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Over the past couple of years, I’ve really dove into the roguelike. During this time, I’ve made a few different reviews and other blogs. Now I want to weed out some of the ones I wasn’t impressed with, and provide others with some games to feed their addiction that Vampire Survivors may have started.
I have already made a blog similar to this, which is still worth checking out since only one of those three games mentioned made it into this list. Without any further ado, let’s begin.
Monster Panic
Systems:
Switch & PS5
“Fast-paced Rogue-like! Battle endless monsters, enjoy rapid Rogue-like thrills! Double the choices, unlock more classes, build unique talents! You are the hero!
Quickly get to the most thrilling part of Rogue-like! Optimized for Nintendo Switch™, it delivers a great experience even when facing a screen full of monsters! Unlock your favorite classes, upgrade your preferred talents, face hundreds to thousands of monsters, make your choices, and play in your own style! But first, you need to make sure you can survive!
Game Features:
+ Multiple classes to unlock: Knight, Samurai, Toxicologist, Maid, Werewolf, Mage—choose your favorite class.
+ More monsters. Face hundreds to thousands of monsters on the same screen, alone against a surging tide of beasts.
+ Over twenty weapons to choose from, each with over a dozen branches for selection!
+ Rich gameplay styles. Make each choice count and play in your own unique style!
+ Rich talents to upgrade, making your character even more unique!”
This game checks off most of the boxes. It’s fun. It’s addictive. It allows for upgrades and looks pretty nice. It may not be the most graphically pleasing, but the stages only last a few seconds over 13 minutes, and each stage having its own type of gimmick makes this game interesting. There’s 5 characters available and multiple weapons and accessories with two different areas to play in and 25 stages per location.
If interested, check out our review.
Twilight Survivors
Systems:
Switch & Steam
“Welcome, all survivors to Bonder Continent in its ever-present darkness!
A time-limited survival game infused with rogue-lite elements and an adorable art style! The world has plunged into darkness, and you are its sole beacon of hope. Will you endure until dawn, or succumb to multiple deaths in your quest? Fear not, for it is possible to collect more coins to enhance yourself!
A full 3D survivors-like game!
Features characters and monsters in full 3D, along with stunning effects. With its novel, cute characters and monsters, there are hints of warmth even in the darkness across three different types of terrain. Plains! Snowy mountains! Deserts! And More!
Dazzling super weapons! Strike your enemies down with style!
Take your time to unlock 20+ weapons, 20+ skills, and combine them to create over 20 super weapons. Mow your enemies down in the most magnificent style possible!
Eleven characters with distinct styles!
Every character has unique weapons and individual Talent Trees, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Find your favorite character, and challenge yourself by trying out different ones!
Spend coins to strengthen your characters with the self-contained Talent Tree, Kwent Card, and Lore system. Create a unique gaming experience that’s yours alone.”
Thie is a more recent roguelike for me, and also a game that came out in April of this year. it takes everything we know of the auto shooter genre and mixes is beautifully. The weapon variety seems plentiful. I’m unlocking them as I go, and so far, I’ve survived three stages. Each area has different stages with their own bosses and their own target time to survive.
This game is cheap, usually $2.99 but I just caught it on sale for $2.24 and I’m already quite pleased with the cost. Each character also has their own skill tree, which you upgrade via spending money you collect during runs. I’m still learning the mechanics for this one, but I am recommending it based on what I’ve seen so far and the price tag.
I did write a review for this, which can be found here. Also, looking for recommendations on weapons and skills? check out those articles too.
Zombie Survivors
Systems:
Switch, Steam & PS5
“Collect cards, evolve and become strong to avoid becoming zombie food
In this electrifying game you will collect cards, evolve your characters to become powerful enough to eliminate entire hordes of zombies”
This may not be the best roguelike on the list, but it’s definitely worth the price. Upgrades to your base power, defense, strength, item pull range and other stats are not available from the beginning. These are unlocked in the form of cards, which are found in stages by defeating bosses. You essentially start with nothing and have to unlock everything.
This game also introduces slimes, which you have to pay to make available, and have different functions. For instance, one will freeze enemies while another will heal you. I thought these were a great help outside of normal weapons. I mentioned this in my review, but the game does have a couple of flaws, such as no HUD. However, it doesn’t take away from the gameplay itself.
Whacking Hell
Systems:
PS4, PS5, Steam, Switch, XSX & XSS
“Whacking Hell!” is a frantic 2D top-down shooter with roguelite elements. The gates of hell have opened: whack all the monsters before they whack you! Collect their souls, ramp up your weapons and your spells, and become a slaughtering machine! Defeat waves of enemy attacks and nasty bosses by choosing the right path of upgrades.
Key features:
– 5 characters and 5 main weapons to unlock.
– 3 chapters – each chapter contains dozens of waves of enemies and two bosses to defeat.
– Acquire special powers and ramp up your skills during the game session, so you can face the ever-increasing difficulty within the chapter.
– Acquire permanent upgrades in between game sessions, so you can progress in the game.
– Reveal dozens of monster species in the bestiary.”
Whacking Hell feels shorter than the other games on this list, but it really isn’t. There’s three locations to play, and plenty of different weapons and accessories to use. I can’t say I’m too thrilled with its $9.99 price tag, but maybe the reason is better discussed in my review. I would wait for a sale before thinking about this one.
Cat Survivors
Systemss:
Switch
“You have 20 minutes
Cat Survivors is a casual roguelite game in which a cat fights against different creatures to survive while becoming stronger through new weapons and upgrades. Shoot, dodge and create powerful combos to become stronger with each attempt to survive the chaos.”
