Roguelike games are for players who love challenge and variety. Each run feels new, and every failure teaches something valuable.
I’ve gathered the best roguelike games that players everywhere can’t stop talking about. These titles come from both experts and gaming communities, chosen for their fun, replay value, and creativity.
No matter if you’re new to the genre or a seasoned fan looking for your next favorite, this list has something for every type of player.
What Makes a Game Roguelike
Roguelike games stand out because no two runs are ever the same. Each world is randomly generated, forcing you to adapt and plan differently every time.
They often feature permadeath, meaning that when you lose, you start from the beginning. But that’s part of their appeal; the thrill comes from mastering the challenge, not saving progress.
There’s also the roguelike vs roguelite debate. Roguelikes follow strict rules with complete restarts, while roguelites allow some upgrades between runs. Both reward patience and skill in different ways.
Best Roguelike Games to Play
These are the best roguelike games that continue to impress both critics and players. Each one delivers something distinct, whether it’s fast action, deep strategy, or endless replayability.
1. Hades
Hades mixes fast action with rich storytelling. Every escape attempt reveals new dialogue, rewards, and surprises, making each run feel purposeful.
The combat is smooth and varied, letting you experiment with weapons and powers. Its mix of Greek mythology and humor keeps it engaging long after the first victory.
2. Dead Cells
Dead Cells offers fluid combat, quick reflexes, and constant discovery. Each run challenges your timing and decision-making as you uncover new paths and weapons.
Its level design rewards curiosity, and every failure teaches something new. The pace stays intense from start to finish without ever feeling punishing.
3. Slay the Spire
Slay the Spire turns deckbuilding into an addictive challenge. Every card choice changes your fate, forcing smart strategy and risk management.
It’s easy to learn but hard to master, and the variety of character builds keeps each run unique. You’ll never play the same deck twice.
4. Vampire Survivors
Vampire Survivors is pure chaos done right. You control movement only, while automatic attacks create wild, unpredictable battles.
What starts simple becomes thrilling as the screen fills with enemies. Each upgrade feels rewarding, and the short sessions make it hard to stop playing.
5. FTL: Faster Than Light
FTL puts you in command of a spaceship fighting to survive deep space. Every decision to fight, flee, or negotiate has lasting consequences.
Its random encounters keep tension high, and the sense of risk never fades. Losing a ship hurts, but victory feels truly earned.
6. Spelunky 2
Spelunky 2 builds on its predecessor’s brilliance. It’s a tight platformer with traps, treasures, and unexpected twists at every turn.
Every run feels like a fresh adventure, with levels that punish carelessness but reward clever play. It’s tough but fair in the best way.
7. Rogue Legacy 2
Rogue Legacy 2 adds charm to its challenge. Each run features a new heir with unique traits that change how you play.
Its bright art style hides serious depth, and the progression feels balanced. The constant sense of improvement keeps you hooked for hours.
8. Enter the Gungeon
Enter the Gungeon blends shooting and dodging into frantic fun. It’s fast, silly, and loaded with weapons that redefine chaos.
Every room feels like a test of reflexes, and clever design rewards persistence. The humor and energy make it endlessly replayable.
9. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth combines dark themes with endless variation. Every run introduces new items that reshape your strategy.
Its odd charm lies in experimentation. You’ll fail often, but finding bizarre item combos makes each return more addictive than the last.
10. Risk of Rain 2
Risk of Rain 2 turns survival into a rhythm. You grow stronger the longer you last, but enemies scale up with you.
Its co-op mode adds replay value and chaos. Every character plays differently, giving the game long-term depth without repetition.
11. Caves of Qud
Caves of Qud is a deep, text-rich experience. It captures the feel of classic roguelikes while building a massive world full of lore.
Its systems encourage creativity and experimentation. You can talk, fight, or mutate your way through challenges in a way few games allow.
