Vampire Survivors is a gothic survival rogue-like game that debuted in 2022, developed by Poncle. Described by some as a “reverse bullet-hell” game, Vampire Survivors features chaotic swarms of enemies descending on the playable character; new players would be forgiven for being too overwhelmed in early runs to become the equivalent of a gold-seeking Niffler. However, once players have mastered surviving thirty minutes against never-ending monsters, it may be time to consider gold farming.

Although not necessary to enjoy gameplay, farming gold is a recommended strategy for earning enough gold to pay the Merchant for PowerUps (increased stats) and the highly sought after Golden Eggs. These items provide players with attributes needed to survive harder levels and enemies, unlock content, and complete the game. The conversion rate for Gold to Golden Eggs is 10,000 Gold per 1 Golden Egg, and each egg will only improve stats for a tiny amount each time. Therefore, players need to farm masses of gold to afford enough Golden Eggs to make characters into formidable opponents in Vampire Survivors.

Preferred Stages

One common beginner tip for Vampire Survivors is to practice early gold farming runs on Moongolow before advancing to more difficult Stages. There are over fifteen Stages in Vampire Survivors, but the consensus is that The Bone Zone is one of the most effective Stages to farm gold in. The Bone Zone rewards players with a 50% Gold bonus on Normal Mode, and 100% bonus in Hyper Mode. If players PowerUp their Magnet stat sufficiently, it is possible for light sources on The Bone Zone to automatically dispense gold coin bags. This triggers a 10-second Gold Fever, meaning enemies have a 75% chance of dropping gold coins when killed.

Other highly recommended Stages for gold farming include Cappella Magna, Gallo Tower, and Bat Country. For more seasoned gold farmers who have already leveled up their chosen character, the Tides of the Foscari DLC introduced the Stage ‘Abyss Foscari,’ which is a top choice for gold farming. Abyss Foscari has a secret egg farming spot that players can access accessed after breaking the Seal of the Abyss, where Atlantean enemies spawn infinitely and drop Golden Eggs when killed.

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Character Selection

There are 20 playable characters in Vampire Survivors. While most will serve their purpose, a select few are arguably the most efficient gold farmers. One of the most popular gold farmers is Big Trousers, whose Greed stat increases by 1% after each level up (thereby increasing the overall gold harvest). Gold Fevers also last longer with Big Trousers. As Trousers is a secret playable character, players will need to have collected and maxed all sixteen Passive Items in Moongolow to unlock him. Afterward, level him up using golden eggs and specific builds to get the best results.

Queen Sigma is cited as the most powerful, superior character for gold farming, except she is ironically unable to directly purchase golden eggs because she does not benefit from them. To unlock Queen Sigma, players must obtain the entire Collection, including every Weapon, Passive Item, and Arcana in the game. As such, Sigma can only be used for late-stage gold farming, before spending the harvest on leveling up another character via golden eggs.

Some Vampire Survivors players suggest Smith IV, especially when paired with the Silent Old Sanctuary (XX) Arcana for a total 90% Cooldown Reduction. Alternative gold farming characters include Imelda (for early runs), Exdash Exiviiq, and Mortaccio (for late game builds). Their high Luck, Magnet and Damage stats can make them effective gold farmers.

Recommended Arcanas

Arcanas in Vampire Survivors modify gameplay. Three can be selected during each run, provided players have unlocked them after collecting the Randomazzo Relic. Disco of Gold (XV) is a must-have for most gold farming, because it allows players to heal by picking up gold, and triggers Gold Fevers whenever gold coin bags are picked up. Mad Groove (VIII)ranks as one of the best Arcanas in the game due to its ability to attract almost all items (including coin bags) towards the player. When pairing Mad Groove with a high Magnet stat, players can harvest a great deal of gold even standing in one spot.

For the third and final slot, players may favor Wicked Season (XIII), as Luck, Greed and Curse are all doubled at various time-stamps during runs. Doubled Greed will benefit players trying to harvest as much gold as possible. Silent Old Sanctuary (XX) is another popular choice for increased rerolls and skips, and will prove useful for characters like Smith IV to maximize their Cooldown and Might. For particularly difficult levels or for beginner players, the Saraband of Healing (VI) is recommended. This Arcana doubles all sources of healing, allowing players to survive longer.

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Weapon Combinations

It is recommended to never have more than two weapons per run to earn rewards. Certain weapon combinations are widely considered to be the ‘best’, but some are more beneficial than others for gold farming.

Garlic is an ‘old faithful’ among players for the first ten minutes of each run, as it attacks enemies within a specific radius. However, it is not effective for large scale gold farming. La Robba is a better choice for early gold farming expeditions (below 1,000 Golden Eggs per run), especially when paired with Passive Items that enhance its power.

Greatest Jubilee is one of the most popular weapons for gold farming, due to explosive fireworks attacks and the increased possibility of spawning light sources that drop gold when destroyed. However, some players discourage its use for farming due to the flashing lights and excessive lag that can slow down gameplay. Laurel is considered a fantastic support weapon. It creates a defensive shield perfect for AFK gold farming, which becomes even more powerful when Laurel is evolved into Crimson Shroud.

Gatti Amari is a bizarre weapon that summons felines that steal items and attack enemies. If players obtain the Stone Mask, they can evolve Gatti Amari into Vicious Hunger, which has a chance of converting defeated enemies into gold coins. Of course, players will have their own preferences for which weapons in Vampire Survivors are the best make the most superb gold farming runs.

Passive Items

Debates over the best passive items in Vampire Survivors depend on which items bring the highest bonuses when paired with certain Weapons, Characters, and Stages. As previously mentioned, the Stone Mask will be useful for upgrading Gatti Amari and earning 10% more coins. Players using Great Jubilee will want Attractorb and Clover. Attractorb allows access to items that are further away. Meanwhile, Clover raises Luck by 10%, which in turn boosts the number of light sources spawned.

Players may need defensive Passive Items to elongate their survival during each run, such as Hollow Heart and Pummarola. Alternatively, players may pick Duplicator, Candelabrador, Spinach, and Spellbinder to cause more damage and kill enemies more effectively. Torrona’s Box is commonly in demand for gold farming, not only for increased stats, but for the huge hordes of enemies that can become walking coin bags with the right build. Advanced gold farmers may choose Skull O’Maniac to increase the number of enemies, only if players can confidently kill the enemies off-screen and harvest the gold.

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Ideal Builds for Gold Farming

Beginner Build (30 Golden Eggs Per Run)

Moderate Build (100 - 300 Golden Eggs Per Run)

Advanced Builds (Millions of Golden Eggs Per Run)

The two characters discussed above, Queen Sigma and Big Trousers, have the best builds for advanced gold farming. Consider using the following for Queen Sigma:

It should be possible to harvest 1 million gold with this build every ten minutes. Remember to invest all gold into buying eggs for another character.

For players who prefer Big Trousers, use the following build, which differs from Big Trousers' Moderate Build above:

This build should be entirely AFK, but in order to collect millions of eggs per run, players will already need to have farmed about a thousand eggs to raise character stats to a high enough level.

Vampire Survivors is available on PC and macOS.

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