What Are Roguelike Games?
Roguelike games are types of role-playing games which uniquely characterized by features such as the procedural generation of dungeons, permanent death of the character, also known as permadeath, tile-based graphics, and turn-based gameplay. Fantasy stories generally inspire roguelike games. The name roguelike is taken from the pioneer game Rogue, which was launched in 1980.
Rogue is an ASCII-based game that runs on terminals. With different variations and modifications introduced by programmers over time, the definition of roguelike games became hazy. Therefore, in 2008 a “Berlin Interpretation” was imposed to clearly mark the different high and low-value factors that can differentiate pure roguelike games such as Rogue, NetHack, and Angband from others.
New Roguelike Games
The new games such as Spelunky, FTL, and The Binding of Isaac, which include additional features such as thematic elements and graphical style, are therefore called roguelites or roguelike-like games. Roguelikes, roguelites, and roguelike-like definitions were coined during the Berlin Interpretation, which is nothing but the International Roguelike Development Conference 2008. Irrespective of being roguelike or roguelite, this sub-genre is definitely loved by true game lovers.
Best Roguelike Games of all time
1. Spelunky
- Developers: Mossmouth, LLC
- Mode: Single-player, Multiplayer
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Chrome OS, Nintendo Switch
- Published By: Mossmouth, LLC, MicrosoftStudios (X360)
Spelunky is a roguelike indie 2D platform video game of 2008 with additional features of real-time side-scrolling. In Spelunky, the gamer controls a spelunker who is supposed to fight enemies while looking for treasures. In the process, the spelunker has to go through various caves, save damsels and dodge traps while trying to gather as much treasure as possible. The randomly generated caves make the Spelunky unique and interesting.
Although it is a roguelike game, the additional feature makes it different from traditional roguelike games; hence, it is one of the pioneers of roguelite games. In Spleunky, there is a random generation of levels, each having its own set of enemies that include snakes, spiders of different sizes, ghosts, bats, monsters, and human-devouring plants.
Each level consists of a unique set of terrain types, treasures, and secret locations. The players have to restart every time whenever they encounter instant traps or lose all their hearts, which is something that is unique to the pioneering game of roguelikes, Rogue.
2. Rogue Legacy
- Developer: Cellar Door Games
- Mode: Single-player
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, Linux, OS X, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS
- Published By: Cellar Door Games
Rogue Legacy is a 2013 roguelike game to collect treasures which is gold from different nooks and corners of castles that can be invaded after trading through randomly generated dungeons. In Rogue Legacy, gold can be obtained from different furniture, or by defeating enemies, only upon completing assigned tasks. The Rogue Legacy offers players swords as a weapon, which is capable of hack and slash and magical attacks.
The players have to kill the four bosses in the four different setups of dungeons and defeat the ultimate boss in order to achieve the final goal, unlike the traditional roguelikes, which impose permadeath, where the players are regenerated as heirs upon death. Heirs in Rogue Legacy have special traits along with inherited traits of their predecessors.
The special traits are:
- Color blindness, where the game is played in a black-and-white environment.
- ADHD, where the player has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder which results in faster motion of the characters.
- Dwarfism is where the players are short in height.
The gold earned during the Rogue Legacy can be used to get new weapons or unlock new levels.
3. The Binding of Isaac
- Developer: Edmund McMillen
- Mode: Single-player
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux
- Published By: Florian Himsl, Edmund McMillen
The Binding of Isaac is a game that belongs to the roguelike genre. The gameplay is based on the story of the Binding of Isaac in the Bible. The game is centered around Isaac, whose life had to be sacrificed to prove his mother’s faith in God. So, Isaac hides in the basement of their house, where he encounters and fights monsters for his survival.
The players control Isaac and eleven other characters that can be unlocked in the game. The players have to navigate through procedurally generated dungeons while fighting with the monsters in order to gather treasure and power for defeating more powerful enemies and ultimately defeating Isaac’s mother.
4. Slay the Spire
- Developer: MegaCrit
- Mode: Single-player
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS, Android
- Published By: Humble Bundle
Slay the Spire game amalgamates the deck-building card game along with the elements of the roguelikes genre. In Slay, the Spire, the player is given four choices of characters to choose from. Then they have to pass through the procedural level generation of multi-storeyed floors which in the form of a spire. While ascending their way through the spire, they have to fight with enemies and collect cards. Then they have to use these cards to build decks that serve as stairs to step on and attend higher levels.
