The Best Roguelike Games You Need to Play Right Now
Roguelikes are a dime a dozen these days. It’s not hard to see why: a well-built roguelike boasts infinite replayability, challenging but fair gameplay, and keeps you hooked with the promise of meta progression. But with so many roguelikes out there, it’s hard to keep tabs on the best roguelikes that you absolutely must try.
Now, I’m just a random guy on the internet, but I think I have some expertise on this topic. I’ve played my fair share of roguelikes, with easily over 4,000 hours across the genre. During my travels I’ve come across some real gems, which I’ll share with you in this list.
The Timeless Appeal of Roguelike Games
Roguelike games have three main factors when it comes to their appeal: their infinite replayability, their steep challenge, and their unique gameplay loops, including meta progression.
In general, a roguelike video game has three defining features:
- Procedural generation, whether that’s levels, dungeons, or events.
- Permadeath. Dying resets the game entirely. Your power ups, equipment, stats? Poof.
- Grid and turn-based movement.
Most modern roguelikes don’t stick to these elements. These are roguelites – roguelikes which use a few elements from the original 1980 Rogue, but never pin themselves to these three features. Today, “Roguelike” and “roguelite” tend to be used interchangeably; the former is only really used when looking for games very similar to Rogue.
How We Selected the Best Roguelike Games
It’s hard to quantify what separates a good roguelike from a great one. Some players may not enjoy turn-based roguelikes and want a fast-paced experience, while others prefer slower, more methodical challenges. Our rubric for measuring the best roguelikes is as follows:
- Replay value: If selecting “new run” is an easy choice, you’ve got a gem of a roguelike.
- Innovation: Has this roguelike done something others haven’t? If there are more games like this one, has it done anything to build its own identity?
- Visuals and Sound Design: Does this roguelike excel in art, sound, or presentation?
- Community and Fan Reception: Does this roguelike have a large following?
- Recency: This list will mostly focus on new games within the last couple of years.
My List of the Best
With all that said, here’s my list of the roguelike must-plays that have emerged in the past couple of years. If you’re missing any of these roguelikes, I strongly urge you to try them, and if budget is a problem, eneba.com is a great market for cheap games.
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth – twisted, biblical roguelike.
Risk of Rain 2 – co-op shooter with procedural generation.
Vampire Survivors – bullet hell game with automatic attacks and power-ups.
Slay the Spire – deck-building game with strategic combat.
Balatro – fast-paced action game with demonic powers.
Dead Cells – 2D Metroidvania with roguelike elements.
Hades – dungeon crawler with Greek mythology.
One Step from Eden – deck-building game with spellcasting.
Enter the Gungeon – deck-building game with spellcasting.
Rogue Legacy 2 – platformer with procedurally generated levels and unique characters.
Buckshot Roulette – chaotic, top-down shooter with endless waves.
PlateUp! – chaotic cooking simulator with time management.
Darkest Dungeon – gothic horror RPG with party management.
Ring of Pain – unique card game with a focus on exploration.
Noita – spellcasting game with procedural generation.
Cultist Simulator – strategy game with cult building and world domination.
Cult of the Lamb – cute and creepy game with cult building and dungeon crawling.
Inscryption – psychological horror game with card games and escape room elements.
Brotato – chaotic top-down shooter with a focus on survival.
Loop Hero – strategic game with card-based world generation.
World of Horror – Lovecraftian RPG with investigation and horror.
Across the Obelisk – tactical game with deck-building and turn-based combat.
Into the Breach – turn-based strategy game with giant mechs.
Spelunky 2 – platformer with exploration and treasure hunting.
Atomicrops – farming game with combat and survival elements.
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2014 | PC, macOS, Nintendo Switch, 3DS, Wii U, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, iOS. | ~30 minutes – 1 hour |
A baby navigates the dungeons beneath his house to stop his mother from sacrificing him to God. To survive, he’ll use his tears, poop, vomit, and more. I am not joking.
TBOI’s trademark is its sheer, raw audacity. But beneath all the blood, farts, and religious themes is the closest thing we’ll see to perfection in a roguelike: procedurally generated dungeons chock-full of secrets, hundreds of items with unique, surprising, and oftentimes hilarious synergies between them, and an absolutely huge amount of unlockable characters and meta progression. TBOI isn’t just one of the best games in the roguelike genre, it’s one of the best games ever, period.