12. Balatro
Balatro brings poker mechanics into roguelike design. You’ll craft hands, chase combos, and rely on luck in ways that always feel tense.
It’s simple on the surface but full of hidden strategy. Each run builds differently, offering a satisfying balance between chaos and skill.
13. Cogmind
Cogmind offers unmatched freedom. You build your robot piece by piece, scavenging and upgrading to survive each encounter.
Its world feels alive, with every decision changing how enemies respond. It’s complex but never overwhelming once you learn its rhythm.
14. Downwell
Downwell turns falling into an art form. You descend into a vertical pit using gun boots that double as both weapons and tools.
Each level demands split-second timing. It’s short, sharp, and endlessly replayable, perfect for quick runs or mastering over time.
15. Dave the Diver
Dave the Diver blends underwater adventure with a light roguelike structure. Searching for rare catches feels exciting thanks to the changing sea conditions.
Running the sushi bar between expeditions adds charm and purpose. It’s a relaxed but engaging take on roguelike design that balances action and creativity.
16. Darkest Dungeon II
Darkest Dungeon II pushes your limits with every journey. You’ll guide a caravan of flawed heroes across a ruined world, where stress, illness, and despair can destroy even the strongest.
Its combat demands precision and planning, punishing careless choices. Every victory feels fragile, and that tension makes every run a gripping test of endurance.
17. Noita
Noita turns chaos into art. Every pixel obeys physics, so fire burns, water flows, and explosions reshape the world in unpredictable ways.
Each spell feels like an experiment, and small changes can trigger massive chain reactions. You’ll fail often, but each failure teaches something about control and consequence.
18. Don’t Starve Together
Don’t Starve Together blends survival with roguelike unpredictability. You and your friends face starvation, madness, and monsters as the world shifts around you.
Each run feels fresh as seasons, resources, and dangers change constantly. Cooperation and timing matter most, turning every night into a fight to stay alive.
19. Loop Hero
Loop Hero rewrites roguelike design with its clever world-building. Instead of direct control, you place cards that shape the landscape, enemies, and rewards.
Balancing loops becomes the real challenge. Push too far and you lose everything, but retreat too early and progress slows. It’s calm, strategic, and deeply rewarding.
20. Children of Morta
Children of Morta combines roguelike progression with heartfelt storytelling. Each family member fights differently, from swift rogues to powerful guardians.
Between runs, their relationships deepen, giving purpose to every loss. It’s rare to see emotional storytelling tied so naturally to challenge and repetition.
21. Into the Breach
Into the Breach turns every move into a puzzle. You command mechs defending humanity from alien swarms on shifting, randomized grids.
Each run tests the prediction, and you’ll often choose which city to lose. Its compact design hides an enormous depth that rewards foresight and control.
22. Tangledeep
Tangledeep feels like a love letter to classic roguelikes. It blends pixel charm, rich job systems, and procedurally generated dungeons into a deep adventure.
You can switch classes, craft gear, and master powerful skills, making each run feel unique. It’s strategic, methodical, and surprisingly relaxing for its challenge.
23. Gunfire Reborn
Gunfire Reborn brings speed and precision to roguelike shooting. You pick heroes, grab weapons, and dive through chaotic levels filled with relentless enemies.
Each weapon feels distinct, and upgrading between fights changes your playstyle. Its fast co-op mode keeps tension high while rewarding skillful teamwork.
24. Returnal
Returnal fuses cinematic storytelling with roguelike loops. You play as Selene, trapped on an alien planet where every death resets your world.
Combat feels fluid and desperate, mixing bullet-hell intensity with haunting mystery. Its atmosphere makes failure feel like discovery, not defeat.
25. Inscryption
Inscryption mixes card-based roguelike gameplay with psychological horror. You play a strange game against a sinister opponent, but the rules change when you least expect.
Each run reveals new layers of meta puzzles, dark secrets, and shifting mechanics. It’s clever, unsettling, and unforgettable from start to finish.
