How Mel Brooks and Twilight inspired a vampire visual novel mixing funny with therapy

Little Bat Games’ creative director talks through our feelings on Vampire Therapist

Image credit:Little Bat Games

After writing about the upcoming visual novel -ish game Vampire Therapist (in which you are a vampire, acting as a therapist to other vampires) back in the middle of January, developer Cyrus Nemati reached out asking if I’d like to ask him more questions about it. This was surprising, because while I’d been broadly positive about the vibes of Vampire Therapist, I was reasonably concerned about the specifics of how it would all shake down. But it turned out that the critical perspective was something Nemati appreciated, and so we had a chat that dug down into the meat of it all. Although I was initially interested in how he’d come up with the idea of a vampire therapist, it turns out all roads lead back to Twilight’s Edward Cullen.

“The problem with Twilight - there are a few - [is that] there’s a scene where Edward starts playing the piano, and he’s supposed to be really good, because it’s been 200 years,” Nemati tells me over a call from his home in Germany. “And he’s not… he’s not that good. But then I thought, ‘Why should he be good just because he has had 200 years?’”

This got Nemati thinking about how vampires are portrayed across media more generally: they act sexy, they drink blood, they kill people, but they don’t really do anything. “But it’s a lot of pressure to say, why not go to Mars? Why not go to the bottom of the ocean? Why not cure cancer? Write the greatest novel of all time? It’s a lot of pressure on a vampire!” I can see where he’s coming from, given that I, with my wild and precious life that’s considerably more limited in scope than a vampire’s, have trouble finding the motivation to get off the sofa.

Image credit:Little Bat Games

Nemati is both the creative director of Little Bat Games and a voice actor you’ll have heard in games such as Hades , and it was his experiences with the latter that led him to making Vampire Therapist a fully-voiced game. It was a “fairly critical” decision, Nemati says, partly because it’s fun, but also because the voice acting helps the audience feel the characters’ emotions. It’s also a choice that stems from one of Nemati’s other main inspirations: introspective comedy.

“I grew up on a lot of Mel Brooks-style humour, which talks about humour in a particular way,” he explains. “It’s irreverant, I would say, towards history, and I wanted to have a lot of that irreverence to it when dealing with vampires.” His favourite vampire story specifically is What We Do In The Shadows - albeit the movie, not the TV show. He also cites Shadow Of The Vampire , because “it dealt with more of the practical mortal/vampire interaction concerns in a pseudo-serious way.” He also “got a lot from the surprisingly verbose and well-researched Encylopedia Of Vampire Mythology .”

As such, it seems like Vampire Therapist will have a lighter tone than you might think - the old ’tragedy plus time equals comedy’ equation - as Nemati says the game’s humour will be “front and centre”. Earlier on in development, the player character was going to be a 3000-year-old blood sucker named Andromachos, who ended up “sucking the humour out of the room - like, he was too old and too wise,” according to Nemati. Now you play as Sam, a cowboy vampire who’s much younger and more approachable than Andromachos, and who can learn the concepts of in-game therapy along with the player. At the same time, Sam can be framed as having a decent historical head start on introspection over other vampires, from having been rescued by Transcendentalists and spending decades walking in the woods with naturalist John Muir doing accidental mindfulness.

Sam’s in-game therapy practices involve pointing out thought distortions in his clients so they become more aware of them, an idea based on real-life Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). If you’ve gone to your NHS doctor and asked for help with your mental health, for example, you were probably referred for CBT . It’s quick, practical, and is applied to a bunch of different mental health disorders. Nemati says he chose CBT as a model partly because “it’s definitely the most studied form of mental health treatment”, so there’s a lot of credentialing behind it, and a lot of resources to draw on. It was also something that could be standardised and applied to a game. Nemati worked with a therapist counsel to come up with a number of thought distortions for the game that “were clean, clear, [and] had been in use for a long time.”

“We’re trying to look at it as one tool that can be used,” he continues. “Normally in therapy, there are a number of tools that you use. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is just one that’s meant for addressing the distortions themselves, not for trauma-processing.”

Image credit:Little Bat Games

Of course, CBT has long had its critics ; it focuses on stopping harmful thought patterns in the present, rather than addressing the reasons those patterns might exist in the first place. It’s an interesting idea to apply to vampires, whose present is very much outweighed by their past, but Nemati says the vampires in the game have the same sorts of distortions as mortals - they’re just much more deeply entrenched. “I’m sure it’s good for the vampires as well to be aware. That’s all I’m looking for, is awareness. Not the idea that this is some sort of cure all - because certainly it’s not.”

Nemati also addressed my concern that the specific therapy terms are mixed up with both vampiric and cowboy-themed ones, when Sam is treating people. He says these are analogies that disappear pretty quickly. ‘Nosferatu thinking’, for example, is a little joke referencing ‘black-and-white thinking’ (what with Nosferatu being a black and white film and all). Rather, the core of the game is to really share the idea that if you’re living (or un-living) in this world, therapy is for everyone. “Whether you’re 20 or 2000, you can use therapy,” Nemati says, “so it’s not to recommend a particular modality.”

Image credit:Little Bat Games

It makes some of the issues that come up easier to talk about, which given the size of the content warning on the game, look to be plentiful. Nemati thinks he possibly didn’t need to make it quite as comprehensive as it is, though he does stand by it. “The nice part about history is that these things happened a long time ago - things like war or death - they’ve been [around] a very long time, and [the vampires] internalised them in their own ways, be they healthy ways or not.”

This is also where we get back to comedy. Nemati notes that humour has always been a diffuser for talking about difficult topics. “When things happened a long time ago, even if they were traumatic for a vampire at the time, they make jokes about it,” he says. “I mean, this is something humans do all the time; they go through a traumatic experience, and, you know, they get some laughs out of it, because what the hell else can you do?”

This makes sense to me. Nemati also drops in that sometimes you’ll comment on how a character is actually deflecting with humour, which also makes a lot of sense to me. At other times, the issue will be around a vampire struggling with how they think a vampire should be or behave. “The doctor vampire I have, he doesn’t want to be a vampire,” Nemati says. “He doesn’t like vampires. He thinks they’re horrible, and so he basically wants to cure himself of his own identity.” It is interesting, I think, to consider what is a healthy way of thinking for a vampire, right? Is it ’normal’ for a vampire to hate being a vampire, or to be okay with it? How ‘should’ a vampire feel about murder and drinking blood?

“Every vampire is going to have a different journey. And there are vampires from older societies that are going to think differently from newer vampires,” says Nemati. “So just like mortals, they do a lot of judging of themselves and of others.” Which, neatly, reminds me of Edward Cullen again. If ever a vampire needed therapy, right?

Vampire Therapist, which I now feel considerably more confident about, is coming to Steam later this year.

Vampire Therapist

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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