Backpack Survivors

Cant recommend at this state of the game. The concept is intresting but the game is just undercooked The progression is teribbly slow combining feels underwhelming and the options are extremly limited and unintresting. higher rarity items isnt showing up untill the later stages, why?? some of the relics are OP some are so useless, need rework skill tree is whatever but there is a node that the game cant handle very well, the node gives you unlimited weapon slots, with ranged wepons its just a disaster, they aim at the nearest enemy, what happens is that the enemy dies in the first or 2nd hit and then all the rest of the weapons just miss (if you use similar CD weapons) so this node becomes pretty much useless for ranged. i cant finish hellfire 4 since there is a bug that wont let me continue after i suiccefully killed the last boss, so i must close the game and open it again, and the progress isnt saved. it can be a really good game if the developers adresses this issues

I like the concept very much. Mixing Backpack Battles with Vampire Survivors works just fine. But: The progress in game is very very slow. There are dozens difficulty levels and you have to beat difficulty 1 to play difficulty 2. Even when you could easily beat difficulty 10 or more. Furthermore the runs will become very long (1-1,5h). Not because you play the vampire survivors part for long, but you play the shop-reroll-simulator for more then playing the game. You reroll the shop constantly and you see the same unwanted items ever and ever again. The whole game feels like a big big grind game. I managed to unlock the second character after 15 hours playing. 15 hours! And there are specializations for the characters, i still haven't unlocked one of them. Furthermore the build variant seems high, but it really isn't. You have a skill tree. And you can change it every time, but why? There is just a simple strategy: In skill tree go on ranged and fire. In the run get a Elemental Wand (purple epic weapon, not even legendary), which isn't as hard. It could be hard in the beginning of the higher difficulty levels, but most of time you can get it easily, because you craft them with common potions. After you have it, just stack Runic Cord of Power (green uncommon item) to stack up base damage, get 2 Blazevein Rings (blue rare item) to reduce cooldown. On the way pick up other utility items with fire damage, penetrating, crit chance and crit multiplier and some armor early to survive for longer. And now you oneshot everything, even the bosses. For now i can't recommend Backpack Survivors. There is a long way to balance the game in the right way for my feelings. Hopefully this will happen, cause i really like the concept.

I've put some time in this. Not as much as it shows here as there is no save feature. I waited to post a review hoping the devs would listen to their player base and revert these changes they made from demo, but they just will not. Game has been changed to this ridiculously slow grind fest. Playing an hour hellfire 10 run wont even net you one level. My time in this game has netted all of 36 levels. With a talent tree that looks like POEs little cousin, it would take me roughly 5 yrs to fill it out. The game has this interesting merging feature but its diminished by the fact that every single item you can merge can simply be farmed from the shop during the runs. Its so easy that I only merged items to chase the achievement not to get stronger etc. Cant suggest this game to anyone. Its definitely not worth 12 bucks in this state. I will of course revisit this review if something changes.

I can't stop playing this game. I easily got addicted to inventory management style games with Backpack Battles and Backpack Brawl. This game is so sick. It's like Vampire Survivors gameplay with inventory management and a POE passive skill tree on top. I pray the devs keep up with this gem. ggneverre. Kinda weird how many people are complaining about this game being slow. Once you beat the game I feel like you 1 shot the next difficulties. You do not need the passive tree to go off. You do need the inventory space. Get that. Stop building glass cannon Rarity is not king Flat life OP. You're not god. Flat damage + Percent Damage OP Plus Projectiles OP Life drain is sexy Get Good

Keeps bugging out for me when I complete a level. game doesn't load an exit screen - doesn't crash and animation keeps playing but only option is to force close. when this happens you lose all progress - which is annoying as this is a grind game

