The best roguelikes on Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and more

Although roguelikes’ surge in popularity is still a recent phenomenon, their history dates back more than 40 years — since 1980, to be exact, which is when Rogue put the “rogue” in roguelike. That’s a lot of rogues.

Still, it’s only in the last decade or so that roguelikes entered the mainstream. These roguelikes have been so popular that many aspects of their makeup can be seen in AAA projects. They include mechanics such as permadeath, randomness and procedurally generateddungeons. Hell, one of 2021’s best games was a roguelike from a PlayStation first-party studio. There has been a certain saturation of the market. It can be hard to tell which one is right for you from the hundreds. That’s where we come in.

These are some of the most popular roguelikes available right now.

Retoural

Image: Housemarque/Sony Interactive Entertainment via Polygon

It’s a little bit like being spoiled. Retoural’s We have already included this on our list, so let’s use that to get things started. This was previously known for its games such as ResogunAnd Nex Machina, Housemarque has always been a studio with a cult following, but it hasn’t necessarily been a household name. This all has changed since the introduction of Housemarque. Returnal.

The planet Atropos is the setting. Retoural You will be playing as astronaut Selene Vassos in space. She has been locked into a time loop and is unable to stay alive. It’s a brutally challenging third-person shooter that leans heavily into the difficult side of roguelike design, so it’s not for the uninitiated. If the element of roguelikes you’re most interested in is their high skill ceiling, Retoural You should consider adding it to your top list. If not, it’s probably best to give Atropos a miss.

RetouralIt is now available at 5.

Rogue Legacy 2

Image: Cellar Door Games

While Rogue Legacy While the original game has been a hit in roguelike circles almost a decade ago, its highly acclaimed sequel launched early in 2022. The first game is good — the second one is better.

Rogue Legacy 2 Metroidvania’s platformer, this game requires you to navigate procedurally generated dungeons. This is similar to many action-orientated roguelikes. This game stands out because of its tight level design, which beautifully combines Metroidvania structures and shapes with the exacting demands of the toughest roguelikes.

It’s probably worth mentioning that, if you’re a pedant, Rogue Legacy 2 — as well as several other games on this list — is technically a rogueliteA roguelike is not the same as a smuggler. The reason is that currency allows you to upgrade your progress, rather than starting from zero.

But hey, it’s still ultimately inspired by Rogue, right? Then again, who is there to judge?

Rogue Legacy 2 It is compatible with Windows PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X.

Spelunky 2

Image: BlitWorks/Mossmoth via Polygon

Similar to Rogue Legacy, SpelunkyThe game started strongly, and it did better its second time around. It’s another platformer that prides itself on level design above all else, with each new series of procedurally generated caves making a fine case for further spelunking.

It’s worth noting that while Spelunky 2 is definitely stronger than the original, avid roguelike fans shouldn’t neglect the latter. First Spelunky was a pioneer of contemporary roguelike design, and is in part responsible for starting the genre’s renaissance over a decade ago. If you’re interested in the history of roguelikes but don’t have the patience for some of the more dated stuff, Spelunky This is a great place to begin. Next, you will be able to move on. Spelunky 2, Enjoy the couple as a diorama that shows how far the genre has come in 15 years.

Spelunky 2This app is also available for Windows PC and PlayStation 4 as well as Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch.

Risque of Rain II

Image by Hopoo Games/Gearbox Publishing

We are working on a sequel. (We promise the last one.) Risque of Rain II It is an excellent third-person shooter and is frequently regarded as the best roguelike ever created. Its high-octane, run-’n’-gun structure is perfectly attuned to both of roguelikes’ most crucial selling points: being enjoyable in relatively short bursts, and being so enjoyable that said short bursts somehow transform into ultramarathons. It’s also basically the Mario 64 There are many roguelikes.

