The Roguelike genre is a cornerstone of the indie gaming industry, with many titles that offer something completely different from one another. These games all take some inspiration from the old game Rogue and introduce mechanics in a unique way.
Slay the Spire 2 is the most recent addition to the genre, and perhaps the title that has garnered the most attention from the gaming industry in general, right after Silksong. And while the verdict is still out on where it places among these gems, we have made this list of 11 best Roguelike games of all time, to show you what it is competing with.
Note: We will not be making a distinction between Roguelikes and Roguelites as they both fall under the same umbrella. Their definition is inconsistent even within the community, and we simply don’t want to gatekeep a genre over a few mechanics.
11: Balatro
Platforms: Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch 1 & 2, PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Balatro, in our opinion, is one of the most raw Roguelike games. It’s not trying to do too much, it doesn’t have a narrative, and it’s very easy to get into. All it has going for it is the gameplay, and it has perfected that pretty well.
The only reason it falls below others on this list is that they have a lot more going on. These games have not only done a great job at the gameplay, but also in other parts like voice acting, story, and gameplay loop. So, while Balatro isn’t the greatest as an “overall game”, it certainly has one of the best deckbuilder gameplay.
10: FTL: Faster Than Light
Platforms: Windows, MacOS, Linux, iPadOS
Faster Than Light is a classic Roguelike where you manage a ship across random encounters. That’s probably the most barebones explanation of a game, and it doesn’t do it enough justice. The game has so much strategy involved, and all the times that you succeed feel like absolute bliss.
However, those strengths are exactly what hold it back from appealing to a general audience. Sure, you can enjoy it at your own pace and relax more, but the randomness of encounters and the difficulty make it less fun for a lot of newcomers.
9: Noita
Platforms: Windows
Noita offers one of the deepest gameplay systems of any Roguelike. In this game, either the world is extremely unfair to you, or you become the very thing unfair to the world. It is punishing at times, and many players have qualms with the permadeath, but there are a ton of mods that allow you to overcome those aspects.
There are ways to enjoy Noita, but without such mods, the game has a hard time being as fun for the player. If these mods didn’t exist, it probably wouldn’t make the list, but they have become a big part of this game, and for that, Noita earns a spot.
8: Mewgenics
Platforms: Windows
Mewgenics is no doubt one of the greatest games to come out this year. It has the right amount of absurdity and requires a lot of tactics. You need to build an army of cats by selective breeding, giving you some grotesque results, which you then have to send off to fight.
The game might have been much higher on this list if it came out a decade ago, but due to an unfortunately long development cycle, it’s competing with titles that have had enough time to bring out their best. Still, to be considered among the top, not even two months after launch, is a massive feat.
7: Risk of Rain 2
Platforms: Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Risk of Rain 2 is one of those games where the more hours you sink into it, the more you realize how much variety it has to offer. It might feel lacklustre to those who don’t like this kind of gameplay style, but that’s rare if you like Roguelikes in general.
It has been widely considered the best by many gamers, but recent years have seen its reputation decline, mostly due to a bad DLC launch and bugs. A lot of that has been fixed, but you will definitely find people who have strong opinions surrounding the game.
6: Spelunky 2
Platforms: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Spelunky, in general, is a great series, but Spelunky 2 does feel like a slight upgrade when it comes to content and difficulty. The game tests your fast thinking and decision-making in split seconds.
Sure, it is a hit or miss for some new players, but the game does things differently than others, and that uniqueness should be rewarded. It also features one of the best multiplayer modes in Roguelikes, which adds more fun to the challenge.
5: Hades
Platforms: macOS, Nintendo Switch, Windows, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, iOS
Supergiant Games made a perfect game known as Hades, and then somehow topped that with the sequel. The only reason we have it a bit lower is that the sequel does things a little better. Regardless, Hades has one of the best art styles with commendable voice acting.
The lore is also one of the most expansive you can find in a Roguelite, to the point where you will be uncovering new things about certain characters after a thousand hours. And all of that is aside from its fast-paced and addictive combat.
4: Slay the Spire
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS, Android
Slay the Spire is the talk of the town right now with the success of its sequel. While we can’t rank Slay the Spire 2 due to its very recent release, we can confidently say it builds upon the original extremely well.
Slay the Spire is one of, if not the best, deckbuilder Roguelikes with well-balanced mechanics. There are so many cards and relics and unique ways they interact with one another. It is almost impossible to have two identical runs, making the gameplay loop extremely satisfying.
3: Dead Cells
Platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One, iOS, Android
There is a reason Dead Cells is considered a cornerstone of the genre. The combat is fun yet challenging, and the overall pacing makes each run feel longer than it actually is. The pixel art style is also done splendidly across each biome.
There is an NG+ system with an ending, which makes the game feel complete overall. Even then, it has a good amount of replayability with very few flaws.
2: The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
Platforms: Linux, Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4 & 5, PlayStation Vita, New Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Xbox One, iOS, Nintendo Switch 1 & 2, Xbox Series X/S
Originally planned as a “stepping stone” by Edmund McMillen for the development of Mewgenics, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a kind of masterpiece that cannot be replicated. The power scaling system is satisfying, watching yourself go from weak to being very powerful.
However, what truly makes this game so great is the sheer amount of content you can enjoy. Even after hundreds of hours, you will be unlocking new items and learning things. Despite being over a decade old, it’s one of the few titles that many old players continue playing to this day.
1: Hades 2
Platforms: macOS, Nintendo Switch 1 & 2, Windows
Hades 2 has everything that made the first game so great and more. The story is deeper, more connected, and the Overworld/Underworld paths make each run extremely unique. There are a ton of things to unlock, and each run adds more value to the next.
Similar to Hades 1, the endgame difficulty system is very well-made. It allows you to make things more challenging and rewards the player for doing so. There are dozens of quests you can progress through to unlock unique interactions. All in all, Hades 2 is truly the best Roguelike game of all time.
Honorable Mentions
- God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla DLC
- Nethack
- Caves of Qud
- Curse of the Dead Gods
- Cult of the Lamb
- Against the Storm
- Blue Prince
The Roguelike genre has a ton of great titles and innovative games that bend the definition of what a Roguelike is. As such, the list is bound to be different for every person, and that’s what makes all of these games so great.
What are your best Roguelike games of all time?