The Best Roguelike Games Where Exploration Changes Every Playthrough

Key Takeaways

Roguelikes provide endless replayability through procedural elements and unique narratives.
Hades stands out for its engaging storytelling and exploration, making it a top roguelike.
Returnal combines time-loop mechanics with fast-paced gameplay to create an award-winning roguelike.

As a seasoned gamer who has spent countless hours navigating through pixelated realms and battling hordes of enemies, I must say that these roguelike games are nothing short of extraordinary. Each one offers a unique twist on the genre, keeping me engaged for hours on end.

Over the past few years, Roguelike video games have gained significant popularity. Each time you play one, the experience is unique due to its distinct structure. These games share a resemblance with challenging arcade games from the past, fostering an irresistible urge to improve your performance with every game session. In simpler terms, roguelikes offer a fresh, unpredictable experience each time you play and encourage you to strive for better results in every attempt.

Although many roguelike games provide endless replayability through features like randomly generated levels or unexpected elements, some titles excel at maintaining engagement by fostering exploration and introducing fresh elements with each playthrough, thereby encouraging players’ curiosity and rewarding their inquisitiveness.

7 Hades

Greek Mythology Hack And Slash

One of the standout games that exemplifies the roguelike genre and is frequently hailed as one of the best video games ever made is Hades. What sets it apart as one of the top roguelikes, or even among the greatest games of all time? The game was created by Supergiant Games with a focus on narrating a video game story through procedural narrative. This design method involves fragmenting story elements and allowing them to be discovered in multiple ways and orders. Interestingly, a roguelike format proved to be an ideal approach for this.

As Zagreus, son of Hades, players engage in a game where they defy the powers of the underworld, aiming to break free from this realm and ascend to Mount Olympus. With each play-through, the player encounters fresh layouts for the ever-evolving dungeon, meeting new adversaries and companions along the way. Some deities lend a hand to Zagreus in his quest, granting him novel skills that facilitate successful escapes. In this way, exploration not only offers players tantalizing new plot details to maintain their curiosity about the storyline and characters, but also enhances the chances of a victorious gameplay experience!

6 Returnal

Time Loop Space Shooter Shenanigans

Much like Hades, every playthrough of the third-person sci-fi shooter, Returnal, may lead players to unearth fresh aspects of the storyline, presented in a disjointed and eerie manner that leans towards psychological terror. Players assume the role of Selene Vassos, an astronaut who’s crash-landed on the enigmatic planet Atropos. To make matters worse, Selene is trapped in a time loop as well.

In essence, this game environment forms the foundation for an exceptional roguelike title, and “Returnal” might have simply been another space-themed action game with a narrative focus. However, incorporating the roguelike aspect elevated it to the acclaimed masterpiece it is today. The game offers a rapid pace, featuring dynamic terrains, customizable weapons, and challenging bullet-hell bosses. Fortunately, the “Ascension” update introduced online co-op multiplayer, allowing two players to collaborate in their joint quest to flee the planet.

5 Loot River

Top-Down Tetris Meets Dark Souls

Loot River” stands out from other roguelikes due to its distinctive blend of dark fantasy dungeon exploration, challenging combat reminiscent of “Soulslike” games, and intriguing Tetris-style jigsaw puzzle mechanics. The game is visually appealing with its top-down, pixelated yet meticulously detailed graphics.

Introducing a puzzle-like mechanic might seem unusual, but it harmoniously blends into the gameplay without causing delays. The player character can move wooden platforms traversing the river in the dungeon, which introduces an additional strategic layer to combat. Players can manipulate these platforms to evade enemies or gain an advantage, and they also serve as a navigation tool for the randomly generated areas. Naturally, they are essential for accessing loot as well.

4 Dead Cells

Roguelike, Metroidvania-Style

Similar to Loot River, Dead Cells employs a striking pixel art style with high detail, transforming its world into a captivating 2D side-scrolling Metroidvania, or as some might say, a “Roguevania.” In this game, I, the player, take on various roles: The Prisoner, The Fallen One, or simply, The Beheaded. This enigmatic character is an immortal amorphous blob creature that can inhabit deceased bodies. As such, with each passing attempt in the game, my character returns to its origin, taking control of another body. My objective is to flee an island teeming with grotesque mutants, eventually facing off against the “King” of the island. As I, the amnesiac Prisoner, progress through the game, I encounter both formidable bosses and merchants who offer permanent abilities in exchange for Cells.

In this game, the protagonist doesn’t talk, but you gather information about the main plot through vendors, enemies, and the Prisoner’s thoughts. The gameplay is smoothly paced, whether it’s jumping, fighting, or navigating the Metroidvania-style levels. Exploration is key because it helps you discover a variety of weapons and skills hidden throughout the evolving stages. Some abilities stay with you permanently, while others are only available for one playthrough, ensuring each session offers a fresh challenge. You can’t carry all the weapons and skills, so make your choices carefully.

3 Enter The Gungeon

Dungeon Crawling Bullet Hell

In a fresh take on pixelated gaming, Enter the Gungeon blends procedurally generated labyrinth traversal with fast-paced top-down shooter action, creating a bullet hell environment. The game’s richly varied foes, traps, and hidden treasures, coupled with an array of guns and loot, make every journey through the dynamic dungeon chambers engaging and unpredictable.

Players have four distinct characters to select from: The Marine, Convict, Hunter, or Pilot, collectively referred to as Gungeoneers. Each begins with specific weapons unique to their character. Regardless of the chosen character, the objective is to navigate through the Gungeon by dodging, taking cover, and firing your way downwards in order to discover a powerful gun capable of vanquishing the past.

2 The Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth

Biblical Roguelike Remake

Initially developed using Adobe Flash, the game The Binding of Isaac was subsequently updated with a modern game engine to overcome Flash’s constraints, resulting in its transformation into The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. This upgrade enabled it to be adapted for various gaming consoles and even portable devices. Additionally, it facilitated the inclusion of additional content, new gameplay mechanics, and three expansions that offered more game modes and even user-generated content.

As a dedicated enthusiast, I can’t help but sing praises for this exceptional Zelda-inspired dungeon crawler that seamlessly blends whimsical aesthetics with gruesome elements. This remarkable roguelike game has earned its place among the greats, selling an impressive five million copies worldwide. With a vast array of collectible items, dynamically generated adversaries, and exclusive characters to unlock, it never fails to offer fresh experiences.

1 Risk Of Rain 2

A Roguelike Sequel That Takes The Leap To 3D

In its sequel, Risk of Rain 2, we witness the remarkable transformation that roguelike games could undergo between installments. Stepping up from the 2D forerunner, this series transitioned into a fully immersive 3D experience, which has proven to be a successful move. Upon its launch in 2020, it garnered positive feedback and is now available on contemporary gaming consoles as of August 2024.

In a game called Risk of Rain 2, players find themselves in a situation where they need to pick characters, referred to as survivors, to flee from an aggressive alien world. Each character boasts distinct talents, and coupled with a diverse assortment of objects, power-ups, and progressively challenging adversaries, the gameplay is rich and dynamic.

2024-09-17 08:05