It is one of the greatest things about Risque of Rain II The best thing about it is its support for co-op. This is something that is often overlooked in roguelike gaming. The only thing better than experiencing “Just one more run!” is experiencing it with a friend — especially when said friend is the one helping you to escape a planet on which every living organism wants to kill you.

Risque of Rain IIIt is compatible with Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Cryptography

Image: Daniel Mullins Games/Devolver Digital via Polygon

CryptographyThe result is fascinating because it’s a strange mixture of several things. To talk about it at length is arguably the only proper way to talk about it at all, although for the sole purpose of encouraging you to play it, we’ll merely set the stage.

It’s easy to see why. Cryptography This deck builder might look a bit more edgy than it actually is. The game also includes found footage, acts as an ARG and introduces puzzles outside its own card game. It’s the kind of game you won’t be able to understand until you try it out for yourself — but we promise that you should. If you’re interested in the various shapes and forms roguelikes can take, it’s a must-play. And that’s not to mention the fact it was Polygon’s best game of 2021.

CryptographyIt is compatible with Windows PCs, Macs, and Linux.

The Gungeon is open

Dodge Roll/Devolver Digital

Considered a classic now, The Gungeon is open This is an extremely fast bullet-hell shooter with a high degree of procedural generation. It can also double as a Roguelike. It has many playable characters and literally hundreds You have a lot of options to choose from and to experiment with. This makes mastering the game quite challenging.

It is a game where you must make your way through the Gungeon to defeat enemy and collect loot. While simple in theory, it is — like many roguelikes — fiendishly difficult in execution.

The Gungeon is openIt is compatible with Windows PC, Mac and Linux.

Darkest Dungeon

Image: Red Hook Studios

It’s dark, and it’s got dungeons. What’s not to like?

Darkest Dungeon It adds an element of complexity to the core functions of roguelikes. It allows you to manage multiple characters at once, instead of just one.

In addition to having their own skills and classes, every hero also has a Stress mechanic that makes it more challenging for them to manage the party. If you’re interested in it, the sequel is also currently available in early access and is scheduled to launch in full in early 2023.

Darkest DungeonAvailable on Windows PC and Mac.

Dicey Dungeons

Terry Cavanagh

As well as having arguably the most unique concept on this list — weird game show in which each contestant is unknowingly transformed into one of several sentient dice — Dicey Dungeons Deck-builder who is extremely tight and roguelike, offering a wide range of design possibilities.

It involves the collection of cards and then using dice to activate these cards in combat. But, you can also play. Dicey Dungeons Well requires a deeper understanding of the game. After mastering basic runs, you’ll be invited to experiment with tailor-made levels, dubbed “episodes,” which have their own innate challenges: Your health goes down instead of up as you progress, or you’re cursed from the get-go, to name a couple. You solve a puzzle every time. Dicey Dungeons, your reward is… a harder puzzle. It’s tough but satisfying in the way only the very best roguelikes are.

Dicey DungeonsIt is compatible with Windows PC, Mac and Linux.

Gwent: Rogue Mage

Image: CD Project

Everyone who’s had the privilege of playing The Witcher 3Will already be intimately acquainted with Gwent, The Continent’s most popular card game. It became so popular, in fact, that CD Projekt Red decided to give it a game of its own — which was ironically not very popular.

Fortunately, GwentWith its first expansion it gained an impressive companion piece. Rogue Mage. It’s a single-player story that reappropriates the base game’s deck-building for a roguelike experience, drastically outshining it in the process. People often complain that there aren’t enough Witcher Even though games are a popular choice, The Witcher, The Witcher 2,Please see the following: ThronebreakerAll of them are excellent. (The complaint would be more honest if it was “There aren’t enough Witcher 3s.”) Let Rogue Mage be the argument that finally repudiates that criticism.

Gwent: Rogue MageAvailable on Windows PC and Mac as well as iOS, Android, and Android.

