in the Warhammer franchise, this new game was something I thought I'd download as a curio to see how it felt.
Well, five hours later I've fallen pretty hard for it, and it's been a great reminder of how smaller games can really capture your imagination when they're tuned the right way. Crucially, this is both a hugely affordable little game, and one that you can play on almost any platform.
It's out today with an introductory 10% discount that makes it just £5.75 / $7.19 / €6.74 regionally, making it less than a tenth of the price of GTA 6, and it also arrives on Switch 1 and 2, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and mobile (on both iOS and Android). There aren't many games that can boast the same list of platforms all at launch, and if you're on Xbox, it actually launches on Game Pass.
When you boot the game up, you immediately get to choose between either the original Age of Sigmar part of the Warhammer timeline (meaning swords and sorcery) or the grimdark future of the 40,000 timeline (meaning sci-fi and bolter guns). Getting both is already a really nice touch, and between the two, there's a huge amount of content to unlock.
You'll start with a limited pool of characters and weapons, but before long you'll have multiple to choose from and a wide array of builds to go for – each empowering you as you navigate through insane waves of pixel-art enemies. There are strong bullet hell elements going on here, and the screen can get insanely hectic, but after five hours I've never really finished a run without unlocking something or at least learning a valuable lesson.
Plus, Warhammer Survivors absolutely has that "one more run" compulsion that made Vampire Survivors so enjoyable. I've been playing it primarily on my Switch 2, and being able to do so for quick bursts in bed or on a train has been joyous. I've also put a couple of hours in on my iPhone, though, and found both pretty much equally enjoyable.
This has been the definition of a great palate cleanser, and I really do recommend it if you're on the hunt for something to play before GTA 6 comes out. Frankly, for the right gamer, it might even be a better fit than Rockstar's gargantuan game.
