Are you a fan of roguelike games? So are we here at Gaming Scan! Here are the best roguelike games out there to play now.

1. Heroes of Hammerwatch

It’s worth mentioning straight away, Heroes of Hammerwatch is a very grindy game but that grinding comes with rewards. As one of a few main classes, you are placed in a town and just sort of let loose. Upon talking to villagers, you find out the town is in disarray and the best way to start its reparation is by clearing out the well. You can use gold and ores found in there to upgrade your character, your gear and your town alongside your heroes level. Whilst you lose all your loot if you die in the well, if you make it out or send them back, you can put them to use. This makes the progression systems feel practically endless with hundreds of hours of content to make your way through over multiple level types and biomes. Every part of Heroes of Hammerwatch can be changed to some extent making the base experience, rewarding, challenging, and damn addicting. It helps that you can bring a friend or three. 

2. THE BINDING OF ISAAC

Developer Edmund McMillen’s The Binding of Isaac reinvigorated the roguelike genre when it arrived on the scene almost a decade ago. Plenty of flashier, more modern roguelike games have come along in the time since then, but there’s still nothing quite like it.

It remains unflinching in its depiction of Isaac’s dire situation. In fact, the game sits comfortably in the realm of horror as you cry your way through its repellent world and encounter Isaac’s many demons, including his own mother. Ultimately, its enduring popularity is a testament to both its elegant design and singular personality.

While The Binding of Isaac Repentance may be the final update, it adds a whole bunch of new enemies, rooms, secret bosses, and even support for up four players in local co-op. No wonder it managed to accrue 60,000 concurrent players on Steam alone in its opening weekend (though it’s also available on the Epic Game Store, so that number is likely a bit higher).

3. DARKEST DUNGEON

Darkest Dungeon is misery incarnate. Visually oppressive, brutally difficult, and bleak in the extreme, never has such a moreish game made you feel quite so bad. It succeeds at holding you in a constant state of anxiety as you delve deeper into its dungeons in search of trinkets and gold.

Overcoming each dungeon’s grim inhabitants in turn-based combat is one thing, but you also have to consider that your party members aren’t thoughtless meat shields. The physical and mental toil of your expeditions will inevitably take its toll on them, and this is what gives Darkest Dungeon its bite. The very real nightmare of contracting a foul disease or seeing a friend wounded – or worse – can cause any adventurer to spiral towards an early grave. It’s therefore imperative that you carefully assess your every move.

4. HADES

Supergiant’s latest casts you as Zagreus, son of Hades and prince of the underworld, as he does everything in his power to escape from hell itself. It’s an isometric hack ‘n’ slash where the combat is ferocious and the enemies are plentiful.

By tying together its procedural runs with a compelling plot and likeable cast of characters, Hades highlights the narrative potential of the genre’s cyclical nature. Each failed attempt results in you being resurrected in your home, the House of Hades, where your old pals and family members await their latest chat with you.

5. Wizard of Legend

Take control of a battle-hardened wizard and complete the Chaos Trials, a 10-level procedurally generated dungeon that will test you at every turn. You’ll have to rely on your entire library of spells to attack, defend, and navigate your way through the challenges. Collect money and treasure along the way to unlock new spells and items to boost your strength and increase your endurance.

Think you can handle it? Defeat the four elemental bosses and become the Wizard of Legend. The game is available for PC and major consoles, and it’s received great ratings from critics and players alike.

6. Spelunky

If you’re a fan of humorous co-op roguelike games, Spelunky is one of the best titles around. Players take control of the spelunker, a cave explorer who enjoys collecting treasure, taking down enemies, and saving damsels in distress. Use your prowess to dive deeper and deeper, avoiding traps and discovering ancient archeological artifacts. There are numerous items and abilities to be found or purchased, and the procedurally generated dungeons provide hours of entertainment. It’s an exciting casual game that’s great to play alone or with friends.

7. Slay of spire

In Slay the Spire, you play as an adventurer tasked with climbing up a seemingly endless tower and wiping out all the enemies on every floor. Sound tough? That’s because it is. Each floor of the spire features a procedurally-generated layout with challenging enemies scattered throughout. Use your cards (combined with your mad skills) to defeat these enemies, and you’ll continue the climb! Lose, and it’s back to square one.

You can find Slay the Spire on every computer OS, every eighth-gen console, and all the major mobile platforms.

8. Moonlighter

Moonlighter is a stylish roguelite RPG where you play as Will, the merchant hero. With the passing of Will’s parents, he inherits his family’s shop, the Moonlighter, and obtains the freedom to follow his dreams of becoming a hero. The game revolves around exploration of five ancient dungeons. You fight monsters, find treasure, avoid traps, and try to make it back to your shop with any loot you can.

Anything you find in the dungeon, broken weapons, monster drops, ancient tomes, will be worth something to someone back in the Moonlighter. In the daytime, you can open your shop and start learning about the economy. The goal is to maximize your gold without angering your patrons with outrageous prices. 

By night the dungeon’s monsters will be more dangerous, but not without bigger rewards. The game has five different styles of weapon and three classes of armor, each with different branching enchantments for your customization. Should you reach the end of a dungeon, you will come face to face with an ancient creature and an epic challenge.

9. Brogue

Brogue is a free indie roguelike that’s been in development since 2009. It features tried-and-true ASCII art as well as challenging MUD mechanics that will entertain seasoned veterans and novices alike. The goal? Enter the Dungeons of Doom to collect the Amulet of Yandor, a sacred treasure with immense power. But be wary! The dungeon is procedurally generated with no maps or guides to follow, and monsters lurk in the shadows waiting for you to make one mistake. If you enjoy classic roguelikes with challenging mechanics, Brogue is one of the best indie options available.

10. Dead Cells

Dead Cells puts a unique spin on the roguelike genre with its sci-fi storyline and fiendish mechanics. What makes it so special? Well, players assume control of a slime-like creature that has the power to control corpses. The goal is to fight your way out of the dungeon, but it won’t come easy — danger lurks around every corner. In order to survive, players must collect cells, the in-game currency, to unlock upgrades and purchase new items. With enough courage and a little luck, you may just make it out alive.

11. Crypt of the NecroDancer

Crypt of the NecroDancer is in a class all its own with mechanics that’ll rock your world. The premise? Players assume control of Cadence, the daughter of a famous treasure hunter who recently turned up missing. Intent on finding her father, Cadence makes her way into a large underground dungeon controlled by the NecroDancer. But once inside, the NecroDancer steals Cadence’s heart! The only way to keep the blood pumping is to traverse the dungeon while moving to the rhythm of the beat. Align your actions with the rhythm in order to successfully navigate the dungeon and destroy the NecroDancer once and for all.

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