What are the best roguelike games? After many years of living in the shadow of more popular genres, the best roguelike games are finally getting the praise they deserve, with studios taking the very best elements of the genre and adding them to their games.
Roguelikes are some of the most creative games around, so it’s not exactly surprising that you’ll see a couple on our best games list. They often tap into several other genres simultaneously, so if you’re looking for something that meets your hack and slash, twin-stick shooters, deck-builders or even soulslike needs, you won’t be disappointed.
These are the best roguelike games:
- Hades
- Dead Cells
- Slay the Spire
- Vampire Survivors
- The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
- Risk of Rain 2
- Darkest Dungeon
- Rogue Legacy 2
- Enter the Gungeon
- Loop Hero
1. Hades
Roguelikes were a popular, albeit niche subset of games before Hades blasted them into the mainstream in 2020. Playing as the son of Hades, you hack and slash your way through the Underworld to escape and find your mother, befriending and fighting icons of Greek mythology along the way.
It’s not the most challenging roguelike out there, but with fun gameplay, and an incredible story with compelling characters, it’s a must-play, and a great introduction to the genre, especially if you’re eyeing up the Hades 2 release date.
Hades is available on all major platforms.
2. Dead Cells
A roguelike with the exploration of a Metroidvania and the combat of a soulslike, Dead Cells is one of the most challenging roguelikes around. The combat is fluid and fast-paced, with punishing enemies, and you’ll need to memorize attack patterns to defeat them. And with a difficulty increase each time you clear a run, you’re never in for an easy ride.
At times it can be brutally punishing, but that just makes it all the more satisfying when you win. And with the developers constantly adding new DLC, it’s a game you’ll easily sink hours into.
Dead Cells is available on all major platforms.
3. Slay the Spire
Slay the Spire is the quintessential roguelike deck builder. Controlling one of four characters with unique abilities, players proceed through diverging paths and taking on enemies as they climb the spire towards a final boss. Players will collect cards along the way, adding cards to their deck, and will need to craft a strategy if they want to stand a chance of reaching the top.
With each win, players unlock new ‘Ascension’ levels up to 20, making the game harder each time, and ensuring the game is almost endlessly replayable.
Slay the Spire is available on all major platforms.
4. Vampire Survivors
One of the breakout hits of 2022, Vampire Survivors is deceptively simple at first, but underneath the surface has a deep system of items, power-ups, characters, and more. Requiring only a stick or WASD keys, players acquire auto-attacking weapons to take on ever increasing numbers of enemies, descending upon you from all directions.
Chaotic, challenging, 2D fun all for only a few dollars, you owe it to yourself to give Vampire Survivors a try.
Vampire Survivors is available on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
5. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
The Binding of Isaac was one of the first roguelikes to gain widespread popularity, and with Rebirth, its 2014 remake, it only got better.
With maps inspired by the original Legend of Zelda, players take Isaac through levels consisting of interconnected rooms, fighting monsters and bosses in each one. With multiple DLC and unlockable characters, there’s plenty of content to keep runs fresh and interesting.
A legend of the genre, its relatively simple gameplay is backed up by new items and incredibly challenging combat. It’s not as flashy as some more modern titles but is a must-play for fans of the genre.
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is available on all major platforms.
6. Risk of Rain 2
Risk of Rain 2 is a third-person shooter where players take control of a handful of characters attempting to escape a hostile alien world. Its unique core mechanic is a timer, as over time, more enemies and stronger enemies will spawn, forcing you to continually find more items and advance through the stages. Unlike many roguelikes, it also has an excellent multiplayer mode, letting you take the game on with friends.
With fun characters, interesting items, and literally limitless scaling, Risk of Rain 2 is a game you could play for hours at a time and never get bored.
Risk of Rain 2 is available on all major platforms.
7. Darkest Dungeon
Darkest Dungeon is unique, in that it has players controlling not one character, but an expedition of multiple characters as they venture through dungeons filled with unfriendly creatures. With a simple turn-based combat system, its complexity lies in the Affliction system wherein players must manage characters stress levels, or risk negative effects or even death.
With 17 characters, each with strengths and weaknesses, Darkest Dungeon requires careful planning, and its complex gameplay systems make it as engrossing as it is challenging.
Darkest Dungeon is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One.
8. Rogue Legacy 2
Rogue Legacy 2 takes what made the original so brilliant and manages to improve upon it. Each run, players take on a different randomly generated character, with new abilities, fighting through a series of levels towards a final boss. Every boss remains dead after being killed, so players will always make progress, and with permanent buyable upgrades, struggling players can eventually power up enough to progress.
Fair but challenging combat, a varied and useful progression system, and interesting levels with platforming and puzzles, there’s something for everyone in Rogue Legacy 2.
Rogue Legacy 2 is available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
9. Enter the Gungeon
Don’t let the cutesy visuals fool you – Enter the Gungeon is an incredibly challenging bullet-hell twin-stick shooter. Gungeon pits the player against a varied cast of enemies with nothing but the guns you find and a dodge roll to avoid the sea of bullets. Weapons are comedically over the top and always fun to use, so whether it’s a Mega Man-style blaster or a gun that fires exploding bananas, you know you’re in for a good time.
Silly and challenging in equal measures, Gungeon is beloved by roguelike fans for good reason – it’s just fun.
Enter the Gungeon is available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
10. Loop Hero
Loop Hero may be the most unique game on our list. Blending deck-building, city management, and adventure RPG elements, players control the game’s hero, following a path, fighting monsters and collecting cards which can be used to rebuild his destroyed world and providing bonuses to the hero. Combat is automatic, so the game is all about the items players equip, and the boosts they can gain from upgrading their camp.
Loop Hero is a game about fighting monsters, gathering resources, and building a character over time to defeat a formidable final boss, and is well-worth checking out for an interesting take on the roguelike genre.
Loop Hero is available on PC and Nintendo Switch.
And there are the best roguelikes around in 2023. Give any of these a go and we guarantee you’ll be saying ‘just one more run’ in no time. If there isn’t anything on here to your taste, then be sure to check out the best PS5 games, best Xbox games, or best Switch games depending on which platform you’re on. Have fun!
