15. Slay the Spire (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch)
Climb the Spire!
Slay The Spire is a unique roguelike that integrates a hectic deck-building system into its gameplay. Developed by Seattle-based indie game studio MegaCrit Games, this game follows the story of a cast of mysterious adventurers and their climb up the menacing Spire.
The game’s unique gameplay loop even inspired other games such as Monster Train and One Step from Eden. If you love the idea of combining a card game with classic turn-based RPG gameplay, you will fall in love with this game. The added layer of complexity enables a ton of fun play styles. This game isn’t like your bread-and-butter min-max builds.
Use cards to destroy your enemies!
14. Darkest Dungeon 2 (PC)
Time to die again.
Darkest Dungeon 2 is the sequel to the brutally difficult Darkest Dungeon, a Gothic Horror dungeon crawler developed by Red Hook Studios. The early access version, released on Oct. 26, 2021, is currently available on the Epic Games store. Darkest Dungeon 2 puts you into the shoes of the protegee of the mysterious Academic.
The gameplay differs in many ways from its predecessor. Instead of clearing out a single town of darkness, your journey now takes you all across the world. In the sequel, you finally see the horrors that the Ancestor unleashed on the world. You will ride past ravaged towns, snowy plains, and steep mountainsides on your journey to defeat the great evil.
In an interesting new twist, the affliction system has been replaced with the affinity system. How your party feels about each other will dictate whether you save the world, or seal its fate. It should provide a familiar but sufficiently different experience for fans. Plus, having the fate of the world rest on you not being socially awkward is a fear of many gamers.
The darkness hides many dangers…….
13. Spelunky 2 (PS4, PC, Switch)
Spelunk into the sequel!
Spelunky 2 is the sequel to a critically acclaimed 2D platformer, Spelunky. Developed by Mossmouth in cooperation with Blitworks, this sequel focuses on the previous protagonist’s daughter. Ana’s parents have gone missing, and she must brave through traps, monsters, and natural hazards to find them.
While you will encounter some familiar locales, there are also new areas like the lava world Volcana. One of the biggest updates is a complex liquid physics system, which plays into the puzzles of the world. Whether you’re a returning fan or a newbie, Spelunky 2 is an easy platformer to jump into, but incredibly brutal to master.
The most fun looking rage inducer!
12. Rogue Legacy (PC, Xbox One, Switch, iOS, PS4)
Definitely takes legacy literally
Rogue Legacy is an action-packed 2D platformer developed by Cellar Door Games. It is another great addition to the Metroidvania genre, but with a roguelike twist. Where in most Metroidvanias, the “castle” is preset and doesn’t change, Rogue Legacy’s castle is procedurally generated.
When your character dies, you start over, but in a unique twist, the new character is the dead character’s descendant. Think of this as a Castlevania speedrun for an offshoot of the Belmont family. With each death, your descendants grow the family base, improve their armory, and learn more skills in their quest. All of this for the singular goal of conquering the castle.
I'll beat your castle no matter how many nephews it takes!
11. UnderMine
Undermining my free time, more like.
UnderMine is an Adventure RPG developed by Thorium. The premise is simple: delve deep and discover the UnderMine’s secrets, no matter how many peasants it takes you.
Get upgrades by mining gold, defeating enemies, and rescuing characters to help you in future adventures. It’s a very standard roguelike, but the solid execution makes UnderMine a familiar yet fun adventure.
The underground hides many treasures…...
10. Wizard of Legend
Make your legend known.
Wizard of Legend is a hectic dungeon crawler that’s all about one thing: speed. Developed by Contingent99, this game rewards quick thinking, reflexes, and spells, so make sure you’ve got the energy for this fast-paced adventure.
Every challenge is procedurally generated, and full of hazards that you must quickly overcome. If you’re a fan of time crunch games, then Wizard of Legend is perfect for you.
Stay frosty! (That hurt me more than it hurt you)
9. Dead Cells (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Android, iOS, Switch, Linux)
Wonder if you have a mitochondria?
Dead Cells is a Metroidvania with roguelike elements developed by Motion Twin, similar to the likes of Rogue Legacy.
You control a sentient cluster of cells that possesses a decapitated body in a dark cell. You must find out what you are and who everybody else is. But first, you have to not die from the hundreds of enemies looking to send you back to the start.
Dead Cells is incredibly fast-paced, and its most fun feature is its complex combat system. With every death, you move and fight faster. What starts as a weak crawl eventually turns into a full-blown sprint to the finish line.
Bloody good fun!
8. Dwarf Fortress (PC, macOS, Linux)
The oldest game on this list by far!