Backpack Survivors is an inventive action roguelike developed and published by CM Game Studio that successfully merges the frantic excitement of survivor-style combat with the thoughtful decision-making of inventory management. While the game clearly embraces the familiar formula of battling endless enemy waves and collecting upgrades, it distinguishes itself through a backpack system that turns every item into part of a larger strategic puzzle. Instead of simply picking the strongest weapon available, players must carefully arrange their equipment to maximize bonuses, create synergies, and make the most of limited storage space. This additional layer of planning gives the game a unique personality and keeps each run engaging from beginning to end. The core gameplay revolves around surviving increasingly difficult encounters while steadily transforming a modest character into a devastating force capable of wiping out overwhelming enemy hordes. Weapons attack automatically, allowing players to focus on movement, positioning, and collecting valuable resources scattered across each map. However, progression is driven by more than acquiring stronger gear. Every new weapon, relic, or passive item competes for precious backpack space, forcing players to reorganize their inventory and make meaningful decisions about which combinations offer the greatest advantage. The result is a satisfying blend of action and strategy where both quick reflexes and careful planning determine long-term success. One of the game's greatest strengths lies in its emphasis on experimentation. A broad selection of weapons, relics, and passive upgrades allows players to craft wildly different builds depending on the items they discover during a run. Some combinations reward aggressive offense with rapid attacks and overwhelming damage, while others encourage defensive strategies that improve survivability through healing, armor, or utility effects. Because item availability changes with every playthrough, each session encourages players to adapt rather than rely on a single dominant strategy. Boss encounters further reinforce this variety by testing both combat effectiveness and the quality of each carefully assembled build. Beyond individual runs, Backpack Survivors includes a rewarding progression system that provides lasting incentives to keep playing. Permanent unlocks gradually expand the roster of weapons, relics, characters, subclasses, and talents available for future adventures, ensuring that even unsuccessful attempts contribute toward meaningful advancement. The talent tree offers additional customization by allowing players to strengthen different aspects of their preferred playstyle, while subclasses introduce fresh gameplay possibilities that add variety across repeated sessions. This combination of randomized runs and persistent progression creates an addictive gameplay loop that rewards dedication without making newcomers feel left behind. Visually, the game embraces an attractive pixel art style filled with colorful environments, expressive enemy designs, and vibrant combat effects. Despite the large number of enemies and projectiles that can fill the screen, the presentation generally remains readable, making it easier to react to incoming threats without excessive visual clutter. The user interface deserves particular praise for making the backpack management system intuitive, allowing players to quickly rearrange equipment without interrupting the fast pace of combat. Combined with accessible hardware requirements and responsive controls, the presentation complements the gameplay rather than distracting from it. As an Early Access title, Backpack Survivors is still growing, and some players may notice that its content is not yet as extensive as fully completed entries in the genre. Even so, the existing experience already demonstrates a solid gameplay foundation supported by meaningful progression, enjoyable combat, and a standout inventory mechanic that separates it from many of its competitors. The developers have outlined plans to expand the game with additional characters, adventures, enemies, bosses, equipment, and progression features, suggesting that the experience has considerable room for growth as development continues. Backpack Survivors succeeds by offering more than another survivor-inspired action game. Its clever fusion of inventory organization and roguelike combat creates a refreshing gameplay loop where strategy is just as important as survival skills. Players who enjoy experimenting with different builds, optimizing equipment layouts, and steadily unlocking new content will find plenty to appreciate, while fans of the genre looking for a distinctive twist will likely discover an experience that feels both familiar and surprisingly original. Although there is still room for additional polish and content as development progresses, the game already delivers an entertaining and rewarding adventure that stands out in a crowded genre. Rating: 7/10

I purchased this game because of my experience from the demo I wish I hadn't because the actual game just released an update that destroyed everything that I loved from the demo many things were nerfed and this wonderful skill tree that they have in the game has been completely cut down and you can't even unlock half of it now and there are still many bugs but that is to be expected because of Early Access but instead of fixing these bugs they release some update that Nerfs weapons and makes the bosses harder to kill making the game less enjoyable overall in my opinion and just so you know one of these bugs that they haven't even addressed is shorting you on the in game currency which is called Titan Souls you're supposed to get 20 after a run and you're not getting even half of that at the end of the run like you're supposed to.

Even for an early access game, this game is riddle with game breaking bugs. I would not recommend the game at this stage. The game have a good concept but to much bug to even play the game properly.