Roguelikes and roguelites can offer tremendous replay value, which often gives them great staying power. However, due to their structure, these titles can sometimes get repetitive. This can lead to fun that's less consistent, especially with games that provide less variety.
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While these games are quite challenging to overcome, players will have a lot of fun with them.
There are numerous roguelikes, however, that provide consistent fun for hours on end. These are games such as Spelunky 2, with its emergent gameplay, or Wildfrost, with its generous rewards and diverse factions.
8 Downwell
Fast-Paced Arcade Action
Downwell
- Released
- October 15, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
Downwell is an action roguelike infused with arcade spirit. This simple but elegantly designed title offers crunchy, pixelated action at a breakneck pace. The sheer speed of play combined with the truly intuitive controls allows Downwell to be both approachable and consistently fun.
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Gameplay may be somewhat repetitive, but the aforementioned fast pace results in constant decision-making. Reflexes, choice, and general skill are all on the table, and Downwell pushes players at a constant rate.
7 Wildfrost
A Diverse & Generous Deck-Builder
Wildfrost
- Released
- April 12, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
- Developer(s)
- Deadpan Games, Gaziter
- Genre(s)
- Digital Card Game, Strategy, Roguelike
- Platform(s)
- Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Wildfrost is a roguelike deck builder with a tactical twist that can be incredibly punishing. However, its moment-to-moment gameplay is both tactile and intuitive, allowing for a consistently fun experience that balances strategy and tactics in equal measure.
Most importantly, Wildfrost features a tremendously generous rewards system that gives players ample opportunity to customize their current build. This provides the perfect balance between deck-building and combat encounters, offering a unique ebb and flow that's consistently fun.
6 Spelunky 2
An Intuitive Roguelike That Excels With Emergent Gameplay
Spelunky 2
- Released
- September 15, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Fantasy Violence, Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Mossmouth, BlitWorks
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike, Platformer
- Platform(s)
- Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Spelunky 2 is a chaotic roguelike that tasks players with delving through incredibly hazardous caves populated by truly dangerous enemies. With its simple but expressive controls and intuitive gameplay, Spelunky 2 manages to be an immediately fun experience, but it's the emergent systems that make it so consistent.
Emergent gameplay is perhaps Spelunky 2's greatest strength, offering a variety of both predictable and unpredictable systems that work together to provide players with a dynamic experience. This allows each run to feel unique from the last, despite the inherently repetitive structure.
5 Streets Of Rogue
An Immersive Roguelite Sandbox
Streets of Rogue
- Released
- March 10, 2017
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Matt Dabrowski
Streets of Rogue is an action roguelike that deftly combines elements of immersive-sims to provide players with a chaotic sandbox to play in. This indie game excels with its vast array of playable characters and dynamic systems that facilitate emergent gameplay.
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The aforementioned variety of characters to play and the abundance of expressive items ensure that Streets Of Rogue is a consistently fun experience, even after hours of play. While Streets Of Rogue does feature meta-progression, players shouldn't expect to get stronger as they play, and as a result, it should still be a worthwhile visit for roguelike fans.
4 Post Void
An FPS With A Consistently Breakneck Pace
Post Void
- Released
- August 6, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
Post Void is a hypnotic first-person shooter with a psychedelic, pixelated art style and a truly breakneck pace. This pace is facilitated by a constantly draining health bar and fluid movement controls, supported by snappy gunplay and a driving soundtrack that punctuates its electric style.
The grizzly soundtrack applies constant pressure to keep moving, working up a sweat with a slew of frantic chords and riffs. Above all, it's the relentless nature of this frantic mess and the simplicity of its controls and nail-biting loop that give it such longevity.
3 Ravenswatch
Cooperative Action With Constant Time Pressure
Ravenswatch
- Released
- September 26, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
Ravenswatch is a dark and stylish action roguelike with an emphasis on expressive character abilities and skill-based combat. This title stands out from the crowd with its unique structure, which relies on constant time pressure to drive the experience forward.
In the game, players must do their best to navigate each map as they battle enemies to level up and uncover powerful treasures. It's the diversity of events spread across each of the game's maps that keeps Ravenswatch so consistently fun, blending perfectly with the wide array of distinctive playable characters.
2 Balatro
A Tactile & Accessible Deck-Builder
Balatro
- Released
- February 20, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Gambling Themes
- Developer(s)
- LocalThunk
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Digital Card Game, Roguelike
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Android, iOS
Balatro is a tremendously accessible roguelike deck builder, blending genre trends with a gameplay loop built from classic poker hands. This allows Balatro to remain approachable while affording players a strategic experience, providing immediate fun that gets straight to the point.
Balatro is also a lasting experience. This is thanks to a truly tactile user interface and satisfying player feedback that makes the game a joy to interact with. More importantly, the game features a diverse variety of strategies that are always fun to discover and optimize.
1 Caves Of Qud
A Traditional Roguelike In A Dense Open World
Caves Of Qud
- Released
- July 15, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
Caves of Qud is an open-world roguelike RPG that excels with its traditional gameplay and unique science-fantasy world. Elevating the overall experience is an immersive atmosphere and deeply customizable character creation that offers tremendous replay value.
The granular character creator does help to keep Qud replayable. However, it's the detailed nature of its world and the abundance of expressive items and abilities that keep it consistently fun. In addition, Caves Of Qud features a healthy dose of procedural generation that keeps exploration fresh.
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