Have you heard of roguelite? No, it’s different from roguelike, but it’s sort of the easier version of the genre. If you’re looking roguelike games, check this article out.
A roguelite is a genre of video games that incorporates elements from both roguelike games and other genres, often adding its own unique twists. Roguelike games are inspired by the early text-based game Rogue, known for its procedurally generated levels, permadeath (wherein a player’s character dies permanently, forcing them to start a new game), and turn-based gameplay.
So a typical roguelite game borrows elements from roguelike games, so you’ll probably see elements such as:
- Procedural Generation
- Permadeath or Persistent Progression
- Challenging Gameplay
- Randomized Items and Power-Ups
- Exploration and Discovery
So here’s a list of roguelite games that you might want to get your hands on to start your journey off. Each game has different elements listed above, with different themes and artstyles.
Dead Cells
Dead Cells is a rogue-lite, metroidvania inspired, action-platformer. Simple, fast-paced, and the design paying homage to Castlevania. You play an unnamed character who was a criminal and a subject of an experiment that turns him into a near immortal creature.
The game also features the constant threat of permadeath, where if you lose a battle in any point of the game, you’ll be sent back to the starting point. The game also features different paths that you can take in each gameplay. Explore different levels and collect cool weapons and soul orbs to upgrade your stats.
Dead Cells is a perfect introductory to someone who’s just getting their toes wet into the world of roguelite games.
Ship of Fools
We’ve always enjoyed any type of seafaring game, giving us a chance to bust out the pirate slang. And what better way to have fun trying to survive with a friend! Ship of Fools is a roguelite game that is intended as a co-op experience.
Play as different characters with unique active and passive abilities. The characters are designed to be dumb sentient creatures, which makes sense if they’re actively going into the middle of the ocean infested with monsters. Fight against sea monsters and angry sea gods as you make your way to the eye of the storm. You have to choose sections of the map to explore. Either go into a boss fight or choose to repair your ship. You get several choices, and it gets harder as you reach towards the end of the map.
With each death, you get to use your persistence currency to upgrade your ship. Ship of Fools is a great co-op roguelite game that can be enjoyed with friends and family, with the occasional shouting match of course.
Slay the Spire
Slay the Spire is a roguelike deck-building video game. unique characters, card combos that are addictively fun, you may never see the same card combo ever again, you start with basic cards and as you climb the spire, you unlock new cards.
While the game can be completed in an hour, the experience of discovering cards and new combos brings the replayability factor up a notch. While there are no permanent upgrades you get from each death, you bring with you hard-earned knowledge about card combos and quicker decision-making.
Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
So this game is probably the one horror themed game we have on this list. When Isaac’s mother starts hearing the voice of God demanding a sacrifice be made to prove her faith, Isaac escapes into the basement facing droves of deranged enemies, lost brothers and sisters, his fears, and eventually his mother. The premise alone should tell you that this is a dark game that uses heavy themes.
Originally a flash game, Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is your typical roguelite, featuring intense gameplay that will have you playing over and over again. From 16 different endings to pair with the massive amount of playtime, this game’s replayability factor is off the charts. While the game graphics are deceptively easy-looking, the game requires precision in terms of movement, shooting and the bullet hell aspects in order to progress.
Noita
Magic. A specialty class that exists in most game genres. But what if you could make your very own magic spells? Noita lets you explore the endless possibilities of magical attack combinations that can be a devastating blow to your enemies.
What sets Noita apart from most pixel art games is that every pixel in the world is simulated. You could blow up a hole at the bottom of a pond to drain its water, burn up toxic fumes in your path and even cast lightning in water to fry the underwater creatures.
Fight, explore, melt, burn, freeze and evaporate your way through the procedurally generated world using spells you’ve created yourself. Remember, death is always looming if you find yourself in a pinch. When you do find yourself at death’s door, remember to use the knowledge you’ve acquired and concoct a more potent and devastating magical combo.
Neon Abyss
Sometimes all you need is a little bit of classic game mechanic to have some good ol’ fun. Neon Abyss brings the run ‘n’ gun gameplay back to mainstream with loads of updated graphical and game mechanics to the table.
Neon Abyss features a sophisticated pixel art style which gives a fresh look to the art style, and includes cool weapons and props, novel level design. There is also a pet system in the game that joins you to help you in your mayhem. Neon Abyss also lets you choose your path of destruction, so you could come up with different strategies on how to clear a level and inflict maximum damage.
Hades
Greek mythology is always a fascinating theme to use for a game. And this time around, you play as Prince of the Underworld, Zagreus. As the son of Hades, Zagreus is attempting to leave the underworld to join the pantheon of gods at Mount Olympus. In order to leave the underworld, you have to slaughter the hordes of the underworld unleashed by Hades to keep you in the underworld.
Hades is a hack and slash roguelite game where you use combination of attacks, as well as special spells to combat the hordes of monsters. Select your upgrades by clearing each room and continuing the onslaught. You will die a lot in this game, such as the way of the roguelite. But you can use the treasures you’ve collected along the way to permanently boost your stats.
20 Minutes Till Dawn
Dark setting, eldritch monsters of the night, and unique characters to fend off what seems to be the end of times. All you have to do is last 20 minutes, before the dawn comes. 20 Minutes Before Dawn gameplay is just that. Survive the onslaught of various creatures that will surround you within seconds.
The game employs crisp pixel art and an effective usage of colors, giving out a unique look to the game. The controls are smooth, and the upgrades for each cleared level are interesting. Unlike most games in this genre, where the upgrades can stray from its overall theme, 20 Minutes Before Dawn offers weapon upgrades that stay in its theme, which doesn’t break the immersion, although some of the upgrades are done in a very simple, yet effective way.
Magic lenses to magnify bullet size, pets that unleash elemental strikes, and even homing projectiles in the form of bats. All you got to do is survive. This game is also available on mobile.
Cult of the Lamb
Who said you couldn’t make a game featuring cute little creatures that all belong to cults worshiping Old Gods? Cult of the Lamb revolves around a cute little lamb that gets rescued from being as a sacrifice to the Gods. But its rescuer is an outcast God that seems to have its own nefarious plans of making a comeback.
Cult of the Lamb is a roguelite base-building hybrid that features all the elements of a roguelite but gives you a break from all the fighting by introducing a base building mechanic where you use the collected resources to upgrade buildings for your cult. You’ll have to make decisions for your cult followers in how they conduct themselves in the compound. Weed out traitors and when you’re done, it’s time to go out there and slay some non-believers.
Sifu
It’s been awhile since we got ourselves a good fighting game. And kungfu is slated to make a full return to the world of gaming, and its first steps to take so are in the form of a game called Sifu.
What’s interesting about Sifu is that every time you die, you’ll be revived but your age increases. As you age, you’ll notice the character’s features start resembling those of an adult. With each death, you get older. Your HP bar shrinks but your damage output increases. This resembles the old kungfu masters who might lack the fortitude of someone young, but possess the skill and technique to unleash devastating blows. However, if you reach the age of 70, that will be your last try before the game resets.
Sifu presents unlocked skills as its persistence upgrades, which are skills that can be triggered in your new gameplay that could help you progress through the early levels quicker than before.