9 Best Rogue Lite Games That You Should Know Update 04/2024

best rogue lite games

Roguelite games are getting more and more popular as the genre grows and hits like Hades and Monster Train are added to it. Players can choose from over a hundred of these games that are currently listed on Steam. If you’re just starting out in the genre, it can be hard to choose from this long list. There are some roguelite games that really stand out and are worth playing over and over (pun intended).

The hardest part of making a good roguelite game is making a world that players will want to play over and over again. The best ones add new items and challenges to every run to keep it interesting. These roguelites have well-designed procedurally-generated maps, fun gameplay, and sometimes a compelling story.

Risk Of Rain 2

Risk Of Rain 2

After Risk of Rain, a platform game, did well, Hopoo Games made Risk of Rain 2, a third-person shooter. The look of the second one is very different from the first one because it is in 3D. Fans of the first game will find the sequel exciting because it brings some of the same 2D monsters and playable characters into its alien 3D world.

In Risk of Rain 2, the goal is the same as in the first game: get to the teleporter at the end of each level and get strong enough to beat the final boss. Even though it doesn’t add much new to the genre, it does a good job with the classic roguelite mechanics and gets harder as the player goes.

Noita

Noita is a roguelite game made by an independent studio called Nolla Games. It is one of the more pleasant surprises to come out in 2020. You can play as a witch in this game, and the goal is pretty simple: kill all the magical creatures that get in the witch’s way. The names of these magical creatures come from Finnish mythology, which adds an interesting layer to the story of the roguelite.

The most interesting thing about the game is that it says it has simulated every pixel. This means that every single pixel can change and respond to what the player does. This, along with the random-looking wands and weapons that can sometimes kill the witch, makes the game a bit chaotic but very fun.

Nuclear Throne

Nuclear Throne

This top-down shooter was made by Vlambeer. Players take on the role of mutants and have to shoot their way through a world after the end of the world that is full of scary monsters. The goal is to get through each level, which is generated by a set of rules, and stay alive long enough to take the throne.

The story in Nuclear Throne is simple and straightforward, but the game’s combat mechanics make up for its lack of depth. In each level, you have to fight hard battles against a growing number of monsters. Not only can mutants get powerful weapons to fight these monsters, but they can also change the way their body parts look to improve their skills.

FTL: Faster Than Light

In a galaxy far, far away, players are put in charge of a ship that needs to deliver an important message to an allied fleet. Of course, the Rebellion is close behind, and it’s up to the player to guide the ship through hostile territory, upgrade its parts, and add new crew members as they go.

This roguelite game made by Subset Games makes it way too easy to die. At times, the number of missiles aimed at the ship can be too much to handle. But FTL is also exciting because it has challenges. Players have to fight off enemies while making sure that the ship’s most important systems are still working.

Crypt Of The NecroDancer

Crypt Of The NecroDancer

In this unique roguelite game, you can beat your enemies by dancing. It was made by Brace Yourself Games, and it’s basically a rhythm game where you have to time attacks to the music.

If that seems hard, it’s because it is. NecroDancer is a great rhythm game for people who have never played one before, but it still takes some skill to get good at it. Danny Baranowsky wrote the music, which is meant to get more complicated as the player goes deeper into the crypt. Even though it takes a while to get used to, the story and fights are impressive and fun to go through. Players who want to go a step further can also use a dance pad instead of their console.

Enter The Gungeon

Enter the Gungeon was made by Dodge Roll. It is a wild adventure through a dungeon full of guns. Its levels are made up of enemies like bullets that look like people and gunpowder that has a face. The goal of the game is for the adventurers to find the holy grail gun, which can kill the past.

To get to this ultimate gun, players have to shoot their way through enemies that look funny. In Enter the Gungeon, the bosses of the dungeons are often funny, but they are surprisingly hard to beat. It will take a lot of skill, guns, and dodge rolls to beat these bosses and finish the roguelite.

The Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth

The Binding Of Isaac Rebirth

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a new version of the game that Edmund McMillen made in 2011. The plot of the remake is the same as the original, and it was based on McMillen’s religious upbringing. The RPG is about Isaac, who has to get away from his evil mother and travel through scary dungeons full of dangerous creatures.

The dark story about how Isaac’s mother wants to kill him as a sacrifice is part of how the game is played. Isaac’s tears can be used as projectiles, and Isaac’s naked body can be damaged to learn new skills. Rebirth is one of the more interesting roguelites to play because it is sometimes scary and other times funny.

Monster Train

This Shiny Shoe-made deck-building game takes players on a unique train ride full of invaders to beat. Players have cards that they can use to call up monsters that will protect the pyre from the enemies. There are four floors to get through, and on each one, players must plan and react to the current invaders while getting ready for the next ones.

Monster Train has more than 200 cards and even more upgrades, so there are a lot of ways to play. Because there are so many different ways to play, each time you play it feels different, which is the sign of a good roguelite.

Hades

Hades

In Supergiant’s newest game, you play as Zagreus, son of Hades and prince of the underworld, as he tries everything to get out of hell. It’s an isometric hack-and-slash game where the fighting is fierce and there are a lot of enemies.

Hades shows how the cyclical nature of the genre can be used to tell a good story by tying together its procedural runs with a compelling plot and likeable characters. Each time you fail, you come back to life in your home, the House of Hades, where your old friends and family are waiting to catch up with you.

Every time you die, you learn a little more about them, which makes it less sad. When you’re out in the field, you can meet your Olympian relatives and get experimental upgrades from them. These fighting gods might be the real stars of the show, and their great artwork and fully voiced dialogue help bring them to life. It’s clear that it’s one of the best story-based PC games, and it’s also a pretty good roguelike.