TheRoguelikeis a genre that’s been carried by indie games over the last decade or so, but with that reliance on indies comes a tendency for some games to fall into obscurity. This means you can have high-quality, fun roguelikes that never get even a lick of the attention they deserve.
6 Best Deck-Building Roguelikes, Ranked
Deck-building Roguelikes make up a fairly small gaming niche, but within this genre are some stellar titles that you just can’t miss.
I want to change that with this list, by delving into ten awesome roguelikes that didn’t get much time to shine, or anywhere near as dedicated a fanbase as others.
I can attest that these games have a loop that’s about as satisfying as your Isaacs and Gungeons, with quite appealing premises.
10Roboquest
Iconic, if a Little Unknown
Roboquest isn’t super unknown, but it’s never escaped a niche audience that adores it for being a sick combat-focused movement shooter roguelike.
It’s got awesome music, a slick style, and it feels incredibly good to move around enemy fire and shoot back at them.
It’s got almost everything you could want, with multiplayer, intense action, and vibes that are off the charts. It’s one of the more well-loved on this list for a good reason, and if you’re a fan of games likeBorderlands, Risk of Rain 2,or evenDOOM, I’d heavily recommend giving it a go.
Derivative but Delectable
Though admittedly a far less polished version of Peggle, Peglin manages to take that addictive ball-dropping gameplay and turn it into a satisfying roguelike RPG.
It’s a fusion that works surprisingly well and will have you yearning to play another run after you fly too close to the sun and gamble too much.
The Best Gift Ideas For People Who Love Roguelikes
Not sure what to get your favorite roguelike-addicted loved one or for yourself? Here are the best gifts you’ll be running in loops for.
It leans into the RNG factor a ton, leading to the most chaotic roguelike experience I’ve ever seen. While that reduces the skill ceiling and leads to a game you can win off good luck alone, that just makes getting a great run all the more satisfying, especially once you’ve got a grip on the wacky physics.
Survival of the Fittest
Death Road to Canada is a fun mixof some comedic survival horror with the top-down action roguelike gameplay that’s become a genre staple.
I’ve only really seen people playing courtesy of YouTube videos from about eight years ago, and it’s fallen into relative obscurity ever since.
It’s a shame, too, since this game is still going strong with new updates that add a bunch of new characters, critical hits, and fire extinguishers.
It’s a great time to go driving through the states, get together a ragtag band of survivors, and ensure the survival of at least one of them.
7(the) Gnorp Apologue
Randomized Idling
If you just took a small glance at (the) Gnorp Apologue, you might mistake it for an old, boring, idle game, but it’s much more than that.
It’s incredibly fast-paced, always letting you get a new upgrade, and even with a full prestige system, manages to be a roguelike where you can try for better times.
It’s just a silly game about making little dudes break a big rock by slamming their skulls into it, but once you start playing it, you’ll find a full-skill tree and a ton of stuff to dig into.
Every time you finish a run after a few hours, you’re encouraged to try again, and it is a wild mix of the two genres.
6Backpack Hero
Heard You Like Inventory Management
If you’ve ever wanted Slay the Spire with Resident Evil-style inventory management, forcing you to manage your physical inventory space carefully, then Backpack Hero is an easy recommendation.
It’s a pretty niche concept, far from a household name, but it’s got quite a bit of charm, and it’s really fun to get a run going.
It feels nice to pick up a few great weapons that don’t cost much energy, and then carry those with you while also keeping in mind space for armor and healing.
It’s a fun concept, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a very fun take on that roguelike RPG niche, as long as you don’t mind a little town-building.
An Even More Mega Man
As one of the only pure platformer roguelikes I know of,30XXtakes what Mega Man X did and runs a mile with it, making it an awesome, randomized experience.
You get a new level layout, a bunch of random upgrades, and a selection of really cool bosses on every run.
It’s only got around 2000 reviews on Steam, and outside of seeing a few speedrunners and hardcore Mega Man fans talk about it, this game isn’t widely known at all.
It’s a shame, too, since it’s such a unique game in the genre and one I’d recommend, even if you haven’t played Mega Man X.
4Picayune Dreams
Makes Touhou Look Tame
If you ever thought, “Man, I sure wish that someone would blend bullet hells, bullet heavens, and roguelikes into the most insane experience I’ve ever seen”, then boy, do I have the game for you.
Picayune Dreams is a roguelike where you move around a world with random environments, enemies and upgrades, dodging massive waves of enemy fire while sending out your own.
It feels like you’re playing Vampire Survivors and Touhou simultaneously, essentially, and while that makes for a game wrought with complete chaos, it’s made even better by the breakcore soundtrack and wonderfully weird story.
This game gets strange, surreal, and challenging. I have no words to describe the actual vibe of this game, it just kinda needs to be played to be believed, and it’s unfortunately gone under most people’s radars.
3Going Under
Never Creatively Bankrupt
If you’re a fan of roguelike dungeon crawlers and haven’t given the somehow notoriously underrated Going Under a try, you owe it to yourself to give it a shot.
It’s quirky, has some genuinely hilarious dialogue, and the combat feels super engaging, with just about every prop in a given level being usable as a weapon.
10 Best Roguelikes, Ranked
From Darkest Dungeon to Inscryption, this list breaks down the best games in the roguelike genre!
It’s an incredibly colorful game where you delve into derelict corporate basements, with literal skeletons in their closet.
Unfortunately, it never got the following it deserved, but if you’re a fan of the genre at all, I’d heavily recommend trying this game out. It’s a hell of a lot of fun and hilarious.
2Zet Zillions
The Most Polished Gem
Zet Zillions is an awesome roguelike deckbuilder done in a slick hand-drawn style with fully voiced cutscenes, and everything feels incredibly polished.
It’s a unique sci-fi-themed take on the formula, and it’s got a massive variety of bosses with awesome designs, and unique cards that’ll lead to some wild decks.
It’s not the most original game out there, as it’s mechanicallysimilar to most other roguelike deck builders, just with a card fusion mechanic. But even still, it’s of extremely high quality and great with lore.
If you’re looking for a randomized strategy RPG that’ll deliver a pretty heavy story focus and some cheesy science fiction, Zet Zillions is an easy recommendation.
A Putt Above the Rest
Somehow, Golfie exists as a fusion of competitive minigolf and roguelike deckbuilding, with a ton of variation on the concept thrown in through the various cards you can collect.
It’s because of this super unique idea, and because it’s only got a few hundred Steam reviews, I think it’s one of the best hidden gems of the genre.
It’s not super polished, but it’s really fun to hit your ball, activate the cards in your deck in the best possible order to get the most out of your swing, and watch everything go to plan.
It’s good fun with friends, too, and you rarely run out of new combinations and scenarios to find yourself in, making it a great golf game overall.
The 15 Best Roguelikes For Under $20
These are the best roguelikes for under $20 right now so you don’t have to worry about taking out a small loan to pick them up!