Monster Train

Image: Shiny Shoe/Good Shepherd Entertainment

All talk about it Take down the Spire — which, spoiler alert, is also on this list — but in many ways, Monster Train Deck-builder of distinction. It’s nowhere as stylish as Take down the Spire, nor is it quite as refined, but its verticality mechanic introduces a variety of permutations and combinations that often make planning your next move an ordeal — in a good way, of course. Videos are meant to be entertaining.

Monster Train You can also combine factions from different countries, giving you more build possibilities for those who know the rules. It doesn’t have the nicest aesthetic, and its challenges can often feel a bit… arbitrary, to be generous. But, in terms of deck-building power? It is easily one of the most popular games. This is evident by the fact that hundreds of thousands are still trying to complete its daily challenges.

Monster TrainIt is also available for Windows PC and Xbox One.

Dead Cells

Motion Twin

A complete list would not exist of the most roguelikes. Dead CellsThis is one of the best and most loved games you can play. Rogue. This system works on pure freneticism. Each jump and jab feel vigorous, but also deeply tactile.

The majority of Dead Cells’ The appeal of this game is the way it blends different influences to create its unique recipe. While it functions as a roguelike, it is styled as a Metroidvania and borrows patterns from notoriously difficult games, namely FromSoftware’s Souls series. This isn’t a casual comparison to Souls. are — Dead Cells It teaches you how to anticipate enemy behavior until you are able to predict and finally defeat them. It is a deeply satisfying game to learn, and is beyond deserving of the praise that it’s so often afforded.

Dead CellsIt is compatible with Windows PC, Mac and Linux as well as PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android.

Breach

Image from Subset Games

Breach differs from the other games on this list in that it is primarily a turn-based strategy game — it is still undoubtedly a roguelike, however.

This game’s objective is to save civilization from an aggressive kaiju-like species by using mechs. Grid-based combat is used to play out this mission. It also incorporates mobility management and standard actions. It is simple and elegant. Breach allow it to be approachable without compromising its strategic depth, making it a perfect entry point for aspiring roguelike-likers — or roguelikers. It’s also available via Netflix Gaming now, which converts your phone into a convenient* Breach machine.

*dangerous

BreachIt is compatible with Windows PC, Mac and Nintendo Switch as well as iOS, Android, iOS, Android, and Windows PC.

The Binding of Isaac

Image: Edmund McMillen/Nicalis

Roguelike lovers have likely already had their fill of roguelikes. The Binding of Isaac, but if you’re new to the genre, it’s a crucial part of its history that shouldn’t be skipped. It’s fair to say we wouldn’t be where we are today without Isaac and his incessant crying.

The Binding of Isaac You are a roguelike dungeon crawler that requires you to navigate through procedurally generated areas. While that sounds like a lot of other games, it was one of the first popular modern efforts to introduce… well, all of those descriptors! There certainly have been better roguelikes in the decade since it originally launched, but they’re few and far between, making Isaac It is not only a great classic, it’s a defining feature of the scene.

The Binding of IsaacIt is compatible with Windows PCs, Macs, and Linux. The Binding of Isaac – RebirthAvailable on Windows PC and Mac, Linux as well as PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Xbox One.

Mooncrash is the prey

Image: Arkane Studios/Bethesda

This is admittedly a bit of a weird pick, since it’s technically DLC for a story-driven immersive sim. This is why I revisited. PreyTo try it Mooncrash was because it was literally described to me as a “Prey roguelike.” Failing all other logic, that justifies its position on this list.

All seriousness aside, Mooncrash It is functionally a “roguelike” in the sense that it provides a high degree of variation, a procedurally reset map and total loss of progress on death. This roguelike also benefits from being part of PreyThe game is one of my favorite games, and it was created by one the finest games studios in history. If that doesn’t sell it to you, nothing will.

Mooncrash is the prey This is compatible with Windows PC and PlayStation 4 as well as Xbox One.