5. Crypt of the Necrodancer
- Developer: Brace Yourself Games
- Mode: Single-player
- Platform: iOS, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Published By: Brace Yourself Games, Klei Entertainment (PC), JP: Spike Chunsoft
It combines rhythmic beats with the traditional features of roguelike genre games to form a game in which the players have to match the beats of a song during the combats. Going offbeat makes the players weak, whereas players who match the beats during the combat enjoy the extra powerful moves. It is a mixed-genre game that offers the freedom to implement a dance pad in place of controllers to play the game.
Players earn extra points if they are able to match the beats successfully, whereas missing a beat doesn’t affect their scores, although it makes the players weak if they are fighting with a monster. The players have to move through the dungeons gathering weapons, helpful items, treasure, armor, and coins earned by defeating monsters. These coins can be used to buy valuable items from shops in the lobby.
Dungeons are divided into four zones. Each zone has four levels. Each level of the first three zones is guarded by a mini-boss, which players have to fight and win over in order to move to the next level. Finally, they can move further by defeating the larger boss. The players have to defeat the bosses within a time limit that is defined by the length of the songs, failing which, they will be automatically moved to the next level but without the prizes.
The songs are arranged in ascending tempo for the zones and levels, increasing the difficulty with each win. This mixed-genre gameplay forces the players to make quick decisions that make the game more exciting and thrilling, making it one of the best games.
6. Dead Cells
- Developers: Motion Twin, Evil Empire
- Mode: Single-player
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS, Android
- Published By: Motion Twin, Playdigious
Dead cells game presents roguelike elements in Metroidvania style. In the Dead cells game, the player takes the form of a slimy creature and controls a corpse. The players have to pass through the procedurally generated levels while fighting with immortal creatures and gathering treasures, tools, and weapons.
The players have to collect the currency of the game, named cells which are used to purchase permanent upgrades or to unlock other features. The Dead Cells game imposes permadeath features like the traditional roguelikes, which makes the players lose all their earned prizes every time the characters die, and the players have to restart afresh.
7. Risk of Rain
- Developer: Hopoo Games
- Mode: Single-player, Multiplayer
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
- Published By: Chucklefish
Risk of Rain is a roguelike game presented in Metroidvania style. The game is set on a strange planet where the players have to control a space freighter crash survivor. The game becomes difficult with progressive levels which are procedurally generated. The players have to fight with monsters while collecting treasures and items that can either increase or decrease their fighting abilities.
The game forces the players to focus on skill development as the opponents grow stronger with each advanced level. The game has hidden locations to be explored for artifacts that can be very beneficial for the players. A major goal in the game is to locate a teleporter which, when activated, initiates a 90-second countdown during which the players have to withstand and an easy drizzle, a medium rainstorm, and a 120-second hard Monsoon.
During this rainy affair, the players have to fight many monsters and bosses. After defeating their opponents successfully, the players can use the teleporter to advance to the next level. Likewise, they have to move through the levels, and in the final level, they get to escape from the planet after defeating all the monsters and the final boss.
8. Risk of Rain 2
- Developer: Hopoo Games
- Mode: Single-player, Multiplayer
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia
- Published By: Gearbox Publishing
Risk of Rain 2 is a sequel to the Risk of Rain game, with a similar game design but with increased difficulty levels and improvised sets of monsters, and other features.
9. Hades
- Developer: Supergiant Games
- Mode: Single-player
- Platform: macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
- Published By: Supergiant Games
Hades is a roguelike game design based on the same lines as Supergiant’s Pyre, which was a game that followed procedural narrative storytelling. In Hades, the players control the son of Hades named Zagreus. The players have to escape from the Underworld and reach their destination, which is Mount Olympus. During the course, the players have to fight enemies and earn gifts and treasure.
Hades offers a hack n slash combat system in which the players are free to use various combinations of their main weapon attack along with the magic ability and dash power. The game also allows multiple deaths of Zagreus. During the game course, Zagreus can interact with different Underworld characters, which is an additional feature of this game that follows procedural narration, which reveals new quests and rewards for the players.
10. Darkest Dungeon
- Developer: Red Hook Studios
- Mode: Single-player
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
- Published By: Red Hook Studios, Merge Games (physical editions only), Degica (Japan only)
Darkest Dungeon combines roguelike elements with role-playing and presents the roguelike game in a gothic setup. In the game, the players get to control a list of heroes and command them to explore the dungeons underneath a gothic mansion. The unique feature of the game is the heroes’ stress levels which increase with advancing levels.
