We need to decide on a genre name for Vampire Survivors-like games before a really terrible one sticks - No, Steam, they're not "bullet hell action roguelikes".

Doesn't everyone call them bullet heaven games?

I like auto-shooter. It makes the connection with auto clickers, and they are both games you play with your brain turned off and a lot of crap is flying around on the screen for spectacle

steam tags for genres are completely useless. for a good laugh, look at what's gets the "strategy" tag these days.

Survivor-like or something. Developers already name all their clones "Survivors".

Swarm survivor?

“Autoshooter” feels like it encapsulates the genre well enough.

Vampvivor!

Honestly they already have the answer, I think Survivor-Like is the perfect one, and coincidentally the one that was used first (as I recall). Makes sense considering we have Rogue-Likes, and used to have Doom-Likes.

All the other ones are too broad. Action Rogue-Like describes many other types of games, bullet heaven/bullet hell or whatever doesn't apply to all Survivor-Likes as some don't even have bullets, and Vampire-Survivors-Like is just too long.

It"s a top-down shooter, plan and simple.

Since it's like a gladiator fighting unfair battles for the amusement of the player, I suggest we call it:

Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the TRUE emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.

or Spartacus.

I've seen them referred to as Survivor-like games. I guess that's similar to how souls-like and rogue-like genres were defined by those respective games.

"Pokey the Penguin"