Summary
It’s safe to say that theroguelikegenre is a saturated market; their tight gameplay loops and high replay values make them great targets for indie developers, and their massive popularity since the release ofgames likeThe Binding Of Isaachas kept them releasing steadily for over ten years now.
Due to the genre’s namesake and point of origin,Rogue, roguelikes have continued a fantastical trend since their conception; this is furthered by the fact thatRogueitself takes a lot of inspiration from tabletop RPGs such asDungeons & Dragons. However, in recent years, there have been a handful of great roguelikes that take place in science fiction settings, be that traditional roguelikes likeCaves Of Qud, or more streamlined experiences such asRisk Of Rain 2.
Roguelikes Vs Roguelites: Those interested in the semantics canread more about these genres here, but this list includes games that feature both procedural generation and permanent death, with most of them also featuring turn-based combat; some of these games are arguably closer to the roguelite genre, but none of them feature permanent progression outside of character unlocks and extra difficulty options.
This 90s-themed traditional roguelike takes inspiration from older science fiction such asStar Trek, sending players on a journey through space as the captain of a spaceship.Approaching Infinityis a traditional roguelike with a lot of old-school charm, but its cluttered user interface and simple turn-based gameplay might not be enough to grab everyone.
Approaching Infinityfacilitates emergent gameplay through procedural generation and a focus on exploration, as well as plenty of monsters and hazards to interact with, and the game’s multiple victory conditions add a great deal of replay value.Approaching Infinitymay be in Early Access, but it’s complete gameplay loop and consistent updates make it a promising roguelike.
7Cobalt Core - Cute & Colorful Deckbuilder
Steam User Rating: 97%
This recent roguelike deckbuilder from the creators of the spaceship-building gameSunshine Heavy Industriesis a cute and colorful experience with a unique, tactical twist on both roguelikes and deckbuilders alike.
Cobalt Corehas a similar structure to games such asFTL: Faster Than Light, in which players travel across space via nodes, with each node representing different combat encounters and events. The game’s combat is played out with cards, similar to games likeSlay The Spire, with the added twist that players can maneuver their ship. AlthoughCobalt Coreis a solid experience with a lot of positive reviews, it could be argued that it lacks the staying power of other games on this list.
Although its nature as an action game somewhat defies the definition of a roguelike,Risk Of Rain 2is a tremendously fun action-roguelike that steps outside the genre’s bounds with its lack of turn-based combat.
While some may argue that this makesRisk Of Rain 2a roguelite, its lack of permanent progression outside of character and item unlocks arguably makes it a more traditional experience than some might at first think.Risk Of Rain 2’sexotic alien locales, vivid colors, and variety of playable characters make it one of the most accessible roguelikes on Steam, even if it does break the rules a little.
This spiritual successor to the traditional roguelike,DoomRL, isaDOOM-inspiredisometric roguelike with a gritty, 3D aesthetic, cover-based combat, and eventalented voice workin the form of several 1980s-style one-liners.
Jupiter Hellis significantly action-orientated, with its distinct and tactical cover-based shooter gameplay and appropriate abundance of gore. The game’s dark and dingy environments may not be for everyone, butJupiter Helldoes a great job of making turn-based gameplay an action-packed experience.
Developed by the creators ofFTL: Faster Than Light,Into The Breachis an intriguing combination of puzzle, tactics, and roguelike games. The game follows a roguelike structure in which players battle off a variety of alien creatures with their bespokesquad of mechs, traveling to various locations and attempting to minimize civilian casualties.
If players lose, they must start again in traditional roguelike fashion; the only element ofInto The Breachthat pushes it further into the roguelitecategory is the fact that players can start their next run with one of their more experienced mech pilots.
For those that can look pastCogmind’sold-school ASCII art (though the game does come with a slightly more palatable tileset), there’s a deep and complex traditional roguelike experience beneath.
Cogmindis a playground full of emergent gameplay and variety that encourages player creativity and clever thinking; the game’s unique twist, allowing players to build their character out of scrapped robot parts, takesCogmind’sinnovative gameplay loop even further by forcing players to constantly switch out their degrading gear, diversifying their build and reacting to whatever the game throws at them. This makesCogminda truly unique old-school roguelike experience, but also one that won’t be for everybody.
Caves Of Qudis a treasure trove of unique, fun ideas and clever mechanics that all blend together to create an immersive, atmospheric, and deadly tactical experience. AlthoughCaves Of Qudnow features a roleplay mode that removes permanent death, it remains a traditional roguelike game at heart.
Caves Of Qudmay feature a minimal tile-based aesthetic that stays true to old-school roguelikes, but beneath its simple surface is a series of complex, in-depth systems that help to support the varied gameplay loop within.Caves Of Qudis best forits RPG mechanics, variety of character builds, and the abundance of well-crafted procedural generation that fuels some of its most interesting locations.
This modern-classic roguelike, also developed by Subset Games (the developers behind the aforementionedInto The Breach), is an easy-to-learn, hard-to-master game aboutmanaging the crew of a spaceship.FTLfeatures permanent death and procedural generation, but its lack of turn-based combat arguably pushes it closer to the roguelite genre.
FTL: Faster Than Lightcan be a difficult experience, as there are plenty of systems to learn about and decisions to make, but the game shines with its tactical and action-packed combat encounters. InFTL, combat plays out in real-time, but the game allows players to pause the action at any time to contemplate their next move; this makesFTL’s combat bothtactical and accessible, allowing players to think about how to solve each problem as they come up.
