Hyper Light Breakeris an incredibly unique game, being an open-world roguelike with RPG elements, and there’s not much else out there that can give you that same experience.
I find the most important aspects of its design to be the open-ended exploration, and the random elements that keep the game fresh, sowhen looking for alternatives, I’ll typically go for non-linear RPGs or similar Roguelikes.
Hyper Light Breaker Early Access Review
This game is a massive departure from Hyper Light Drifter, but how does it hold up?
That’s not to say any of these games are going to feel the same. I don’t believe there’s any other video game that pulls off a randomized open-world experience likeHyper Light Breaker.
This list is a compilation of eight great games that you’ll likely enjoy if you likeHyper Light Breaker, as they share some DNA and make for a fun time, even if it’s not the same genre and playstyle.
Endless Possibilities
Noitais a roguelike sandbox with an endless number of possibilities. While it’s not much of an RPG, it does have a ton of weapons and every pixel is a physics object with really cool interactions.
Noitais very good at encouraging exploration and has rather free-flowing and quick combatwhere you use one of the thousands of different wands to dispatch enemies and delve further into a cave.
I find the wand combinations an incredible aspect that keeps me coming back constantly, and despite the brutal permadeath, it’s still fun to generate a new world and jump right back into things.
It is in 2D and isn’t quite as combat-focused asHyper Light Breaker, but if you enjoy the idea of exploring a massive, randomly generated world, then you’ll probably find the gameplay appealing.
Mountain of Bosses
Terrariais a sandbox game that you’re able to play as if it were a roguelike, tossing yourself into a new randomly generated world that is always unique, interesting, and fun to navigate each time you play.
It has strong RPG elements, namely accessories, and armor sets that increase your stats as you take on increasingly difficult bosses, with many accessories providing unique movement and bonus effects.
Every Blade in Hyper Light Breaker, Ranked
Most weapons in this game don’t beat the default one, somehow.
It’s got a structure that is both open-ended and linear, only requiring nine bosses to be defeated in total, with a massive number of optional bosses you can hit up for upgrades in between the big ones.
It’s again, a 2D game, and it’s focused on worlds you can run through in either two hours or two hundred, but I find blasting through it as quickly as possible as if it were a roguelike to be incredibly appealing.
6Sonic Frontiers
Slick and Speedy
Sonic Frontiers
I decided to throwSonic Frontiershere,not because I’m biased, but becauseit’s an open-world adventure with slick combat, an RPG-esque skill tree, and stats, and it’s just a fun game if you like platforming.
The hoverboard controls inHyper Light Breakerhave always felt inspired bySonic Adventure 2, so if they appeal to you, then trying this game full of speedy, fluid movement and fun obstacle courses may be up your alley.
The combat is similarly flashy, and the parry timing requires you to be perfect while trying to deflect the weird attack cues from bosses during the DLC, something both of these games have in common.
It’s great if you want something far simpler and less randomized, especially if you enjoy running around a big open world and collecting stuff while doing some sick tricks and flips across the continent.
5Solar Ash
Slashing in Style
I’d be remiss not to mention theHyper Light Breakerteam’s previous game,Solar Ashhere. It does feel like a precursor, with a dash that transitions into a smooth glide across an open world functioning very similarly.
It’s not randomized, but the combat, vibes, and aesthetic are all incredibly similar, with it taking place in the same universe as theHyper Lightgames, but as an entirely separate side adventure.
It’s great fun to skate past enemies, slash at them on your way, and platform through huge structures on a cloudy landscape, taking on behemoths like you’re inShadow of the Colossus.
If you’re looking for a recommendation purely based on vibes and less on gameplay, thenSolar Ashis the biggest one on this list, even if the game is incredibly different in terms of playstyle.
4The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Openly Explorative
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
From the open-world exploration with RPG elements and a non-linear boss order to a similar visual style, it’s not far off to sayHyper Light Breakerfeels like a rogueliteBreath of the Wild, so it’s a fair recommendation.
It has a similar style of exploring for temporary upgrades to your weapons and armor, then attempting to replace them when they break, frequently forcing you to make do with the scraps you have left.
You’ve probably already played and enjoyed it if you likeHyper Light Breaker. However, it’s still worth re-experiencing, as the game feels different on each playthrough with the endless options at your disposal.
If you somehow haven’t played it, I’d 100% recommend it. It’s a bit rough around the edges in a few ways, but it’s a great time if you don’t have someone in your ear telling you it sucks the whole time.
3No Man’s Sky
Infinite Frontiers
No Man’s Sky
You’ve probably heard aboutNo Man’s Skybeing awful, but that was years ago. They’ve patched things up andironed out some of the bugs, which makes it a proper open world with great space exploration.
No Man’s Skyhas you scavenging through other planets, base-building, and joining your friends if you want to, and while it’s not much for combat, exploration is the main goal with a few billion procedural planets.
I wouldn’t call it a roguelike, as everyone gets the same set of randomly generated planets, but that makes it all the more enjoyable since you can go to your friend’s coordinates and see the same thing they do.
Ironically, despite having higher graphical fidelity, it runs way better thanHyper Light Breaker, and I find that a bit hilarious. Overall, it’s great fun if you’re enjoying open-world exploration with a sprinkle of RNG.
2Risk of Rain 2
Dodge and Weave
Risk of Rain 2
In terms of inspiration for the combat, I’d sayRisk of Rain 2is right up there alongsideHyper Light Drifteritself, with the gunplay, upgrades, and dodging feeling comparable overall.
It’s a roguelike that has you running through a bunch of stages, each with a teleport that feels like a far slower version ofBreaker’s extraction events, butRisk of Rain 2has you fight a swarm of enemies and a miniboss.
10 Best Two Player Roguelikes For Under $20
Looking for new roguelike adventures with your partner or friend for a good price? Check out these titles and see what fits both of you.
It’s got a massive amount of sauce, a wild amount of unlockables, incredible music, items that are incredibly unique and very fun to stack, and one of thebest final bosses in any roguelike, bar none.
If you’re looking for a game to keep your interest for a few hundred hours while being fun the entire way through, this is a super strong candidate, and if you just want to hit things with a sword, hop on Mercenary.
1Elden Ring
A Brutal Open World
Elden Ring
In terms of open-world games with a heavy focus on combat,Elden Ringseems like the best recommendation, given how much Soulslike DNA is inHyper Light Breaker, and given it has way better parrying.
The exploration feels more thoughtful and hand-crafted, which meansit certainly isn’t a roguelike yet, but it’s still a great match for just about every other aspect ofBreaker, especially if you’re like me andwish the bosses were better.
If you’re keen on going with your friends, then there’s multiplayer anda weird roguelike modecoming soon, which likely won’t bear much resemblance to Breaker, but is something if that’s all you’re looking for.
It’s a great game, and likeBreath of the Wild, you might have already played it, but there are so many routes and avenues to explore with each new playthrough that it can cause you to get sucked in for hundreds of hours.
10 Best Holobytes in Hyper Light Breaker
Take a bite out of this one, from the stat buffs to healing more with parries
