Overview
- Bithell Games unveiled Vampirium: 1997 as a game where the player acts as an assassin serving Dracula in an alternate 1997 England.
- The reveal included an eight-minute walkthrough by founder Mike Bithell that demonstrated a top-down, point-and-click tactical interface.
- Gameplay centers on a clock-based time mechanic that assigns time costs to actions and supports multiple approaches such as stealth, combat, hypnotism and environmental manipulation.
- The studio says Vampirium: 1997 will launch into Steam Early Access soon and be iterated publicly over roughly two years, though no firm release date has been given.
- The project follows major layoffs at Bithell Games and appears to be built by a much smaller team, with Mike Bithell noting development on his Mac and confirmed Steam Deck compatibility.