PC Games / Genres / Roguelike

Roguelike PC Games

PC roguelike and roguelite BuzzVerdicts. Die, learn, run it back.

25 BuzzVerdicts

Hades

4.7

2020 · Action Roguelike · PC / Steam

Hades solved the roguelike genre's biggest problem by making failure feel like progress, and it did it with some of the tightest combat and most charming writing in any game of its era. Supergiant Games built a game where dying sends you back to the start but moves the story forward, turning repetition into something you actually look forward to. The weapon variety, the boon system, and the sheer personality packed into every interaction keep runs feeling fresh for far longer than they should. If you've ever bounced off roguelikes because they felt like a grind, this is the one that might change your mind.

Hades II

4.7

2025 · Action Roguelike · PC / Steam

Hades II is the rare sequel that matches its predecessor while carving out its own identity. Supergiant Games expanded the combat, deepened the progression systems, and built a world that rewards dozens of hours of repeat runs without ever feeling like a grind. Melinoe stands on her own as a protagonist, and the Greek mythology framing remains as rich and well-realized as ever. A few weapons land better than others, and the story's ending hasn't satisfied everyone, but those are minor blemishes on a game that earned its place among the best roguelikes ever made. If the original Hades grabbed you, this one won't let go.

Monster Train

4.5

2020 · Roguelike Deckbuilder · PC / Steam

Monster Train does what the best deckbuilders do: it makes every run feel like a puzzle you could have solved differently. The clan system, the three-floor train layout, and the sheer number of card synergies available give it a replayability that keeps players coming back well past the point where they've seen everything once. This is one of the best entries the genre has produced, and it holds up against anything that's come since.

Against the Storm

4.5

2023 · City Builder / Roguelite Strategy · PC / Steam

Against the Storm is one of the smartest city builders in years, using roguelite structure to solve a problem that has plagued the genre forever. Each run is genuinely different, the tension never fully lets up, and the developers have kept improving it since launch. If you've ever bounced off city builders because they eventually stop surprising you, this one was designed with you in mind.

Dead Cells

4.5

2018 · Action Roguelite · PC / Steam

Dead Cells is one of those rare games that makes dying feel like progress. The combat is fast, responsive, and endlessly satisfying, and the roguelite structure gives every run a distinct identity even after dozens of hours. Higher difficulty tiers can feel punishing in ways that test patience more than skill, and the weapon pool occasionally works against you, but the core loop of fighting, dying, and coming back stronger is as good as this genre gets. Motion Twin built something that kept growing for years after launch and never lost what made it special. If you have any affection for action platformers, this one belongs on your list.

Slay the Spire

4.5

2019 · Roguelike Deckbuilder · PC / Steam

Slay the Spire defined a genre and then set a bar that years of imitators have struggled to reach. The deckbuilding is endlessly deep, the strategic decisions are meaningful from the first card pick to the final boss, and four distinct characters ensure the game stays fresh across hundreds of hours. Visuals won't impress anyone, and the learning curve can feel steep before the depth reveals itself. But this is one of those games where knowledge compounds over time, where every run teaches something, and where the gap between a beginner and a veteran is measured in understanding rather than unlocks. If you have any interest in strategy or card games, this is essential.

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

4.5

2014 · Action Roguelite · PC / Steam

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is the game that defined modern roguelites for a generation of players, and it's only gotten bigger since 2014. The item pool is staggering, the synergy system creates runs that feel wildly different from each other, and the unlock progression keeps revealing new layers long after you think you've seen everything. Some of that bloat has made the game harder to parse for newcomers, and certain design decisions in the later expansions push difficulty in directions not everyone appreciates. But the core loop of exploring, collecting, and discovering how items interact remains one of the most compelling in all of gaming.

Vampire Survivors

4.5

2022 · Action Roguelike · PC / Steam

Vampire Survivors costs a few dollars and has consumed more hours from more people than games that cost ten times as much. The loop of surviving, leveling, and unlocking is tuned to near-perfection, the constant stream of updates and DLC has kept the game growing well beyond its initial scope, and it single-handedly launched an entire subgenre of imitators. Repetition sets in eventually, and players who want direct control over their combat will chafe at the auto-attack system. But for pure, dopamine-driven fun at an absurd value, nothing else comes close.