FTL = Faster than Light

Image by Subset Games

FTLHe is an icon in the roguelike world, and has enjoyed immense success for over a decade. It was the first effort produced by Subset Games — more recently known for the aforementioned Into the Breach — This is why it’s a vital part of the “two-punch” that proves the developer averted a second slump.

Similar to Breach, FTL is one of the less uniform games on this list, in that it basically does… just totally its own thing. You’re tasked with operating a spaceship from a top-down view, from maintaining oxygen levels to rerouting power across shields, weapons, and various other systems. You will need to fight space pirates and take over beacons. You can also die to end your progress. It’s very tense, but that’s a major part of its charm, and why it still endures as one of the best roguelikes today.

FTL: Lighter Than LightIt is compatible with Windows PC, Mac, Linux and iOS.

Take down the Spire

MegaCrit/Humble Bundle

Given that we already mentioned this, it should not be surprising. Take down the Spire A curated roguelike deck collection should include this element. This deck has been a key component of any curated roguelike collection and is partly responsible for the rise in popularity and uptake of roguelike deck builders over the past three years.

Since then, most deck builders who are rogues have been exterminated Take down the Spire have been forced to deviate from it in increasingly more discernible ways — again, just look at how strange Cryptography is. It might appear a little simpler than other titles. It is simple, but it’s good. It’s why Take down the Spire is still the quintessential roguelike deck-building game, and it’s why that statement will continue to be true no matter how many games follow in its wake.

Take down the SpireAvailable on Windows PC and Mac.

Loop Hero

Image: Four Quarters/Devolver Digital

Loop HeroAnother strange combination of genres, this one is truly unique and completely inimitable when you witness it being played out.

You walk like a hero in a circle. A loop. The path to nowhere. Spend time with them. Loop Hero, you’ll start to notice all of its various intricacies: It incorporates deck-building; it includes influences from city-builders and management sims; there are skill and stat modifications.

None of these things should work together, at least in theory — it’s too busy, there’s too much conflict. Yet, somehow Loop Hero The game is highly cohesive and steadily has made its case as the best ever roguelike. Once you join the loop, it’s hard as hell to leave it behind.

Loop HeroIt is compatible with Windows PC, Mac, Linux and Nintendo Switch.

Vampire Survivors

Photo: Poncle

While 2022 hasn’t been the most exciting year for AAA blockbusters, it’s had its fair share of sleeper hits, one of which is the absurdly excellent Vampire Survivors.

Going off its minimalist art style, limited control scheme, and ostensibly cluttered mob design, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Vampire Survivors The experience is somewhat boring. But, underneath all the chaos there is still a certain level of complexity which makes it what any roguelike dreams to be: nearly infinitely replayable.

Each run has its own unique characteristics, including soul-harvesting tree and old man waving garlic cloves above his head. Vampire Survivors feels like the first time you’ve ever played it, except that somehow you’ve gained intimate knowledge of its sorcerous tricks and darkest arts. It’s one of best games of 2022, and is already a candidate for one of the best roguelikes we’ve seen to date.

Vampire SurvivorsIt is also available for Mac and Windows PC.

Hades

Image: Supergiant Games

The title of this listing is undoubtedly responsible. Hades burst onto the scene in late 2020 with the energy of the Underworld’s cheekiest demigod mowing down hordes of hellions in search of his Olympian mother. It’s the main reason “roguelike” went from a relatively niche term to one of the most highly sought-after genres around town. Hell, it even became the first video game in history to win a Hugo Award — Zag and the chthonic crew are just that good.

Supergiant Gaming developed this game. Hades blends a narrative structure derived from visual novels with The kind of high-octane combat and on-the-fly build experimentation that befits only the best roguelikes — or, in this case, the best roguelike. You can’t escape Tartarus once you have set foot, as the House of Hades denizens likely already know.

You play Hades You become a rogueliker. It’s that simple.

HadesIt is compatible with Windows PC, Mac and PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 or Xbox One.