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If you ask three different gamers to explain what a “Roguelike” is, you’ll probably get three different answers. Someone might talk about the interesting game with the attractive Greek gods, like Hades. Someone else might correct them by saying that Hades is actually a Rogue-LITE and that Spelunky is a good example of a Best Roguelike Games.
Still, someone else might insist that the word “roguelike” comes from the classic dungeon crawler game Rogue, which came out in the 1980s, and that the games listed above are not real roguelikes at all. Even though each of these roguelike games has its own draw, there are some that have made a big difference in the gaming world. The following roguelike games on Steam are sure to keep you interested for hours on end while still feeling new and exciting.
Best Roguelike Games Comparison Table
| Game | Genre | Procedurally Generated | Replayability | Unique Features | Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enter the Gungeon | Roguelike, Bullet Hell | Yes | High | Wide variety of unique weapons | Download Now |
| Rogue Legacy | Roguelike, Platformer | Yes | High | Legacy system, inheritance of traits | Download Now |
| DEAD CELLS: RETURN TO CASTLEVANIA | Roguelike, Metroidvania | Yes | High | Fluid combat system, metroidvania-style exploration | Download Now |
| HITMAN WORLD OF ASSASSINATION | Stealth, Action | No | Moderate | Open-world sandbox assassinations | Download Now |
| FTL: Faster Than Light | Roguelike, Strategy | Yes | High | Commanding a spaceship, resource management | Download Now |
| Hades | Roguelike, Action, Hack and Slash | No | High | Engaging storyline, dynamic combat | Download Now |
Enter the Gungeon
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Genre | Roguelike, bullet hell |
| Gameplay | Dungeon crawling, shooting |
| Procedurally generated levels | Yes |
| Variety of unique weapons | Yes |
| Cooperative multiplayer | Yes |
Enter the Gungeon may be number ten on our list, but it’s number ten with a bullet! Or one hundred. In this top-down bullet hell roguelike from Dodge Roll, pixel-art characters try to find a gun that can kill their past and erase their biggest regret by going down chambers with growing difficulty and beating epic boss fights. To do this, they will have to collect a huge number of different guns. The best part of this game is the armory.
We had never seen a game with such a strong gun theme. The whole idea of a gungeon was carried out in a way we didn’t think was possible. Like the best roguelikes, each run feels different because the different guns change the way you play, and there are more of them than you can shake a joystick at. Enter the Gungeon deserves to be on a list of the best roguelikes. It has great bullet hell gameplay, a ton of weapons, and dozens of references and easter eggs that are fun to find.
The Good
- Challenging and fast-paced gameplay
- Wide variety of creative and unique weapons
- Cooperative multiplayer adds a fun multiplayer experience
The Bad
- Some people may find the amount of difficulty too high.
- It can be hard for newbies to learn.
Rogue Legacy
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Genre | Roguelike, platformer |
| Permadeath | Yes |
| Procedurally generated levels | Yes |
| Unique character traits | Yes |
| Legacy system | Inheritance of traits and abilities |
Before 2013, no one would have thought that a roguelike would fit so well with a metroidvania style, but then Rogue Legacy came along and blew the doors off by adding permanent progression that carried over from run to run, allowing players to add to the skill they gained from repeated runs with stat upgrades, new pieces of gear, and new abilities that would make the sudden difficulty spikes of later runs more bearable.
This turned out to be pretty groundbreaking, and many other games in the same genre, including a few on this list, would add something similar. Rogue Legacy wasn’t just important, though. It was also a great game, with great progression, a great mix of difficult bullet hell-style combat and intense platforming challenges, and really smart procedural generation that made sure no two runs felt the same.
The Good
- The Legacy system adds layers and makes the game more fun to play over and over again.
- Graphics with a charming throwback look
The Bad
- Some players find it annoying that they can never die.
- For newcomers, the initial struggle can be hard.
DEAD CELLS: RETURN TO CASTLEVANIA
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Genre | Roguelike, metroidvania |
| Fluid combat system | Yes |
| Procedurally generated levels | Yes |
| Wide variety of weapons and abilities | Yes |
| Metroidvania-style exploration | Yes |
No list of the best roguelike games would be complete without Dead Cells, which is one of the most similar games to Rogue and also one of the most famous. It is very fast-paced, and every jump and punch feels both powerful and very real. A big part of Dead Cells’ draw is that it is able to combine all of its different styles into its own formula.
