Best Roguelike Games For Players Who Love A Tough But Fair Challenge

Balancing difficulty in a video game is a very tricky thing, and this is especially true in roguelikes. This genre is marked by its permanent death mechanics and the repeated attempts that are required to progress. That means a good roguelike is essentially designed so that the player will fail, while still making it possible and even inevitable that they will eventually succeed.

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Luckily, some of the best roguelikes on the market knock this tricky balancing act out of the park. Here are some of the best games in this beloved genre that will offer a solid challenge without completely overwhelming players.

10 Crypt of the Necrodancer

Battling To The Beat

Crypt of the Necrodancer is a very remarkable title, combining fantasy dungeon-crawlers with the rhythm genre to create a roguelike like no other. This bizarre game requires players to make every move and attack on the beat of the level's background music. Every monster and obstacle encountered follows the rhythm too, so players must memorize patterns and internalize the game's beat if they want to succeed.

It can be quite a challenge to wrap one's head around the game's rhythmic elements, but luckily, Crypt of the Necrodancer is generous with items and permanent upgrades, so even failed runs will leave the player more prepared for their next attempt. With a soundtrack good enough to build a game around, Crypt of the Necrodancer is a very memorable roguelike game.

9 Risk of Rain 2

Controlled Chaos

In spite of the controversy surrounding its most recent DLC expansion, Risk of Rain 2 is still a venerable roguelike entry and a strong multiplayer game. This chaotic shooter strands players on an alien world and forces them to blast their way through endless enemy hordes in order to escape.

The sheer number of enemies Risk of Rain 2 throws at players is nothing short of overwhelming. Fortunately, each member of the game's wide roster of playable characters comes with a substantial arsenal of special abilities to help turn the tide, and players can find numerous upgrades scattered throughout the map to turn themselves into a true powerhouse.

8 Hades

It's In The Blood

Hades is one of the most iconic modern roguelikes on the market, renowned for how seamlessly it weaves story content together with the repetitive nature of the genre. The game's isometric, motion-heavy combat system is fast, fluid, and relatively easy to pick up, making it an excellent first roguelike for players who are new to the genre.

In classic Supergiant fashion, as players progress through Hades, they'll unlock optional challenges that will make their game considerably more difficult in exchange for a chance at greater rewards. This lets players customize Hades' difficulty to whatever level they want, giving them the best gameplay experience possible.

7 FTL: Faster Than Light

A Desperate, Doomed Escape

FTL: Faster Than Light presents a unique strategic take on the roguelike genre, putting players in charge of a spaceship as it attempts to outrun a massive, hostile fleet. Players must manage onboard systems, protect crew members, and win battles against enemy vessels, all while the unstoppable tide of rebel ships looms large at their backs.

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In order to even the odds, players can pursue upgrades and repairs to make their ship better at surviving the countless threats of space. They can also unlock new models of ship that will give them access to completely different layouts and systems, letting them pursue victory using unconventional and bold strategies.

6 Darkest Dungeon

The Endless Press Of Madness

Darkest Dungeon is one of the most infamously challenging roguelikes out there. This turn-based RPG puts players in command of a team of expendable mercenaries who venture into endless procedural dungeons, battling horrors both inside and outside their own minds. Combat is notoriously unforgiving, and even on the easiest difficulty, deaths are frequent and permanent.

Luckily, Darkest Dungeon does have systems in place to help players keep going even when all hope seems lost. Quests can be abandoned at any time with little to no consequence, letting particularly valuable heroes recover to fight another day. Most importantly, a constant stream of new recruits is eternally available at the Hamlet, letting players start fresh no matter how awful things have become.

5 Enter the Gungeon

Guns and Puns Blazing

Enter The Gungeon's unusual sense of humor belies an intense and action-packed roguelike with a staggering arsenal of increasingly bizarre weapons. Aggressive, gun-toting enemies keep combat encounters tense and action-packed as players scramble to dodge and weave through elaborate fire patterns in a unique and thrilling bullet hell roguelike experience.

No matter how many playthroughs end early in the fabled halls of the Gungeon, the game's arsenal is always expanding, giving players more and more options on future runs. The game also features a hefty roster of playable characters, each of which has unique abilities and items that suit different playstyles and give fans an edge in the unforgiving firefights of this massive dungeon.

4 Returnal

A Nightmarish Alien World

The infamous Returnal is a very unforgiving roguelike shooter that served as one of the earliest games in the PlayStation 5's library. It strands the player character Selene on a hostile alien world full of terrifying and deadly foes, with a strange and inexplicable connection to Selene's own past.

In order to escape this alien nightmare, players must blast their way through an ever-shifting labyrinth of alien horror, collecting upgrades, consumable items, and strange new weapons as they go. Returnal is a deeply challenging game, but the steady influx of new items means there's always something new to try against the countless enemies standing in Selene's way.

3 Rogue Legacy 2

The Endless March Of Time

The original Rogue Legacy was one of the earliest examples of the modern roguelike trend, and despite its occasionally shallow gimmicks, it's still remembered fondly as a classic of the genre. Rogue Legacy 2 overhauls the game's formula significantly, bringing in new character classes, traversal and combat mechanics, and brand-new levels for players to explore.

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The basic premise of the game remains the same; players control an ever-developing lineage of heroes, and each subsequent descendant comes with a different character class, different spells and abilities, and different randomized quirks to impact how they play in battle. The more debilitating of these quirks are balanced with a significant upgrade to the amount of money received, meaning players can keep progressing and upgrading their estate even when they've been given a protagonist who's particularly difficult to work with.

2 Slay the Spire

Rising the Ranks

Slay the Spire is a deckbuilding roguelike where players assemble a collection of deadly and powerful cards as they ascend the titular Spire, a mysterious and massive structure full of hostile creatures and strange encounters. Fights are intense and unforgiving, forcing fans to play reactively and think several moves ahead if they want to stay on top.

Luckily, the game's massive library of different cards gives fans countless ways to build their decks. With a lot of strategy and a little bit of luck, players can assemble some truly monstrous combos, laying low even the most fearsome of bosses in just a handful of turns. Slay the Spire rewards creativity and risk-taking, but gambles that don't pay out are punished severely.

1 Dead Cells

Platforming Excellence

The iconic Dead Cells combines 2D action-platforming with the roguelike formula with fantastic results. The game's fluid, fast-paced action, and seamless, metroidvania-inspired traversal mechanics make it an absolute joy to play, and the thrill of blasting through a level at top speeds is almost unparalleled.

The game does have some extreme challenges up its sleeve, especially in the later levels, but persistent and skilled players will find plenty of ways to help them beat even the most challenging bosses with ease. That said, pursuing the true ending of the game does require fans to ratchet up the difficulty and even turn off valuable healing mechanics, giving fans who've mastered the basic game a truly intense challenge to try to overcome.

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