Dwarf Fortress is the strangest game on this list, and for many good reasons. It’s part management, part roguelike, and all insane. It’s a game you have to play for yourself to truly understand. Developed by two brothers, Tarn and Zach Adams, this game was technically released in 2002 but has been getting updates consistently to this day.
For those who love complex text-based games where you can play God (and fail miserably), give this game a shot. It’s weird, but you might like that.
If this is confusing to you, just wait till you actually start playing.
7. Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
It's time for the midnight mass, children.
Binding of Isaac is a heretical dark comedy roguelike developed by Edmund McMillen and Florian Himsl.
Isaac, a young boy who escapes into the basement of their home after his devout mother attempts to sacrifice him to honor her god. Are the dangers real, or are they all just in Isaac’s head? Who knows, just shoot them away with your tears!
Binding of Isaac is a fun game with a large and dedicated community. If the main game has nothing left to offer you, a series of mods and expansions will keep Isaac’s tears flowing
Mental torment has never looked this cute.
6. Enter the Gungeon (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch)
What's better than a guns and dungeons?
From the hyperactive developers at Dodge Roll Games and published by Devolver Digital, comes the bullet-hell ride that is Enter the Gungeon.
Legend tells of a massive bullet shot down from the heavens, which dug itself into the earth. The bullet’s carcass would form the infamous Gungeon, a constantly shifting maze guarded by the rabid Cult of the Gundead.
The game is an unholy marriage of roguelike and bullet hell. For those who already find a masochistic pleasure in the difficulty that roguelikes already come packaged with, adding a hundred bullets to the screen should give them even more things to be happy about.
This is actually one of the more peaceful moments in the game.
5. Into the Breach (PC, macOS, Linux, Switch)
Pacific Rim with Time Travel shenanigans
Into the Breach is a tactical, turn-based roguelike that pits mechs against gigantic monsters. The roguelike element is cleverly integrated into the plot through time travel. Every time you fail, your pilots will escape into another timeline. Think Pacific Rim meets Edge of Tomorrow.
It plays a lot like games such as XCOM and Fire Emblem. Field positioning and range matter. For those who want a fun roguelike that tests your tactical skill instead of your reflexes, give this game a shot.
Well, there’s always other timelines, right?
4. Risk of Rain 2 (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch)
World's most difficult raincheck.
Risk of Rain 2 is a sci-fi Third-Person Shooter developed by Gearbox Software. The sequel to the critically acclaimed game Risk of Rain, this sequel changes things up in a big way.
Instead of the platforming of the first game, the sequel is primarily an action shooter. The goal is to retrieve as much loot as possible and destroy anybody who stands in your way.
While those who loved the first game may miss the old elements, the style of the game still harkens back to the first game. Not to mention, it is a great entry point into the series for newbies.
At least they're adorable fire monsters.
3. Don’t Starve (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Android)
Simple enough goal. Right?
Don’t Starve is a survival sandbox game with one goal: Don’t Starve (shocking, I know). Developed by indie game studio Klei Entertainment, this game integrates an actual plot into the usual survival gameplay of its kind. The art style intentionally brings up images of old children’s books and plays well with the story.
Whenever you die, unless you have special items, that world is gone. Interestingly, dying is one of the best ways to farm experience. If you’re looking for a survivalist experience, stock up on supplies and delve into the world of Don’t Starve.
Just a totally normal cast of characters.
2. Dreamscaper (PC, Switch)
A literal dream game.
My personal underdog, Dreamscaper is an ARPG Roguelike that needs a lot more attention. It blends brawler and top-down shooter elements into a dreamlike gameplay cycle. The visual style is unique and vivid, and the story explores themes of depression and loss.
The roguelike element stems from dreams. Every night, your character sleeps and experiences a different nightmare. The game is made by a relatively young studio, and if there’s any game I would want you to try out on this list, it would be this one. Don’t sleep on this hidden gem!
Why even dream if you don’t give yourself lightsabers?
1. Hades (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Switch)
Zagreus, my beloved.
The undisputed roguelike winner of 2020, Hades is a roguelike ARPG (can you tell this is my favorite kind already?) developed by Supergiant Games.
The game centers around Zagreus, son of Hades and the Prince of the Underworld. His goal is to escape the underworld and reach the surface, but he has to climb out the hard way. His father’s minions block him at every turn, and some of them may be familiar to readers of Greek Mythology.
With the aid of his Olympian relatives, Zagreus vows to escape the Underworld, no matter how many deaths he has to go through.
Hades tells its plot through your deaths. Every time you die, you return to your father’s palace, where you may even be able to talk to bosses you’ve defeated. The seamless nature of gameplay and plot make Hades one of the best roguelikes in the past decade.
Thank you, god of explosions.
If you decide to play any of these games, let us know in the comments below! Roguelikes are only getting better with every generation, and I’m excited to make a new list by next year!
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