The players can gain awards and enhanced abilities if their characters succeed in sustaining the high levels of stress. The Darkest Dungeon game is set out around an inherited gothic mansion, which the payers have earned in inheritance from their ancestors. The gothic mansion abodes evil powers and creatures which has to be defeated, so the players use their team of heroic characters to fight with evil creatures.
The aim is to kill all the monsters and evil creatures and restore peace in the mansion. Moreover, the Darkest Dungeon also offers the players to combat tactically and challenges their quick response and team-planning abilities which makes the Darkest Dungeon one of the best roguelike games in the roguelikes genre.
11. FTL: Faster Than Light
- Developer: Subset Games
- Mode: Single-player
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS
- Published By: Subset Games
FTL: Faster Than Light is a roguelike sci-fi game featuring an actual space-based hierarchical strategy. The players have to deliver critical information to an allied group of space travelers. Players have the command over a single spacecraft equipped with its own crew members, through which the players have to outrun the enemy spacecraft in order to reach their allies.
The players need to navigate through eight sectors, each having its own planetary systems. The players can recruit fresh crew members and earn upgrades and fittings for their spacecraft during the journey. However, the game imposes a permadeath where the players have to restart if the ship is destroyed, or all the crew members are lost.
12. NetHack
- Developer: The NetHack DevTeam
- Mode: Single-player
- Platform: Android, Web Browser, iOS, Linux, DOS, Microsoft Windows, Classic Mac OS, Unix, and more
- Published by: Gurr, Bartlet Software, Gandreas Software
NetHack is a roguelike game that is also open-source. It is a role-playing game that includes all the features of roguelike games, such as procedurally generated dungeons, permadeath, hack, and slash, with a humorous twist. The players get to select their characters’ race, sex, alignment, and different roles, such as priest, wizard, knight, archaeologist, tourist, caveman, and rogue, in the beginning.
The main aim of the game is to get the “Amulet of Yendor” by surpassing the different floors of the dungeons, fighting the monsters, and collecting treasures in the process. NetHack is one of the true roguelikes with permadeath features imposed strictly in the game.
13. Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup
- Developer: DCSS Devteam
- Mode: Single-player
- Platform: Web Browser, Cross-platform
- Published By: Brian Newitz, Barbs
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup is a roguelike game that is available for free and is open source. The game allows the players to create their own characters. The main aim of the game is to obtain the “Orb of Zot,” which is a MacGuffin. The players navigate their characters through the different levels of the dungeons, where they have to fight their way by defeating the monsters and entering the Realm of Zot, where the Orb is placed.
But before that, the players must collect three of the 15 runes of Zot, which are placed randomly in the dungeons. The incredibly detailed gameplay, including the random level generation implemented by the developers that increase the difficulty level, makes the Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup one of the best roguelike games in the roguelikes genre.
14. Dungeons of Dreadmor
- Developer: Gaslamp Games
- Mode: Single-player
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux
- Published By: Gaslamp Games
Dungeons of Dredmor is a roguelike game that is also a role-playing indie game. The gameplay is set in a hostile environment of a dungeon crawler. The game world is created on a tile-based square grid, which has a perspective of top-down view, where the enemies, loots, traps, treasures, etc., occupy different squares.
Moreover, the players have to get into the main character in the beginning and start going down the dungeons, which consist of different levels that are made up of interconnected rooms arranged in the form of a maze, which is procedurally generated, as per any traditional roguelike game. However, the difficulty level goes on increasing as the game progresses, and the player goes deeper and deeper into the dungeons.
This game also offers a feature of turn-based attack where the players and their opponents take turns to release their attacks or make their moves. The game ends when the players successfully defeat Lord Dredmor, who rules the dungeons. The players are armored with a list of items like food, drinks, crafting materials, potions, and currency called zorkmids.
Every floor in the game has shops where the buying and selling of equipment and other necessary materials can be made. Furthermore, the implementation of hack n slash abilities with weapons while navigating through the randomly generated levels is something that ensures an adrenaline rush, making Hades one of the best roguelike games in the roguelikes category.
15. Desktop Dungeon
- Developer: QCF Design
- Mode: Single-player
- Platform: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, iOS, Android
- Published By: QCF Design
Desktop Dungeon is a roguelike role-playing game that is presented in a condensed form, as each session allows 10 minutes to play. Players can choose their characters in the beginning and navigate through the procedurally generated dungeons. Players can unlock higher abilities, powerful weapons, and new character classes on successful invasion through the dungeons. The game also has a feature where the players can worship their deities, who have the power to protect or harm the players.