Slay the Spire 2

4.3

2026 · Roguelike Deckbuilder · PC / Steam

Slay the Spire 2 takes the genre its predecessor defined and rebuilds it from the ground up. New classes, co-op multiplayer for up to four players, and mechanics like Doom, Sly, and Enchantments add meaningful depth without losing the tight strategic loop that made the original so compelling. Early access growing pains are real, with balance controversies and a review-bombed Steam page creating noise around a game that deserves better. Underneath that noise sits the most ambitious roguelike deckbuilder on the market, and one that already justifies its existence even before the full release arrives.

FTL: Faster Than Light

4.3

2012 · Roguelike Strategy · PC / Steam

FTL: Faster Than Light gives you command of a small ship, a desperate mission, and a galaxy that's trying to kill you in a different way every time you play. The pause-and-play combat system creates moments of brilliant tactical thinking, and the randomized encounters produce stories you'll remember long after the run ends. RNG can be brutal in ways that feel unfair, and the final boss encounter is a difficulty spike that the rest of the game doesn't fully prepare you for. But the addictive loop of starting one more run, making slightly better decisions, and pushing a little further is what made FTL a landmark indie game. The free Advanced Edition expansion made a great game even better, and a dedicated modding community has kept it alive for over a decade.

Noita

4.3

2020 · Action Roguelite · PC / Steam

Noita is a game built on a single wild idea, that every pixel on screen should be physically simulated, and it follows that idea to its logical extreme. The wand-crafting system offers some of the deepest build customization in the roguelite genre, and the interactions between spells, materials, and environments create moments no other game can replicate. It asks for patience and a willingness to fail over and over before the pieces click into place, and lots of players never make it past that wall. Those who do find one of the most rewarding and creative sandboxes in modern gaming.

Risk of Rain 2

4.3

2020 · Action Roguelite · PC / Steam

Risk of Rain 2 pulled off one of the most impressive transitions in recent memory, jumping from 2D to 3D without losing what made the original special. The item stacking system creates power fantasies that few games in the genre can match, and cooperative multiplayer elevates the whole experience. DLC releases after Hopoo's departure have been a mixed bag, with some additions landing well and others causing real problems. The core game that Hopoo built remains excellent, and that foundation is strong enough to keep players coming back years after launch.

Enter the Gungeon

4.2

2016 · Bullet Hell Roguelite · PC / Steam

Enter the Gungeon is one of the tightest bullet hell roguelites ever made, with dodge-rolling, table-flipping, and gun-blasting that feels incredible once the controls click. The weapon variety is massive and consistently creative, and the gun-themed world commits to its concept with infectious enthusiasm. Early runs can feel punishing before you've unlocked enough of the arsenal to see the game at its best, and the difficulty never really lets up even after you've improved. For players who want a roguelite built around moment-to-moment action skill rather than build optimization, this is one of the best options available.

20 Minutes Till Dawn

4.0

2023 · Action Roguelike · PC / Steam

20 Minutes Till Dawn strips the survivor-like genre to its essentials and executes them with precision. The tight time limit creates urgency that longer games in the genre lack, and the upgrade synergies can produce absurdly powerful builds that feel earned rather than given. It's slim on content compared to its biggest competitors, and runs can start to blur together after a while. But for its price point, this is one of the tightest, most satisfying loops in the bullet heaven space.

Across the Obelisk

4.0

2022 · Roguelike Deckbuilder · PC / Steam

Across the Obelisk is a co-op deckbuilder that thrives on party synergy and build variety. Managing a four-hero team with intertwined card combos gives it a tactical richness that most games in the genre can't match. It's best with friends, and solo players may find the AI companions limiting, but the sheer volume of unlockable heroes, cards, and paths keeps runs feeling fresh for dozens of hours. If you've been looking for a deckbuilder you can share with someone, this is the one.

Luck be a Landlord

4.0

2022 · Roguelike · PC / Steam

Luck be a Landlord turns a slot machine into a roguelike puzzle, and the result is dangerously addictive. Building synergies between symbols on the reels creates a strategic depth that the simple premise doesn't advertise. Runs are quick, the learning curve is gentle, and the moment a build clicks into place is consistently satisfying. It runs out of surprises eventually, and the randomness can occasionally feel punishing. But as a pick-up-and-play roguelike with a clever core concept, it punches well above its weight.

