Roguelike fans are one group of gamers that love nothing more than a challenge. Whether they're playing a pure roguelike that relies on a combination of good luck and sharp mechanics, or playing a roguelite that allows them to upgrade after each death, roguelike fans love the satisfaction of finally completing a run after losing — sometimes hundreds of times.
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Luckily, the Nintendo Switch's library is filled to the brim with fantastic roguelike games, and even though the Switch is considered a more casual system by many, many of these roguelikes have absolutely no mercy on its players! Whether their RNG is tuned completely against the player or they force the player to turn their reflexes up to 100, these roguelikes are sure to challenge any Nintendo Switch player!
6 World Of Horror
Junji Ito / Cosmic Horror Roguelite
World of Horror
Not only is World of Horror one of the hardest roguelikes on the Switch, it's one of the hardest games on the Switch — period! World of Horror feels almost like playing a tabletop board game that is based on a perfect hybrid of Junji Ito and H.P. Lovecraft, and there are even references to both throughout the game.
The difficulty of World of Horror is in how unforgiving it is. During runs, players must continually investigate areas, which leads to random events where the player must choose an option and make a successful skill check. If the player fails a check, the consequences can mean anything from losing money to receiving a cosmic hole curse that deals damage after each mystery. Mix these curses and injuries with fight after fight against gruesome and cosmic horrors, and beating World of Horror quickly becomes a daunting task.
5 Dicey Dungeons
Dice-Based Roguelike Dependent On RNG
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mobile
- Released: August 13, 2019
- Developer: Terry Cavanagh
- Genre: Roguelike Deckbuilder
Dicey Dungeons is one of the few roguelikes that has taken some of the most popular roguelike mechanics and added in something that players never knew was missing; dice! Dicey Dungeon's difficulty lies in its RNG, which is to be expected in a dice game. Players will find themselves quite literally unable to win due to poor rolls, but that just makes victory all the sweeter.
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On top of the heaviness of the RNG, Dicey Dungeon also has added challenges in each episode. The main challenge in Dicey Dungeon for players, beyond hoping for good rolls, is to figure out how to work around and abuse whatever the challenge is, which adds another layer of puzzles to the difficulty.
4 Risk Of Rain 2
3rd Person Wave Shooter With Random Upgrades
Risk of Rain 2
- Released
- September 11, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Hopoo Games
- Publisher(s)
- Gearbox Publishing
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Roguelike
Risk of Rain 2 has maintained popularity as one of the best modern roguelikes that fans of the genre can play, even with its difficulty, just because it's so fun. There are a ton of characters to choose from in Risk of Rain 2, and each one feels unique and can lead to very broken (and extremely fun) builds.
What makes Risk of Rain 2 so difficult is its randomness. Power ups that players can collect throughout a run are completely random, so players never know when they'll receive 5 super-synergizing items and stack them until their build is completely busted — or, more likely, when their luck will be completely dried up, and they'll be left facing hundreds of enemies with power ups that basically do nothing with their character. This RNG, however, is what makes the game so fun and what makes successful runs so satisfying!
3 We Need To Go Deeper
Co-Op Submarine Management
We Need to Go Deeper
We Need To Go Deeper is one of the best co-op roguelikes on the Switch, but playing with friends does not make it any easier! We Need To Go Deeper places players on a submarine where they must steer the ship, use its guns to blow away deadly fish, and repair the submarine as holes form and enemies get in and barnicalize everyone's faces.
We Need To Go Deeper is best played with multiple players, but the game can be enjoyed solo. The difficulty of We Need To Go Deeper is in the stress of managing the submarine. It always feels like something is going wrong, something needs to be torpedoed, something needs to be repaired, or something has broken in and needs to be killed. So, players need to be very good at multitasking and staying calm under pressure, no matter how many players are in the game.
2 One Step From Eden
Bullet Hell / Deck Builder / Tactics
One Step From Eden
- Released
- March 26, 2020
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Deckbuilding, Tower Defense
- Developer
- Thomas Moon Kang
- Publisher
- Thomas Moon Kang, Maple Whispering Limited, Humble Games
One Step From Eden looks and feels a lot like a Mega Man Battle Network game with deck building on a 4x4 grid. However, One Step From Eden introduces a new type of difficulty in the form of reaction time! In One Step From Eden, players don't just need to build a strong deck for their character; they need to be able to react in combat and learn attack patterns to come out on top.
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Despite not being the most popular, One Step From Eden is one of the best roguelikes available, whether on the Switch or anywhere else. With that being said, the gameplay fits extremely well on the Nintendo Switch, as does its entire UI and style.
1 Darkest Dungeon
Party Management With Punishing RNG
Darkest Dungeon
Darkest Dungeon has been hailed as one of the best and most difficult roguelikes, basically, since its release. Darkest Dungeon's themes and difficulty will remind players of all the hardest Fromsoft games. In Darkest Dungeon, however, players will not have to rely on quick reflexes. Players will have to agonize over every move during the turn-based battles — unless they want to be at the mercy of merciless RNG that is tuned completely against them.
Darkest Dungeon is difficult because it forces players to really think about every single move they make or be forced to lose their party to unfortunate happenstance. Darkest Dungeon plays very well on the Nintendo Switch and, despite its grittiness, feels like it was almost made for the system.
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