# Best Roguelikes EVER: Top 10 You Must Play
In a roguelike, death is not a failure — it's a lesson. Every run teaches you something new, every build is a different puzzle, and every victory feels genuinely earned. Here are the ten best the genre has to offer, from accessible action to deep strategy.
1. Hades II (2024~)
Genre: Action Roguelite | Developer: Supergiant Games | Platform: PC
Supergiant did the impossible: made a sequel that surpasses one of the most beloved games of its generation. Melinoë is a compelling new protagonist, the expanded god roster brings fresh boons, and the writing remains among the best in the medium. Post-1.0 updates continue adding content that feels essential rather than supplementary.
- ▶Steam: Hades II
- ▶Why it's essential: The rare game where every run feels narratively meaningful AND mechanically satisfying
User Reviews
Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (96%) | Metacritic: 93
"Community consensus: The prevailing view is that no two runs ever feel the same. Newcomers to the genre frequently note that other action games feel flat after playing this — a testament to how high it sets the bar.
2. Balatro (2024)
Genre: Poker Deckbuilder Roguelite | Developer: LocalThunk | Platform: PC, Console, Mobile
The breakout indie hit of 2024. Balatro starts as a poker game, then slowly reveals itself to be a synergy-maximization puzzle with jokers as your engine. The satisfaction of finding a combo that multiplies your score by the millions is something no other game replicates. "One more run" has never been more dangerous.
- ▶Steam: Balatro
- ▶Why it's essential: Accessible entry, infinite depth. The kind of game where 3 AM sneaks up on you
User Reviews
Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (97%) | Metacritic: 90
"Community consensus: Reviewers consistently note that you don't need to know poker — this is a number-explosion simulator in disguise. The fact that a single developer built this is a recurring point of disbelief across thousands of reviews.
3. Dead Cells (2018~)
Genre: Action Roguelite | Developer: Motion Twin | Platform: PC, Console, Mobile
The gold standard for feel. Dead Cells has some of the sharpest, most responsive combat in any action game — roguelike or otherwise. Dozens of weapons, each with unique playstyles, combine with a procedural structure that keeps every run fresh. Years of free updates have expanded the game massively since launch.
- ▶Steam: Dead Cells
- ▶Why it's essential: Best starting point for roguelike newcomers — immediate gratification, long-term depth
User Reviews
Steam Rating: Very Positive (92%) | Metacritic: 89
"Community consensus: The combat feel is cited as the genre's best almost universally. The developers' consistent track record of free post-launch content has earned outsized goodwill, and it remains the top recommendation for anyone asking where to start.
4. Slay the Spire (2019)
Genre: Deckbuilding Roguelike | Developer: MegaCrit | Platform: PC, Console, Mobile
Before Slay the Spire, deckbuilding roguelikes didn't really exist as a genre. After it, everyone was copying it. Four distinct characters each require completely different strategies, and the relic system ensures no two runs feel the same. The cleanest possible design for a genre it essentially invented.
- ▶Steam: Slay the Spire
- ▶Why it's essential: If you play one deckbuilder, it should be this one
User Reviews
Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (96%) | Metacritic: 89
"Community consensus: Widely credited as the foundation without which Balatro, Monster Train, and the entire deckbuilder subgenre would not exist. Reviewers frequently note that optimal strategies keep shifting across hundreds of runs, making replayability virtually limitless.
5. Risk of Rain 2 (2020)
Genre: Third-Person Shooter Roguelite | Developer: Hopoo Games | Platform: PC, Console
The difficulty-over-time mechanic makes Risk of Rain 2 unlike anything else: you race against the clock, stacking increasingly absurd item combos while the world tries to kill you faster and faster. The multiplayer is exceptional — stacking builds with friends creates emergent chaos that no dev could've planned.
- ▶Steam: Risk of Rain 2
- ▶Why it's essential: The best co-op roguelite. Also works great solo, but shines brightest with friends
User Reviews
Steam Rating: Very Positive (89%) | Metacritic: 83
"Community consensus: The late-game snowball phase — where items stack into absurdity — is consistently called the game's highlight. Opinions diverge on later DLC direction, but the base game content is considered a masterpiece regardless.