16. Enter the Gungeon
- Developer: Dodge Roll
- Mode: Single-player, Multiplayer
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Published By: Devolver Digital
Enter the Gungeon is a roguelike game based on gun-themed dungeons. Gungeon is a term coined for dungeons where gunfights take place. In the game, the players have to fight their enemies and kill their past with the help of guns. Also, the players can acquire new guns after getting through different levels, which are procedurally generated. There are four protagonists (the Marine, Convict, Pilot, and Hunter) available for the players to choose from at the beginning of the game.
The characters have to navigate through different rooms on various levels as they go deep into the dungeon. The rooms are equipped with treasures or enemies which are procedurally generated. Each room has a predefined set of enemies f varying strengths and attack plans. The players can get hold of guns by either winning over bosses or by buying the guns from the shops. The game provides a wide range of guns.
17. Brogue
- Developer: Brian Walker
- Mode: Single-player
- Platform: Linux, iOS, Android
- Published By: Seth Howard
Brogue is a roguelike similar to its predecessor Rogue. The players have to win the Amulet of Yendor from the deep dungeons while fighting their way through the deadly monsters and traps, which are randomly generate throughout the game. The game has 26 floors of the dungeon, and the Amulet of Yendor is on the 26th floor of the dungeon.
18. Wizard of Legend
- Developer: Contingent99
- Mode: Single-player, Multiplayer
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
- Published By: Humble Bundle
Wizard of Legend is a roguelike indie top-down game. The game offers the players to earn the title of “Wizard of Legend” after they successfully cross the ten floors of the dungeon known as the “Chaos Trials.” The players have to defeat the enemies and bosses in these procedurally generated floors with the help of spells. The players can buy the spells from the shops appearing on different floors with the help of the “Chaos Gems,” the currency in the game.
They can also collect Relics which are passive upgrades as they go through the floors. The players have to defeat the three major wizards, who are representatives of the elements fire, earth, water, air, and lightning, and the final boss, who is the representative of all normal elements and a special element called chaos, in order to complete the game.
19. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
- Developer: Nicalis
- Mode: Single-player, multiplayer
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, New Nintendo 3DS, Xbox One, iOS, Nintendo Switch
- Published By: Nicalis
Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a roguelike game based on the biblical story named “Binding of Isaac.” The game’s design is in similar lines as its predecessor, where the players control Isaac as he navigates through the basement to save his life from the monsters and his mother. While escaping through the basement, the players have to fight with monsters using Isaac’s tears as weapons. Moreover, as the players win different items, they can enhance their abilities and powers of Isaac.
20. Cultist Simulator
- Developers: Weather Factory, Playdigious
- Mode: Single-player
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, Linux, Android, macOS, iOS
- Published By: Humble Bundle, Playdigious
Cultist Simulator is a card-based simulation video game published by Humble Bundle and developed by indie studio Weather Factory. It is a narrative-driven simulation game that has to take the role of a citizen. When you first start the game, you will be given a single card and a single slot for that card on an empty table. From there can unlock cards, tokens, spaces, etc. Moreover, as your game progresses, you’ll start attracting new members to your cult, and as your cult grows, police and journalists, too. A lot keeps happening in the game, and it will make you come back to it repeatedly.
21. Nuclear Throne
- Developer: Vlambeer
- Mode: Single-player, Multiplayer
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch
- Published By: Vlambeer
Nuclear Throne is a roguelike game that is majorly a shooting game with a top-down approach. The main goal of the game is to defeat the final boss named the Nuclear Throne. The game offers 12 characters, out of which 10 characters you can avail through the game. Each character has its own unique abilities and powers. The players have to complete specific tasks, after which they can obtain secondary skins for their characters.
The game ranges over different levels, which are linearly structured. The game has the permadeath feature, just like traditional roguelike games, and the players have to restart upon death. The players can acquire two weapons simultaneously. The weapons available are a wide range of guns ranging from revolvers to rifles.
These are some of the best roguelike games which have been ruling the hearts of gamers for decades. Starting at an age where computers were operated in a text-based mode to the ultra-modern android times, the popularity of these games has surely surpassed the test of times, and with their attractive features, these roguelikes leave gamers craving for more.
