Hadesis one of the most beloved and accessible Roguelites on the market. It’s a superb entry point to the genre, and it’s no surprise that we already havea sequelin Early Access.
If you’re a fan of Hades, you already know that it’s not a case of ‘if’ you’ll score a win, it’s ‘when.‘You will be just fine when you learn a few enemy attack patterns, and ‘God Mode’ can turn you into a literal boss character.
Honestly, the accessibility is part of Hades’ charm, but if you crave more complexity or challenge, what should you play instead? There are some incredible titles in the Roguelite and Roguelike genres, but there are also plenty of stinkers.
If you want to make your next game in the genre memorable for the right reasons, here are some titles that make Hades look basic and are also decent to boot.
For simplicity, I’m using the term ‘Roguelike’, but many titles on the list have ‘Roguelite’ elements. Hades falls into the latter subcategory.
10Enter the Gungeon
Cue The Music
Enter the Gungeon
Enter the Gungeonshares many similarities with Hades.It’s fast-paced, stylish, and you may do incredible things through precision movementalone.
One of the biggest differences between the titles is that you need to develop a ‘Gungeon’ brain to proceed past a certain point. ETG is an old-school Roguelite, and leaves you to figure out almost everything through extended play.
For example, Master Rounds give you more health and are extremely valuable. The only way to get one is togo ‘flawless’ against a boss, which makes those battles pivotal. That example is only scratching the surface. There are secret levels, all requiring unique prerequisites and weapon synergies you must know if you want to kill the past.
Join for the slick dodge roll mechanics and stay for everything else.
9Into the Breach
For The Tacticians
Into the Breach
The developers ofInto the Breachare also responsible for another game on this list, proving they aremasters of their craft.
Into the Breach hasturn-based tactical combat, set on compact battlefields where you can pay for one dodgy move for an entire mission.
The combat isn’t too far removed fromFinal Fantasy Tacticsor Advance Wars, and fits nicely into the Roguelite genre.
The game makes the list becauseyou can’t just rush in guns blazing and expect to do well.Mistakes can be tough to undo; you must understand enemy strengths, and learning how to strike first will win you games.
Tactical RPGs are known for their complexity and overlapping mechanics. Into the Breach is an ‘accessible’ take on the genre, but it certainly isn’t basic.
8FTL Faster than Light
Lost In Space
FTL: Faster Than Light
FTL Faster Than Lightis a personal favorite Roguelite of mine, and I still find it utterly baffling that it’s aPC only title.
FTL is refreshingly accessible for a space game, putting you in command of a small space-faring vessel with basic systems. However,thriving in space is a delicate balancing act.
You must learn when to blow your hard-earned cash, and when to add new weapons and crew to your spaceship.
You canfreeze time during combat, but you still need to micro-manage energy consumption, cooldowns, fires, and invasions. A lot is happening, and whileyou’ll quickly get the basics down, becoming a feared captain will take much longer.
7The Binding of Isaac
A Trendsetter
The Binding of Isaac
The Binding of Isaacis one of the most influential and adored Roguelites on the market. It also hasso many items, characters, and secrets that it will make your head spin.
The game plays like a twin stick shooter at its most basic level, and you’ll grasp the controls within the first minute of play. That’s where the easy stuff ends.
The title throws knowledge checks at you around every corner.There are over 700 items to play with, and you must learn how they synergize with each otherto survive the tougher floors.
The Binding of Isaac has a furiously addictive gameplay loop as you’re constantly unlocking new toys to play with. The character roster is expensive, and the title is wrapped in bizarre lore, which I’ll leave you to unravel for yourself.
While some players may not agree with the developer’s design philosophy ofnerfing fun synergies into the ground, it is a masterpiece every fan of the genre should experience.
6Darkest Dungeon
A Lesson In Desperation
Darkest Dungeon
If you want to trade the lovable characters and oddly charming underworld for something much more bleak and hopeless, let me introduce you toDarkest Dungeon.
