This 87 Metacritic Roguelike Survival RPG Has The Best World-Building Around

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Fans of survival roguelike RPGs have plenty of options to choose from. The genre has exploded in popularity over the last ten years, with many games offering immersive worlds and engaging gameplay. Titles like Risk of Rain and Don’t Starve are just a few examples of games that capture players with their unique settings and rich stories. However, for me, Sunless Skies by Failbetter Games stands out as having the most captivating and wonderfully crafted world.

Failbetter Games began with Fallen London, a unique alternate history of Victorian London filled with Gothic and cosmic horror. They expanded on this world with Sunless Sea, and then in 2019 released Sunless Skies. From the very beginning, I was captivated by the beautiful and detailed world of Sunless Skies, and that feeling hasn’t faded. Having spent over 400 hours playing, I truly believe Sunless Skies has the best world-building of any game in its genre.

I first played Sunless Skies in 2021 with the Sovereign Edition on consoles. While the game initially came out on PC in 2019, this console version fixed some bugs and included a lot of extra content.

Sunless Skies is a Roguelike Survival RPG Hidden Gem with One of the Best Settings Ever

While you don’t need to have played Sunless Sea first, Sunless Skies uses many of the same ideas, moving the setting from the ocean depths to the vastness of space. It improves on the gameplay of the original while continuing the blend of Victorian England and Lovecraftian horror. The game also introduces new stories and secrets, creating a uniquely immersive and atmospheric roguelike experience.

I was immediately captivated by the beautiful, hand-drawn 2D art in Sunless Skies – the details are incredibly striking. The artwork is consistently breathtaking, and each of the game’s four main areas feels unique and immersive, blending both wonder and a sense of dread as you explore.

  • The High Wilderness: A wild and untamed jungle-like world
  • Albion: Where London proper and its capitals of industry and state reside
  • Eleutheria: A mysterious land draped in shadows and occupied by outlaws and outcasts
  • The Blue Kingdom: The strange and silent domain of the dead

Like classic roguelikes, each time you play, the areas are newly randomized. Important landmarks generally appear near the map’s center, but everything else changes with each run. Regardless of their location, every place in Sunless Skies feels amazing, offering both exciting possibilities and potential threats, no matter how many times you visit. You’ll likely need to play through the game several times to discover all the locations and explore their storylines.

Sunless Skies Has Plenty of Mechanical Depth, But It’s the Writing and World That Really Make it Shine For Me

Sunless Skies’ Unforgettable Setting is Full of Amazing Characters and Stories

Once players receive their flying train, they can pursue one of three main goals. There’s also a secret fourth goal that becomes available through exploration and specific decisions.

  • Wealth
  • Fame
  • The Truth
  • The Martyr-King’s Cup

The game suggests starting with one of the first two endings, as they’re simpler and help players learn the mechanics before attempting the harder ones. The fourth ending is unlocked by finding specific characters and meeting certain requirements in a previous playthrough. While I won’t spoil anything, it’s my personal favorite because of its unique themes and the decisions you make. However, no matter which ending players choose, just exploring the world of Sunless Skies and uncovering its many stories is a fun and worthwhile experience.

Like Disco Elysium, Sunless Skies relies heavily on branching conversations and skill checks to drive the experience. It also features typical RPG and roguelike elements, such as managing resources like sanity, food, and fuel, as well as upgrading and customizing your locomotive and crew. However, Sunless Skies differs from Disco Elysium with its real-time combat against enemy ships and strange creatures. While everything is well-designed and easy to understand, the game truly shines because of its incredibly creative locations and the deep, engaging stories you’ll uncover within them.

Sunless Skies is packed with interesting stories and characters throughout its many locations. You’ll encounter everything from a struggling circus and a devil-run garden, to a city built on a giant orchid – there’s always something new to discover, a task to complete, or an enemy to face. And that’s just in the beginning! As you explore further, even stranger and more surprising places appear, each with its own complex and engaging story.

I was immediately captivated by Sunless Skies‘ beautiful art style and wonderfully written, atmospheric prose. It’s a game that has stuck with me long after I finished playing, and its world remains incredibly vivid in my imagination thanks to the obvious creativity and care put into it. It’s easily one of my favorite fictional settings in any form of media. If you haven’t played Sunless Skies yet, I strongly recommend it, particularly if you appreciate rich and well-developed worlds.

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2026-01-15 22:08