If you’re in the mood for a roguelike that’s pretty simple, but still addictive, this is for you. Cat Survivors only lasts maybe 5 hours or less, but offers a fun experience for the cost. Most weapons and such can be unlocked with some persistence, since you must defeat certain bosses to even have the weapon available to purchase. I wrote a more in-depth review, so check that out.
20 Minutes Till Dawn
Systems:
Switch, Steam
“Face an onslaught of endless hordes and outlast the night in 20 Minutes Till Dawn. Create dynamic builds from a variety of weapons, runes, and special abilities in order to survive for 20 minutes. Are you strong enough to see daylight once again, or will you allow the creatures of the night to consume you?
Ignite monsters with every pump of your shotgun, rain lighting down from the heavens, or control magic spears to pierce your enemies! How you confront the hordes is your choice alone. Take control of an ever-growing cast of diverse characters and wield a wide range of weapons, all with an extensive spectrum of evolution paths and unique traits. As you obliterate monsters, collect experience and choose from an in-depth selection of upgrades, summons, and special abilities. Craft the perfect build and become an unstoppable force.
20 Minutes Till Dawn features active progression that carries across all runs. Use acquired Souls to harness the power of Runes and enhance your overall strength. Experiment with fresh build opportunities through a suite of additional characters and weapons to unlock. Use each death to your advantage and grow more powerful for the next run.”
20 Minutes Till Dawn is a different experience, since first of all, it’s mostly on more monotone colors, and isn’t very flashy. I like this style though, and I also enjoy that this is not an auto shooter like the previous games. This is more of a roguelike shoot’em up.
Death Must Die
Systems:
Steam
“Many heroes throughout history had taken on the journey to The High Mount to enter into Death’s realm and end his reign. None to return.
Yet this time, an unsung higher power had chosen to back our heroes in their quest. Toss a coin in my hat here traveler, if you wish to hear The Saga of Death’s Demise.”
~The Bard
Death Must Die is a roguelite RPG bullet heaven in which you play as the heroes trying to defeat Death.
A pantheon of gods guides the heroes in their quest, each granting different powerful blessings.
Learn why the gods have decided to stand against one of their own and uncover the personal stories behind each of the heroes as you explore the Underworld.”
This roguelike is still in early access, but it’s so worth checking into. There’s 6 characters to play as currently, unless I haven’t unlocked one of them yet, and plenty of Gods and Goddesses to help you along the journey. They allow different combinations from run to run, and I think it’s amazing when you find your favorites.
An example of this actually comes from a session I had the other night where I played Lorien, a centaur who uses a bow and arrow. Upon leveling up, I had the ice goddess ask me what I wanted. I chose for my attack to increase and my arrows to freeze enemies. This was a great combination since I was hitting multiple at once. However, this can also be done with fire, earth, electricity and others.
The point is, this game is already great in early access, and I can’t wait to see what it does when it’s fully released.
God of Weapons
Systems:
Steam
“The world was once a bright and beautiful place, filled with light and wonder. But one day, an evil force swept across the land, stealing away the world’s light and plunging it into darkness. As a result, chaos and destruction spread across the world, and many feared that the darkness would never end.
In this action roguelike, survive hordes of monsters on every level with automatic weapon attacks. Dodge and collect loot to improve your chances in the next round. It’s all about strategy, reflexes, and smart movement.
Collecting weapons and accessories and strategically organizing them in your inventory is crucial to your survival. Your inventory space is limited, hence before putting in a new item, you’ll need to consider its strengths and weaknesses and how it fits into your overall strategy.
Careful management of your inventory can make the difference between victory and defeat. As you progress through the game, you will amass an arsenal of powerful weapons and accessories, making you an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.”
God of Weapons is a different title than the other roguelike games I’ve talked about so far. Instead of surviving an onslaught of enemies for as long as you can, you’re actually scaling floors. Each floor has a time limit, and after you’ve survived, you get the upgrade your inventory slots in your suitcase, and then hopefully by a new weapon, item or do an upgrade depending on space and gold.
One reason I really enjoy this game is simply that it’s different. You aren’t just surviving for so many minutes. You’re actively surviving for a set amount of time and then you are given the chance to make upgrades and make the next floor easier. That isn’t to say this game isn’t a challenge though.
There’s also plenty of sidderent characters, classes and weapons to unlock as well. This game has a bit of everything, and I have to admit, I hope we one day see it come to consoles as well.
Army of Ruin
Systems:
PS4, PS5, Steam, Switch
“Army of Ruin is an auto-shooter where you become the Bullet Hell.
Army of Ruin is an auto-shooter in which you guide legendary heroes on a quest to defeat the Armies of Evil.
Countless Foes
Get hold of a deadly arsenal capable of slaying hundreds of enemies in seconds, and you may have a shot at defeating the fearsome Army Generals!
Power in your own hands
Use the unique skills of each hero to turn the tides when they least expect it. Enhance your trinkets and equipment and find powerful combinations that will evolve your weapons beyond their limits!
Upgrade your arsenal
Level up your skills between missions and test new combinations as you keep earning rewards, unlock new equipment to become even more powerful and face the hardest quests. Hundreds of challenges await you!
Quick and thrilling experience
Army of Ruin has been designed to offer a quick and thrilling game experience, while also focusing on simplicity and fun. Get ready to enjoy the game for hours!”
This is the best game on this list. If you already love the genre, then this is arguably the most polished up game to get into. With the large roster of characters to unlock, different weapons to use, and those amazing graphics, this game is of great value for the cheap price of $7.99. It’s recommended to read my review, since I dove into this game in more detail.
Conclusion
There we have it. Surely, amongst all these great titles, a couple of them caught your interest. There’s plenty of others out there, but these are my personal recommendations for roguelike games at this current moment. Happy gaming everyone.
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