Red Hook Studio’s Darkest Dungeon injects turn-based RPG mechanics into the Roguelite genre.The result is one of the most critically acclaimed games of its kind, and there’s even an excellent sequel.
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Oh, how the turn tables…
You must manage your gear to take on savage foes, butyou also have to look after your team’s needs. Stress and disease are just as deadly as the wrong end of a sword, and you have many elements to manage simultaneously.
Like the best Roguelites, the core gameplay loop is fairly simple, butthere’s an ocean of complexity under the surface.
5Streets of Rogue
Play It Your Way
Streets of Rogue
Streets of Rogueallows you to approach every situation in dozens of ways. There’s no hand-holding, butonce you get a feel for it, every map becomes your playground.
Every level in Streets of Rogue has multiple objectives to complete before you can progress. Those tasks include eliminating specific targets and stealing guarded loot.
The game makes the list because it rewards creativity. For example, you could just shoot your target, but it’s risky. Instead, why not bribe someone to do it for you? If you’re skint, you’re able to always mess with the air conditioning to force your target to move somewhere more private.
There are countless ways to approach every scenario, and it’s a title that rewards ingenuity over twitchy reflexes.
4Slay the Spire
Kiss Goodbye To Hundreds Of Hours
Slay the Spire
Slay the Spireis easilyone of the greatest card-based Rogueliteson the market, with the uncanny ability to make you feel woefully stupid.
Combat in StS is fought with a deck of cards, which you cobble together through your runs.You must be willing to adjust on the fly, and every choice has potential repercussions you may feel multiple battles later.
Slay the Spire is complicated, but the rules are pretty simple, to the game’s credit.If you can take your losses on the chin, it’s a great entry point into card-based gameswith enough depth to take hundreds of hours of your time.
If Bloodborne Were A Platformer
Dead Cells
Dead Cellsisanother classic Roguelite respected for its savage difficulty.It’s also arguably the prettiest game on the list, with a delightful repertoire of superb DLCs.
For the uninitiated, Dead Cells plays like an accomplished 2D hack-and-slash / platformer. There arehundreds of weapons to try out, each with strengths and weaknesses.
Getting hit is punishing, and each run is full of tough decisionsas you push further into the game. The number of enemy types and biomes is remarkable, with the most dangerous environments offering the best gear if you can handle the heat.
Dead Cells is full of knowledge checks and demands concentration with its fast-paced combat.
2Spelunky 2
Derek Yu’s Masterpiece
Spelunky 2
Spelunky 2may beone of my favorite games of all time, and it’s a nuanced, but horrifically punishing Roguelite where one hit can send a dream run into the dumpster.
Spelunky 2 is abrutal 2D platformerwhere the only way is down. The deeper you go, the tougher it gets, and you’ll find everything from prickly jungles to sunken cities under the surface.
Everything in the game is laced with nuance. For example, your whip hits in front of you but can also hit enemies behind your head when you wind up the attack. It took me weeks to beat Tiamut for the first time, and she’s the gatekeeper of the most straightforward route through the game!
I could sing Spelunky 2’s praises for an entire article, but its complexity, hidden rules, and biomes off the beaten track make itone of the most rewarding RoguelitesI’ve ever played.
I’ve yet to beat the Cosmic Ocean (not even close!), but just getting there is one my proudest gaming accomplishments.
Deceptively Complex
Brotato isan addictive and mechanically simple Roguelite focusing on build crafting and stats.
Rounds on Brotato take place on a small, square arena as enemies swarm your position. Your opponents get stronger each wave, but there’s a rest period between rounds where you can buy weapons and gear.
Most items in Brotato have positives and negatives, and you must be willing to adjust your build on the fly. The stat-hunting element of Brotato makes the game so addictive, and different characters demand unique gear and playstyles.
The game may look unremarkable on the surface, but it is a min-maxer’s dream come true.
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For when you’re in the mood for some melee action, again and again.