It works like a roguelike, but it looks like a Metroidvania and takes ideas from games that are known for being hard, like FromSoftware’s Souls series. That’s not a loose comparison like most Souls comparisons are, because Dead Cells teaches you to figure out how enemies act until you can predict and stop them. It’s a very fun game to learn, and it deserves all the praise it gets.
The Good
- The way you fight is easy and fun.
- Beautiful pictures and a moody music.
- It takes the best parts of roguelikes and metroidvanias and puts them together.
The Bad
- Some players don’t like it when the game gets harder all of a sudden.
- Fewer stories and less story depth
HITMAN WORLD OF ASSASSINATION
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Genre | Stealth, action |
| Open-world sandbox assassinations | Yes |
| Variety of assassination methods | Yes |
| Replayability | Multiple approaches to missions |
| Detailed and immersive environments | Yes |
The Hitman trilogy by IO Interactive, which is now called Hitman World of Assassination, is the best example of a game that toyed with roguelike ideas without fully committing to them. Its carefully designed locations are built around repetition, with a variety of tools, weapons, and disguises to help you kill targets as artistically as possible. Then, you can drop back in and do it all over again with all the new information you’ve learned.
But while the base games only touch on the randomness that roguelikes are known for, the new Freelancer mode fully accepts it. Items move around the map, guns change hands, and disguises aren’t always where they were on the last run. Even the people you try to kill change. Your goal is to kill four leaders of the syndicate in a wide range of places. This requires both careful planning and quick thinking on the spot. This is one of the Best Roguelike Games.
The Good
- Freedom to come up with creative and strategic ways to do tasks
- Rich and detailed open-world settings
- High replayability because there are many ways to reach the goals
The Bad
- Needs care and planning, and not all players may like it.
- Some players may find that some tasks are the same.
FTL: Faster Than Light
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Genre | Roguelike, strategy |
| Commanding a spaceship | Yes |
| Tactical and resource management | Yes |
| Random events and encounters | Yes |
| Multiple ship layouts | Yes |
Additionally, one of the older additions to the list, titled “FTL: Faster Than Light,” is now considered to be a genuine classic. This game was introduced to the public for the first time in 2012, and it gives you the opportunity to play the role of captain and micromanage a spacecraft that is attempting to flee from a hostile galactic force. During the course of a run, you will have the option to select which systems you will control, which systems you will upgrade, and which systems you will abandon.
You will definitely feel like you are a part of this galactic war thanks to Faster Than Light’s distinctive foes and the dispersed text-based interactions that you will find throughout the game. This game is Best Roguelike Games and able to become a classic roguelike thanks to its user-friendly controls and easy-to-understand visual language.
The Good
- Gameplay that is both deep and complex, with tactical decisions
- Events and encounters that happen by chance make each playthrough special.
- Space travel that is both interesting and real
The Bad
- The amount of difficulty can be hard for newcomers.
- It takes time to learn how the mechanics work.
Hades
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Genre | Roguelike, action, hack and slash |
| Engaging storyline | Yes |
| Dynamic and fast-paced combat | Yes |
| Unique abilities and upgrades | Yes |
| Greek mythology setting | Yes |
Hades the Best Roguelike Games shows how the cyclical nature of the genre can be used to tell a good story by tying together its routine runs with a compelling plot and likeable characters. Each time you fail, you come back to life in your home, the House of Hades, where your old friends and family are waiting to catch up with you.
Every time you die, you learn a little more about them, which makes it less sad. When you’re out in the field, you can meet your Olympian cousins and get experimental upgrades from them. These fighting gods might be the real stars of the show, and their great artwork and fully voiced conversation help bring them to life. It’s clear that Hades is one of the best story-based PC games, and it’s also a pretty good roguelike.
The Good
- Characters that are well-developed and add to the story.
- Smooth and rewarding ways to fight
- The art style is beautiful, and the music is very moody.
The Bad
- Some people may find the amount of difficulty too high.
- May need to be played more than once to fully understand the story.
FAQs
Usually, roguelike games don’t have a way to save or only let you save a few things between sessions. This makes the genre more difficult and tense. Some current roguelike games, like those with permanent upgrades or checkpoints, may have ways to save your progress.
One of the best things about roguelike games is that you can play them over and over again. Each game is different because the levels are made by a set of rules, items drop at random, and characters can be built in different ways. This makes it more likely for people to play the games more than once to find new techniques, items, and experiences.
Roguelike games can be played on PC, consoles (like PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch), mobile devices, and more. But, based on the platform, not all roguelike games may be available. The best way to find out if a roguelike game is available for your chosen platform is to check the game’s official website or store.