Desktop Survivors ‘98’ Brings Bullet Hell to Your Real-Life Workspace. PAX East 2025 Exclusive Interview
By Rob [DadGeek],
Imagine dodging a hailstorm of pixelated projectiles not in a game window—but right on top of your spreadsheet. Now imagine you’re doing that as your mouse cursor, while solitaire cards explode and a familiar-looking animated paperclip tries to murder you. Welcome to Desktop Survivors ‘98, the wildly creative roguelike that turned heads and clogged mousepads at PAX East 2025.
We caught up with solo developer Brandon at his buzzing booth to talk about nostalgia, developing chaos for your desktop, and the surprisingly difficult task of making transparent windows.
“You could be watching a YouTube video, doing remote work in Google Sheets, or waiting in a multiplayer lobby—and still be blasting enemies off your desktop.”
— Brandon Hesslau, Developer of Desktop Survivors ‘98
The Game That Lives on Your Desktop (Literally)
Desktop Survivors ‘98 isn’t just another Vampire Survivors-like. Brandon describes it as “a roguelike slash dungeon crawler that overlays your actual desktop.” That’s right—no static background, no traditional game window. Whatever you're working on (or pretending to work on), this game slides over the top like a mischievous ghost from the late '90s.
The entire game leans hard into its Windows 98 aesthetic—from classic UI to enemies inspired by old school screen savers, Minesweeper tiles, and yes, a weaponized version of the infamous bouncing Solitaire cards. Every run feels like booting into a nostalgic fever dream.
Bullet Heaven Meets Nostalgia Hell
The enemies come fast and often. From birds that swoop across your desktop to shapeshifting retro helpers reminiscent of Clippy and the Windows 98 dog, every foe is designed to chase down your cursor with alarming speed. “There’s over 60 enemy types,” Brandon shared. “Each one has its own behavior, and there are six boss fights—all themed around those old Microsoft agent characters.”
And the kicker? Your mouse speed is your speed in-game. “That means the faster your hand, the better you can dodge,” he explained. “So I designed enemies to be quick too, to match that frantic energy.”
“The whole thing is a love letter to old-school Windows. I wanted people to see it and immediately say, ‘I remember that!’”
— Brandon
Each boss you defeat unlocks a new piece of “software” that expands your meta-progression system—offering new builds, passive effects, and more tools to customize your chaos. Even in its retro form, Desktop Survivors ‘98 plays like a modern, highly-tuned bullet heaven.
- Solitaire Finale: Weaponized card animation unleashes a wave of chaos.
- Minesweeper Tile: Random explosions… and yes, some are duds.
- Flower Box Screensaver: Summons a hypnotic spinning cube of doom.
- “Mr. Clippy” (now named Swordy): Attacks you with helpful tips—and stabby bits ;)
- Old UI Menus: Dynamically generated menus pop up mid-combat as shields or traps.
Add your own nostalgia to the mix: you can even create and load custom wallpapers!
Built for Play (and Replay)
Desktop Survivors ‘98 may be chaotic, but it’s surprisingly user-friendly. There are in-game wallpapers for those who want to hide their desktop, custom background support, and accessibility options like dimming overlays and enemy outlines. Streamers, take note—your secrets are safe.
“One of the biggest challenges was just making the transparent overlay work,” Brandon admitted. “Unity couldn’t handle it, so I moved over to MonoGame—the same framework used for Stardew Valley. It gave me more control over optimization and window behavior.”
He even included a clever hide-and-reveal function for the game: “You can click on a little story icon that minimizes the game. Then click again to pick up where you left off.”
“I’ve always loved those little desktop toys. I just wondered: what if one wasn’t idle? What if it was explosive?”
— Brandon on the original concept
A One-Man Throwback with Big Personality
Brandon credits the aesthetic spark to his fiancée, who suggested mixing in retro Windows visuals when they brainstormed game ideas. “It clicked immediately,” he said. “That era is so iconic—people customized their cursors, wallpapers, and everything. I wanted to recreate that chaotic desktop energy and turn it into gameplay.”
Rather than using ripped assets, Brandon painstakingly built pixel-perfect replicas of Windows 98 menus and windows, right down to dynamically generated UI elements and vintage fonts. The booth at PAX even featured CRT monitors to complete the throwback vibe.
“It’s so cool when people come up and say it reminds them of their childhood,” he smiled. “That’s really what I wanted.”
“This is my first full solo game, and I went all in. It’s surreal to see people lining up to play it.”
— Brandon
Coming Soon—For Just $4.99
While PAX attendees could grab a special edition physical copy of the game (complete with a disc and a steam code as well as some collectible cards ), Desktop Survivors ‘98 officially launches on Steam for just $4.99 on May 20, 2025.
“It’s the full version,” Brandon confirmed. “No early access. But I’ll still be updating with new patches and maybe even DLC later on. Who knows—maybe we’ll get into Windows Millennium Edition next.”
Whether you’re dodging malware birds or blasting Clippy clones while procrastinating, I mean writing that important report or email at work, Desktop Survivors ‘98 is a $5 nostalgia trip worth taking—and a shining example of how far a bold idea and pure passion can go.
Great article!
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