If you’re only going to play one game on this list, this is it. You can get a good deal on TBOI: Rebirth – and its DLCs (which are must-haves) here >
Risk of Rain 2
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2020 | PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | 30 minutes – 1 hour |
Visit an alien planet, look for survivors, get out alive. Risk of Rain 2’s (abbreviated ROR2) premise may sound simple, but its gameplay is anything but. In this third person shooter roguelike, you and up to 3 others will loot and shoot your way across the surface of Petrichor V, facing down various foes and augmenting yourself with unlockable arms and armor. Lastly, ROR2 also features various difficulty modifiers to tailor your experience.
Get your copy of Risk of Rain 2 >
Vampire Survivors
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2022 | PC, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PS4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, iOS, Android | 30 minutes |
We can’t talk about roguelikes without touching on poncle’s masterpiece that is Vampire Survivors. This game pioneered the bullet heaven roguelite, where instead of dodging bullets, you’d be covering the screen with shots of your own. The game’s premise is simple: get six weapons and six items, then survive for 30 minutes against an unending horde of monsters. Minimalistic, yes, but super satisfying, incredibly fun, and despite appearances, surprisingly zen and relaxing.
If you’ve yet to try the Vampire Survivors out, you can get it here >
Slay the Spire
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2017 | PC, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android | 20-30 minutes |
Slay the Spire was my introduction to the roguelike deck builder, and one of my all-time favorites. To slay the spire, you’ll choose from one of four classes, pick up a starter deck, and decide the fate of the world by climbing up multiple floors where you’ll fight monsters, upgrade cards, pick up artifacts and try not to die. The spire, however, will quickly teach you that deck building is a tricky affair, so get ready to be taught a lesson!
Get the best deal on Slay the Spire >
Balatro
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2024 | PC, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PS4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, iOS, Android | ~20 minutes |
Balatro is one of 2024’s best roguelikes. This poker-themed deck building game has players facing off against various blinds, scoring chips via poker hands both legal and illegal. In between rounds, you’ll customize your standard 52-card deck by adding or removing cards, applying seals and finishes, or buying and arranging jokers – each of which provide various gamebreaking effects. Thanks to the familiarity of playing cards and poker hands, Balatro also serves as a fantastic entry point for players new to deck builders.
Get the best deal on Balatro >
Dead Cells
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2018 | PC, macOS, Linux Nintendo Switch, PS4/5, Xbox One, iOS, Android | ~40 minutes – 1 hour |
Dead Cells stands out as one of the most visceral roguelike metroidvanias. With its free movement and meaty combat, Dead Cells managed to scratch itches I didn’t know I had. Thanks to its massive arsenal of items, weapons, enemies, permanent upgrades, and modifiers, slaying the final boss is just the beginning of your journey, and going for a new game after a complete run is an easy choice.
If you haven’t picked up Dead Cells yet, get a copy here >
Hades
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2020 | PC, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PS4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, iOS | 20-30 minutes |
Following two years of early access, Supergiant Games’ Hades finally saw the light of day in 2020. In this game, you play as Zagreus, son of Hades, who aims to escape the underworld and climb Mount Olympus – which is no easy task. No one escapes the underworld, after all, and you’ll need to not only master your choice of divine weapon but also carefully select which divine boons you’ll partake of to survive the fast-paced combat of Hades. It’s worth noting that there are difficulty options, as well as permanent unlocks and upgrades to help succeeding runs.
If you don’t have this great roguelike in your library yet, you can get a good deal for Hades here >
One Step from Eden
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2020 | PC, macOS, Linux Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One | ~40 minutes |
Mix a deck builder with frenetic tile-based gameplay and you get One Step from Eden. In OSFE, you pick one character from eight and travel across the blasted ruins of humanity to get to Eden. The road will be fraught with danger, and you’ll need to master the fine art of adding (or removing) spells from your deck, as well as keep up with the incredibly fast-paced action combat to succeed. Success is never guaranteed, but the huge variety of builds and spells, gorgeous pixel art, and memorable soundtrack make each trek to Eden worth it.