6. Noita (2020)
Genre: Wizard Action Roguelike | Developer: Nolla Games | Platform: PC
The most technically impressive roguelike ever made. Every pixel in the world simulates physics: fire spreads, water flows, acids eat through floors. The wand customization system starts incomprehensible and gradually becomes one of the deepest build systems in gaming. It's the kind of game where you discover something new after 200 hours.
- ▶Steam: Noita
- ▶Why it's essential: For players who love discovery above all else — you'll spend hours just in the wiki
User Reviews
Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (93%) | Metacritic: 85
"Community consensus: "200 hours in and I'm still finding things I've never seen" is a recurring refrain in reviews. The steep early learning curve of the wand system is acknowledged universally, but players who push through consistently describe it as the most freeform build sandbox in the genre.
7. Enter the Gungeon (2016)
Genre: Bullet-Hell Roguelike | Developer: Dodge Roll | Platform: PC, Console
Five hundred guns. Every one of them a pun, a reference, or an absurd joke. Enter the Gungeon's weapon variety is unmatched, and the dodge-roll-centric combat rewards mastery in ways that feel genuinely earned. Still receiving love from fans nearly a decade after launch.
- ▶Steam: Enter the Gungeon
- ▶Why it's essential: Gun-lover's paradise with genuine bullet-hell skill ceiling
User Reviews
Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (97%) | Metacritic: 87
"Community consensus: Hunting for hidden references in each gun's name and description is considered part of the content. The learning curve on controls is steep, but players who stick with it report the combat becoming deeply rewarding once it clicks.
8. Returnal (2021)
Genre: Third-Person Shooter Roguelike | Developer: Housemarque | Platform: PC, PS5
Sony's bet on a AAA roguelike paid off. Housemarque combined sci-fi horror atmosphere, tight bullet-hell mechanics, and a narrative told through environmental storytelling to create something singular. Brutal, disorienting, and deeply satisfying when it clicks. The PC port is excellent.
- ▶Steam: Returnal
- ▶Why it's essential: Proof that the roguelike formula can carry a AAA production — if you want polish, here it is
User Reviews
Steam Rating: Very Positive (84%) | Metacritic: 86
"Community consensus: "Infuriating and impossible to put down" captures most reviews. The high difficulty and cold early hours create real friction, but players who break through the initial wall consistently call it the best AAA roguelike available.
9. Cult of the Lamb (2022)
Genre: Roguelite + Colony Management | Developer: Massive Monster | Platform: PC, Console
A perfect blend of two genres: roguelite dungeon runs fund the cult you're building back home. The contrast between adorable cartoon art and your sinister cult activities creates a uniquely darkly comic tone. Post-launch updates have substantially expanded both halves of the game.
- ▶Steam: Cult of the Lamb
- ▶Why it's essential: Best option if you want variety — two fully-realized game loops in one package
User Reviews
Steam Rating: Very Positive (88%) | Metacritic: 83
"Community consensus: The visual contrast between cute aesthetics and dark subject matter is frequently praised as the game's defining identity. Reviewers note that both the dungeon-running and colony-management halves feel complete, not like one fleshed-out mode and one afterthought.
10. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (2014~)
Genre: Bullet-Hell Roguelike | Developer: Nicalis | Platform: PC, Console, Mobile
Over a decade old and still the benchmark for item density. With the Repentance DLC, the game has 700+ items and dozens of endings. The visual style is an acquired taste, but once you're past the barrier, nothing in the genre matches the sheer breadth of possible builds. A game that rewards mastery for years.
- ▶Steam: Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
- ▶Why it's essential: Maximum playtime per dollar. The roguelike genre's deepest rabbit hole
User Reviews
Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (97%) | Metacritic: 91
"Community consensus: "Over 1,000 hours and still seeing items for the first time" is the review that defines this game's community. The disturbing visual style is universally flagged as a barrier, but players who adapt describe it as the genre's highest content density by a significant margin.
Roguelike Starter Path
New to the genre? Here's the recommended order:
| Stage | Game | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First timer | Dead Cells | Forgiving entry, great feel |
| Story lover | Hades II | Narrative + action in perfect balance |
| Deckbuilder curious | Slay the Spire | The cleanest possible introduction |
| Veteran seeking depth | Noita / Binding of Isaac | Hundreds of hours of discovery |
One warning: once a roguelike clicks, it's very hard to go back to games that don't have that "one more run" loop. Consider yourself warned.