Backpack Battles

4.0

2024 · Auto Battler / Inventory Management Roguelite · PC / Steam

Backpack Battles takes two things that shouldn't work together, auto battling and inventory Tetris, and turns them into something compulsive. Optimizing your bag layout is the game, and the PvP framing gives every decision stakes. Content updates have kept the meta fresh, and the community remains active. If you've ever spent too long organizing your RPG inventory and wished that was the whole game, this is exactly that.

Gunfire Reborn

4.0

2021 · FPS Roguelite · PC / Steam

Gunfire Reborn is a co-op roguelite shooter that punches well above its weight. The gunplay is sharp, the build variety is deep, and playing with friends elevates everything. Solo play holds up fine, but this is a game designed around shared chaos. If you've been looking for a roguelite you can play with your group that doesn't require hundreds of hours to appreciate, Gunfire Reborn fits that role perfectly.

Caves of Qud

4.0

2024 · Roguelike RPG · PC / Steam

Caves of Qud is a remarkable roguelike that rewards curiosity and punishes complacency in equal measure. Its science-fantasy world is one of the most imaginative settings in gaming, realized through writing that would be impressive in a novel, let alone a procedurally generated dungeon crawler. Character creation alone offers more meaningful choices than most RPGs provide across their entire runtime. The learning curve is severe, the interface demands patience, and death will come often and without warning. For players willing to meet it on its terms, though, Caves of Qud delivers the kind of depth and surprise that keeps you thinking about your last run long after it ended.

Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor

4.0

2025 · Action Roguelite · PC / Steam

Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor takes a beloved co-op franchise and reshapes it into a compelling solo experience that stands on its own. The mining mechanic gives it an identity most survivor-likes lack, and the build variety through overclocks and gear keeps the loop engaging for dozens of hours. It runs out of surprises eventually, and the highest difficulty tiers can feel more punishing than rewarding, but the core of what's here is polished, priced right, and hard to put down. For fans of the genre, this belongs near the top of the list.

Peglin

3.8

2023 · Roguelike / Puzzle · PC / Steam

Peglin mashes pachinko physics with roguelike deck building and turns the result into something far more compelling than it sounds. Launching orbs into a field of pegs and watching damage numbers cascade as they bounce creates a unique satisfaction that no other roguelike offers. The RNG can feel oppressive when bad bounces tank a run, and the strategic depth doesn't quite match the genre's best. But the core concept is so inventive and the moment-to-moment gameplay so fun that Peglin earns its place alongside the roguelike heavyweights through sheer creativity.

Roguebook

3.5

2021 · Roguelike Deckbuilder · PC / Steam

Roguebook has good ideas and a pedigree that promises more than the final product delivers. The two-hero system and hex map exploration add wrinkles to the deckbuilder formula that are worth experiencing, and the combat has enough depth to sustain a few dozen hours of runs. But it struggles to escape the shadow of the games that inspired it, and the progression system that's supposed to keep you coming back can feel like it's gating the fun. It's a solid second-tier deckbuilder that's worth trying on sale if you've exhausted the genre's best.

Loop Hero

3.5

2021 · Roguelite · PC / Steam

Loop Hero pulls off something that sounds like it shouldn't work: an auto-battler that keeps your full attention. The world-building card system, the base camp progression, and the retro aesthetic combine into a first dozen hours that feel inventive and strange. The game loses grip as it approaches its final act, and the late grind is real, but what it does well is distinctive enough to make it worth the time of any player who appreciates games that take unusual swings.

Darkest Dungeon II

3.5

2023 · Roguelike RPG · PC / Steam

Darkest Dungeon II is a bold, polarizing sequel that trades the base-building loop of its predecessor for a tighter roguelike structure built around doomed road trips. The turn-based combat is excellent, the atmosphere is oppressive in all the right ways, and the relationship system adds a layer of strategy that can make or break a run. But the shift away from persistent progression alienates as many players as it attracts, and the run length can test patience when things spiral. If you can accept it as its own thing rather than measuring it against the original, there's a deeply rewarding tactical game here.