Get the best deal on One Step from Eden >
Enter the Gungeon
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2016 | PC, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One | 20-40 minutes |
If third person shooters aren’t your thing, how about a top-down shooter? Enter the Gungeon is a frantic roguelike where you’ll shoot, dive, and flip tables as you dive into the Gungeon to get the gun that can kill your past. This game has it all for those who like their roguelikes fast and furious: tons of enemies, bullet hells, and oodles of guns and unlockables. With how much content it has to offer, Enter the Gungeon guarantees hundreds of hours of fun.
Get your copy of Enter the Gungeon >
Rogue Legacy 2
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2022 | PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | ~40 minutes |
In Cellar Door Games’ Rogue Legacy 2, you play as not one, not two, but as an entire family of heroes. Your descendants are numerous, and you will need every one of them – this metroidvania roguelike is tough. To succeed, you’ll need to master not just a weapon and a class, but also assemble a proper build and possess lightning-quick reflexes to survive in the dungeon. However, you’ll always be making progress – gold and other resources you find in dungeon delves will go to your successors.
Get your copy of Rogue Legacy 2 >
Buckshot Roulette
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2023 | PC, Linux | ~10-15 minutes |
Indie developer Mike Klubnika’s surprise hit came at the tail end of 2023, and what a way it was to end a year. The premise is simple: it’s just you, the dealer, a loaded shotgun, some randomized items, and $70,000 at stake. Set all this against a gritty industrial background and a soundtrack laden with frenetic tension, and you’ve got one hell of an addicting roguelike on your hands.
If you’re willing to bet it all, you can nab the Buckshot Roulette for cheap here >
PlateUp!
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2022 | PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | ~20-30 minutes |
“A cooking roguelike” sounds like it wouldn’t work, but it does. In PlateUp!, you (and up to 3 other players) are charged with running a restaurant. As time passes, your restaurant’s fame will grow – leading to more customers and increasingly difficult standards to meet. To keep your head above the waves, you’ll need to spend your hard-earned cash on appliances, furniture, and even automation tools.
If building a food empire is in your cards, get a copy of PlateUp! here >
Darkest Dungeon
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2016 | PC, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, iOS | Dungeon runs are about 10-30 minutes. |
Darkest Dungeon (one) by Red Hook Studios is part turn-based strategy game, part roguelike. In this game, you’re tasked with unearthing and defeating an ancient Lovecraftian evil. You’ll need to hire and train heroes, upgrade your facilities, and juggle the challenge of managing your limited resources. It’s only a matter of time before things go horribly wrong. With randomly generated labyrinths filled with fiends and traps, this roguelike keeps up the tension despite its turn-based gameplay.
Get your copy of Darkest Dungeon >
Ring of Pain
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2020 | PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | ~20-30 minutes |
Left or right? In Ring of Pain, the choice is never simple. This turn-based roguelike makes movement the core concept of its gameplay. Each choice is potentially deadly as the direction you move in can have you run into monsters, but also get you equipment, stat scrolls, potions, and more. While the ring is merciless, it is also fair – achievements unlock new items, giving you greater freedom to sculpt your character as you choose on your next attempt.
Get your copy of Ring of Pain >
Noita
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2020 | PC | ~40 minutes to 1 hour |
Noita is the premiere roguelike for those looking for a wandering wizard experience. In Noita, you have free reign over your magic: what spells your wands will cast, what formations your sorceries will take, what extra effects they’ll have, and so on. The only limit to your spellcasting prowess is your creativity and mana reserves. But while you do have almost total magical freedom, you’ll need both luck and skill on your side as you’ll need to delve deeper and deeper into the depths.
As of writing, Noita is only available on PC, so if it grabs your attention, get a copy here >
Cultist Simulator
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2018 | PC, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android | Depends on how fast you figure out the game. |
Unlike the other games on this list (even the card-based ones), Cult Sim stands out for being a very slow, methodical, and deliberately obscure card game. Use your cult to attain ultimate power, or just get rich. Anything’s within your grasp. Once you get used to the game’s loop (and lore), however, you’ll be able to complete runs quickly…if luck is on your side. The game developers put a lot of love and care into handcrafting the lore of the universe, so I strongly recommend this roguelike for players who love reading and figuring things out on their own.