26. Tunic
Tunic hides mystery beneath its cute surface. You explore a cryptic world full of danger, secrets, and clever design that rewards curiosity.
Its roguelike elements keep every battle tense while discovery drives progress. Each new page of its hidden manual feels like finding lost wisdom.
27. Rogue Tower
Rogue Tower turns tower defense into a roguelike challenge. Each stage expands unpredictably, forcing you to adapt your strategy and upgrade carefully.
Choosing where to place defenses becomes a test of risk management. It’s simple to start but reveals layers of depth as the tower grows.
28. Risk of Rain Returns
Risk of Rain Returns modernizes a classic roguelike formula. Every run starts slow, but as time passes, enemies scale and chaos builds fast.
Its 2D action and sharp progression loop keep you pushing your limits. Co-op play only adds to the mayhem and long-term replayability.
29. Dredge
Dredge hides a roguelike experience beneath quiet fishing. You’ll explore shifting seas, collect rare catches, and uncover dark mysteries beneath the waves.
Each night brings new dangers that change with every voyage. It’s eerie, thoughtful, and surprisingly deep for something that begins so peacefully.
30. Cult of the Lamb
Cult of the Lamb combines dungeon crawling with management. You lead a cult, exploring dangerous worlds while caring for loyal followers back home.
Each run strengthens your faith and resources, blending chaos with charm. The balance between devotion and destruction keeps it endlessly engaging.
31. Shattered Pixel Dungeon
Shattered Pixel Dungeon perfects classic roguelike design. Turn-based combat, permadeath, and procedural maps create pure challenge without compromise.
Its simplicity hides depth; every potion, weapon, and decision can change your fate. Fair, addictive, and endlessly replayable, it’s a roguelike design at its best.
Types of Roguelike Games
Roguelike games come in different styles. Each type offers its own take on challenge, progression, and replay value.
| Type | Core Features | Examples | Play Experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Roguelikes | Turn-based, grid-based gameplay focused on careful strategy, planning, and permadeath. | Rogue, Caves of Qud | Demanding and methodical; every move matters, and survival depends on planning. |
| Roguelites | Keep roguelike structure but allow upgrades, unlocks, or progress between runs. | Hades, The Binding of Isaac | Balanced tension progress feels steady while keeping the risk of starting over. |
| Hybrids (Roguelike + Genre Mix) | Blend roguelike elements with other genres such as platformers, shooters, or strategy games. | Slay the Spire, Risk of Rain 2, Dead Cells, FTL: Faster Than Light | Fresh experiences combining randomness with action, tactics, or creative builds. |
No matter which type you choose, all these games share one thing: a cycle of challenge, adaptation, and discovery that keeps players coming back for more.
How to Choose the Right Roguelike
Choosing a roguelike is easier when you know what kind of gameplay you enjoy. Use these quick pointers to guide your pick:
- For fast action: Dead Cells and Hades deliver quick combat, smooth controls, and constant adrenaline.
- For strategy lovers: Slay the Spire and FTL: Faster Than Light reward planning, timing, and smart resource use.
- For deep gameplay: Caves of Qud and Cogmind offer complex worlds, creative builds, and open-ended progression.
- For story-driven runs: Blue Prince and Rogue Legacy 2 mix strong narratives with replayable design.
- For short, casual sessions: Vampire Survivors and Downwell give fast, satisfying progress without long-term commitments.
Pick the one that matches your style, and you’ll always have a roguelike that feels made for you.
Conclusion
Roguelike games reward patience, skill, and creativity. Each run feels like a clean slate, offering new challenges and lessons that push you to improve.
They stand out because success comes from persistence, not chance.
The games on this list capture that feeling, whether you enjoy quick action, deep strategy, or rich worlds filled with surprises.
Pick the one that matches your playstyle, jump in, and see how far you can go. Start your next run today and enjoy some of the best roguelike games ever made.
