Welcome to the ultimate guide to the absolute best roguelikes and roguelites! From heart-pounding underworld odysseys to strategic inventory battles, get ready for non-stop action, endless challenges, and addictive replayability.
Table of Contents
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor
Let’s start our list of the best roguelikes and roguelites with a game that no one expected to do as well as it does, not even the developers themselves: Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor. This Early Access title throws you into a relentless battle against swarms of alien monstrosities. Players familiar with Deep Rock Galactic will recognize the weapons you use to blast your way through procedurally generated caves.
If you enjoy games like Vampire Survivors (also featured on this blog), you can’t go wrong with this one. From mining precious resources to facing down wave after wave of hostile creatures, every moment is a heart-pounding rush in this bullet hell. Smooth gameplay and endless replayability await you!
Death Must Die
Another Early Access title we’ve had a lot of fun with so far is Death Must Die, which can best be described as a blend of Vampire Survivors and Hades. In this roguelite RPG, you embark on an epic journey through the depths of the underworld. As a hero chosen by the gods themselves, you’ll use divine powers to battle Death and his legions of minions.
Death Must Die features relentless action and endless possibilities. Customize your play style, unlock new heroes, and discover powerful artifacts to create unstoppable combinations. Be warned, the gameplay loop is addictive, and every loss will only fuel your determination to defeat Death next time.
Returnal
Let’s talk about Returnal, a game that we had to wait two years to play on PC after its initial release on PlayStation. If you like third-person shooters, space settings, and strong female protagonists, this is the game for you.
As Selene, you’ll be thrust into an unforgiving, shape-shifting world where survival means breaking the cycle. With each death, you’ll face new challenges and unearthly horrors. The game’s gothic art style and eerie atmosphere plunge you into a sci-fi nightmare, while the combat demands precision and resilience.
Risk of Rain Returns
Next on our list of the best roguelikes and roguelites is none other than Risk of Rain Returns. This revamped classic brings back everything we loved about the original, plus a ton of new features and challenges to keep you on your toes.
Go on adrenaline-pumping runs through the treacherous landscapes of Petrichor V, where danger lurks around every corner and ancient secrets await discovery. With improved Survivors, borrowed from Risk of Rain 2, and new items and abilities, every playthrough feels fresh and exciting. Improved controls, diverse gameplay options, and addictive replayability make Risk of Rain Returns a must-have for fans of the series and new players alike.
Vampire Survivors
As mentioned before, we couldn’t make a list of the best roguelikes and roguelites without highlighting Vampire Survivors. We’ve already talked about it in our blog about the best open-world games, but we take every opportunity to rave about it again!
In this gothic horror gem, you’ll face off against legions of nightmarish creatures armed only with your wits and sheer determination. As dusk falls, your skills will be put to the test in a relentless battle against the unknown. Will you succumb to the darkness, or will you emerge a true survivor?
Dead Cells
Another game that we’ve covered in another blog, but that we just had to bring up again is Dead Cells. This roguelite, metroidvania masterpiece combines the best of both worlds, offering relentless 2D souls-lite combat and a labyrinthine castle that evolves with each playthrough. With no checkpoints, it’s a journey of kill, die, learn, and repeat.
Armed with over 150 weapons and spells, every encounter is a test of skill and strategy. Navigate non-linear paths from sinister sewers to towering ramparts, each offering unique challenges and rewards. With polished mechanics, a wide variety of weapons, and a dash of humor, it’s a game not to be missed.
Backpack Hero
If managing your inventory is one of your favorite things in any game, you won’t want to miss the next game on our list of the best roguelikes and roguelites: Backpack Hero. In this innovative adventure, your backpack is a strategic battleground. Every item you collect matters, and how you organize them is the key to victory.
Delve into ancient dungeons, navigate treacherous swamps, and defeat menacing enemies while mastering the art of inventory management. Arrange your items wisely to unlock their full potential and unleash devastating power on your enemies! But it’s not all danger and peril; between quests, you’ll rebuild the quaint village of Haversack Hill, attracting new residents and unlocking exciting challenges.
Ship of Fools
Embark on an epic adventure across the tumultuous seas in Ship of Fools, a daring seafaring roguelite that pits you against the mighty Aquapocalypse! You and your trusty shipmate, The Stormstrider, must brave monstrous sea creatures and the wrath of the storm.
Man the cannons, hoist the sails, and navigate the treacherous archipelago where the Great Lighthouse lies shattered, unleashing a storm of corruption upon the world. Each voyage offers new challenges and the chance to unlock new characters with unique abilities.
Soulstone Survivors
The last game on our list of the best roguelikes and roguelites is Soulstone Survivors, another great action roguelike. In this game, you’ll face the sinister Lords of the Void and their relentless minions to seize their coveted Soulstones and ascend to godhood! As a Void Hunter, your path is filled with secrets to unlock, powerful spells to cast, and game-breaking synergies to exploit.
Fight intense battles, defeat colossal bosses, and collect the spoils of war to craft legendary weapons and unlock diverse characters. Soulstone Survivors seamlessly blends deep RPG mechanics with the thrill of roguelite gameplay, ensuring that each venture into the void is as exhilarating as the last.
Honorable mentions
As always, we have a few more games for you that are definitely among the best roguelikes and roguelites, but that we’ve already discussed in detail in other blogs. One of them is of course Hades, one of the best roguelikes we’ve ever played. Check out this blog to read more about it!
Other recommendations include The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, which was featured in our blog about the best 2D games, Dome Keeper, which you can read about in our blog about the top 10 pixel games, and Tiny Rogues, which made our list of the best dungeon crawlers.
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Roguelikes and roguelites are known for their high difficulty, and while we love them, sometimes we just want them to be a little more relaxing. If you’re in the same boat, or if you want them to be even harder, you should try PLITCH!
PLITCH is a software that provides cheats and mods for all the games on this list and over 4,000 more! Single-player only, of course. It’s no fun to ruin someone else’s gaming experience. Our trainers are always up to date, and we release codes for new releases as quickly as possible.
Our Discord server and forum are full of fellow gamers, so if you want to chat with others or ask our team members a question, we’re always happy to help!
You can also find out more about PLITCH on this blog and our YouTube channel.
Happy Gaming!
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