Get your copy of Cultist Simulator >
Cult of the Lamb
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2022 | PC, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PS4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Dungeons vary in complexity. |
“Demonic Animal Crossing” is how my cousin described Cult of the Lamb, and that’s pretty succinct. The player character here is the titular lamb, who, in between taking care of cult members by feeding them and building a town, casually butchers hordes of heretics who follow the other false gods. The lamb is the one true faith, so pray, trust, and believe. Or else.
Once you’re ready to start your own religious sect, you can get Cult of the Lamb for a good price here >
Inscryption
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2021 | PC, macOS, Linux Nintendo Switch, PS4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | No spoilers for you! |
Inscryption is dark, moody, and deep. This game is notable for its rapid shift in gears, but always at its core is a deck building roguelike whose rules change the deeper you get into the game. It’s very hard to discuss Inscryption without spoiling anything, but trust me – throwing cards with the dark figure is just the beginning, and both Inscryption’s story and experience stick with you long after you’ve played your final hand.
If you haven’t delved into the darkness of Inscryption yet, you can get a good deal for it here >
Brotato
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2023 | PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | ~20 minutes |
Hear me out here. I’ll admit – I initially thought Brotato was just another entry in the bullet heaven roguelite genre. I’m glad to say I was wrong: Brotato is much, much more skill-based, and is a worthy roguelike in its own right. Brotato’s integration of RPG mechanics (specifically stats) represents a simple but much-needed innovative shift instead of becoming yet another Vampire Survivors clone. Boasting high difficulty, tons of playable characters, quick yet intense runs, and meta-progression that only ramps up the difficulty, Brotato is a welcome treat for Vampire Survivors veterans.
Loop Hero
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2021 | PC, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, iOS, Android | ~10-15 minutes |
In most roguelikes, the only canvas you have is your character. Not so in Loop Hero, where the world has ended and must be recreated by placing tiles along your hero’s path. There’s no evil empire here, just the threat of non-existence. To arm your auto-combat hero against the forces of entropy, you’ll need to place both helpful and harmful tiles – you need to confront at least some danger to get stronger and get gear before the final showdown.
World of Horror
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2023 | PC, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PS4/5 | 20-30 minutes |
Created by indie developer panstasz, World of Horror is a love letter to Junji Ito as well as to retro RPGs. To stop the coming of the Old Gods, you’ll need to get to the bottom of some strange and frightening happenings in Shiokawa. Along the way, you’ll build up your stats and equip yourself with weapons to fight off various eldritch and mundane monstrosities. Randomly generated events guarantee that each run will be different but always challenging, though you will have more characters and new weapons and tools to help your next (doomed) attempt.
Across the Obelisk
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2021 | PC, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S | ~2-3 hours |
Take Darkest Dungeon’s roguelike bits, turn them into a card game, and you get Across the Obelisk: four heroes, four sets of equipment, and four decks to manage. Despite the game’s difficulty, the permanent character progression does cushion each loss, and there’s multiplayer mode to make the game more manageable, too.
One of the main pain points of Across the Obelisk is its price tag, so it’s great that you can grab a copy at a lower price here >
Into the Breach
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2018 | PC, macOS, Linux Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android | ~40 minutes – 1 hour |
“We’ll get‘em next time” may as well be the motto of one of 2018’s best roguelikes, Subset Games’ Into the Breach. Think Pacific Rim crossed with time travel – but even with time and tech on your side, you’ll be extremely hard-pressed to save everyone. The constant Vek spawns and random layout, as well as the risk-reward analysis of each action are sure to keep even hardened strategy roguelike players on their toes.
Get the best deal on Into the Breach here >
Spelunky 2
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2020 | PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | 20-30 minutes |
If Spelunky 2 teaches you anything, it’s to look before you leap – again, and again. I’ll admit that the fast pace does make me horribly reckless, leading me to die to the same thing multiple times even after promising I’d be more careful this time. Just as with the game’s predecessor, Spelunky 2 offers tons of fun via exploring, excavating treasure, and getting killed by the various enemies and traps in the ruins.
