Vampire Survivors' explorable multiplayer mode in beta for players, plus an official tabletop game on the horizon

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In the ever-evolving world of gaming, handheld devices have become a popular choice for gamers on-the-go. This week, we're taking a look at some of the best gaming handhelds currently available and diving into the exciting updates for the popular indie game, Vampire Survivors.

1. Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS ed. is currently considered the best overall gaming handheld, offering a big screen experience for an immersive gaming experience.

2. Steam Deck, the budget-friendly option, continues to be a favourite among gamers, providing a portable platform for a wide range of games.

3. MSI Claw 8 AI is another great choice for Windows gamers, offering a compact yet powerful gaming experience.

4. Lenovo Legion Go is the best gaming handheld for big screens, making it an ideal choice for those who prefer a larger display.

5. Ayaneo Flip DS is the best compact gaming handheld, perfect for gamers who value portability without compromising on performance.

Now, let's delve into the world of Vampire Survivors, a popular indie game that has recently implemented online multiplayer in its beta branch. The game, developed by Luca "poncle" Galante, is now offering more exciting features in its next major update.

This update will introduce two new stages, two new weapons, a party mode, and two new playable characters. One of the playable characters will roll a dice every 30 seconds for random bonuses, while another will cause explosive props to appear.

Playing Vampire Survivors online is easy. Players need to switch to the appropriate branch within the game's properties menu on Steam. In online play, all players level up simultaneously, adding a new layer of competition to the game.

Interestingly, a Vampire Survivors board game is in development, aiming to replicate the feel of the original game. However, specific information about the development team or group for this board game is not yet available.

Rick Lane, a renowned games journalist with a background in PC gaming, has been following the developments of Vampire Survivors closely. Between 2013 and 2022, Rick was involved in freelance games journalism and was previously the games editor of Custom PC magazine and associated website bit-tech.net.

This week's edition of the PC Gamer team's selection highlights the most important gaming news and hardware deals. Stay tuned for more updates on your favourite games and gaming devices!

Vampire Survivors' explorable multiplayer mode in beta for players, plus an official tabletop game on the horizon