Xbox Game Pass just got the best Vampire Survivors clone in years

Ascend to Zero is the best new roguelike of 2026, mixing ideas from Vampire Survivors, Hades, Transistor, Scarlet Nexus, and more.

The short version

• You have 30 seconds to save the world.
• That’s the elevator pitch of Ascend to Zero , a fascinating new roguelike that puts some inventive twists on proven formulas.
• Let me tell you, I’ve played it for a lot more than 30 seconds.

What happened

To be clear, runs in Ascend to Zero don’t literally only last 30 seconds. Your character has an ability that can stop time indefinitely.

Why it matters

When you resume time, you deal damage to nearby enemies, and defeating certain foes can add more seconds to your clock.

Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Polygon via the links above and below.