If you want to awaken your inner Indiana Jones, you can get Spelunky 2 for a good price here >
Atomicrops
| Release Year | Platforms | Time per Run |
| 2020 | PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | ~40 minutes to 1 hour |
Atomicrops creates a hilariously perfect marriage between roguelikes and cozy farming games. In this top-down bullet hell shooter slash farming game, you’ll juggle building your farm with searching for seeds and other equipment. Time’s ticking, though, and at night, you’ll need to defend your farm from various varmints.. Luckily, the farming sim staples are there: a market that’s always ready to buy your crops, new equipment to make your life easier, and even villagers you can flirt with to get free stuff!
Get the best deal on Atomicrops here >
Roguelike Games that Made an Impact
While there are a ton of roguelikes, few are impactful enough to have made their mark on history. Here’s my list of the most influential roguelikes:
- The first Spelunky was released in 2008 and revived the idea of random dungeon generation, this time in a platformer.
- TBOI was released in 2011, further iterating on Spelunky’s level generation and incorporating equipment and meta progression systems.
- Rogue Legacy was released in 2013, adding the metroidvania genre to the roguelike blend.
- Dream Quest was released in 2014, but it was Slay the Spire’s 2017 release that popularized roguelike deck builders.
- Dead Cells in 2018 was a roguelike par excellence – tight gameplay combined with gorgeous aesthetics and a killer soundtrack.
- Supergiant Games won the first Hugo award for a video game in 2020 – that’s the award for science fiction. Hades was just that good of a game.
Strategy vs. Action Roguelikes: Which is Your Style?
Among roguelikes, there are generally two classifications: strategy, which involves a slower, more methodical approach to play, and action, which rewards quick reflexes and player skill.
It’s important to figure out which type to get before committing to a purchase. For example, players who are easily overwhelmed by visuals and don’t like to keep track of multiple (and I mean multiple) objects on screen might prefer strategy roguelikes, while those who like to play hard and fast might enjoy action roguelikes more. As with any purchase, it’s always wise to look up gameplay videos before buying!
The Role of Visuals and Sound in Roguelikes
Without the right accompaniment of visuals and sound design, a game experience can end up feeling bland. As with literature, games must possess organic unity – that is to say, each of its components requires the others. An excellent example of this is Risk of Rain 2’s unforgettable soundtrack and gripping visuals, both of which lead to an almost psychedelic experience of being lost on a hostile planet.
Tips for Success in Roguelike Games
There’s no shortcut to instant success in any roguelike, but there are lessons that apply to all of them:
- Roguelike games are largely a matter of skill, and skill is earned solely through practice.
- Learn to be flexible. Roll with the punches.
- Be patient with yourself. Every loss is a lesson learned!
Recommendations for New Roguelike Players
If you’re a first-time roguelike player, you might be looking for recommendations. These are my top picks for beginners:
- Vampire Survivors: tons of fun for a very low price point.
- Balatro or Slay the Spire: depending on how comfortable you are with deck building. Either is a good starting point.
- Enter the Gungeon or ROR2: for those looking for fast-paced shooters.
- The Binding of Isaac: I will always recommend the king.
That said, it’s always a good idea to look for gameplay videos before committing to a purchase.
And no matter what roguelike you choose to start with, always remember this: losing is part of the game.
FAQs
What is the number one roguelike?
For me, it’s Isaac, hands-down. Of course, this is subjective!
What is the most successful roguelike game?
Another subjective question! If we’re judging based on popularity, I’d say Isaac, RoR, Enter the Guneon, Slay the Spire, Balatro, Cult of the Lamb, Darkest Dungeon, and Buckshot Roulette are the most “successful” roguelikes.
What is the difference between roguelike and roguelite?
While the two terms are often used interchangeably, a “true” roguelike has procedurally-generated dungeons, turn-based combat, grid-based movement, and permadeath (often without meta progression). Roguelites, on the other hand, don’t incorporate all of these mechanics – often you’ll just see one or two of them.
What roguelike should I play first?
If you’re new to the genre, I suggest Balatro or Slay the Spire for card-based roguelikes. If you want action, try The Binding of Isaac, Enter the Gungeon, Hades, or Risk of Rain.
What is a true roguelike?
A true roguelike is a game that strongly mimics the original Rogue, from 1980 – hence the name of the genre. This means that a true roguelike should have procedural dungeon generation, turn-based, grid-based gameplay that revolves around permadeath, usually without any meta progression.
