Summary
Roguelikesare for a lot of people, as evidenced by just how many of them there are and how beloved they tend to be. Still, there are some of us for whom this gameplay style is tantamount to getting a headache at a very important social gathering 15 minutes after you get there.
If this is you, we first offer our condolences for how many people try to talk to you aboutHades; they mean well, and the game is good, we promise. Secondly, we offer you this selection of specially curated games that are technically roguelikes, or at least roguelites, that you’ll most likely enjoy, even if you’d rather eat dry newspaper than playThe Binding Of Isaac(which is also a good game).
For this list, we treated roguelike and roguelite as being under the same general umbrella, but you can find out more about the differences between the twohere.Also, for full transparency, the author of this list does not like roguelikes, but does respect the effort that goes into them and their importance to the greater medium of video games.
5I Am Flying To The Moon
In thisdelightful little flash game, you’ll start out with a simple wooden rocket, zero US dollars, and a dream. You won’t go far at first, but every foot you ascend earns money that you’ll then use to upgrade everything from the rocket’s hull to the controls themselves, each upgrade getting you that much closer to your ultimate goal: the moon.
This is a game that understands why people play roguelikes, and boils the feeling of entering a randomized world and getting as far as you’re able to down to its simplest and most digestible components. If you’ve never understood the appeal of the genre, I Am Flying To The Moonis a great way to learn.
Inscryption gets a pass from the usual grumblings of the anti-roguelike crowd for the pure and simple reason thatthe game’s narrative and presentation make it too interesting to pass up. Half the time, you probably won’t even realize you’re playing a roguelike.A deck builder, maybe, but not a roguelike. That’s just the genius of Inscryption’s escape room-esque opening act at work.
Trust us, the game does havea lot more up its sleeve than that,and even if the game does get a bit overcomplicated toward the end, the way it manages to re-create the vibes of early video game creepypastas is something fans of any genre can enjoy, just as long as they’re prepared for a few scares along the way.
Inscryption’s developer is also known for Pony Island, and supposedly, if you’re willing to look hard enough, there are some ARG elements that seem to connect the games. That said, it’s perfectly okay to start with Inscryption without having played Pony Island.
Splatoon is not a roguelike on its own, just to be clear, but the Side Order DLC for Splatoon 3 is a fantastic way to get into the genre if your dislike of it comes from lack of experience with it rather than an outright distain for the gameplay style. It’s alsopart of a bigger game,which itself hasa full single player campaignand fantastic online modes, so even if you end up disliking Side Order, hey, you’ve still got a lot to love.
That being said, Side Order is chock-full of interesting ideas and injects the roguelike genre with the kind of style and attitude you’d expect fromthe Splatoon series.If you like Splatoon but aren’t too keen on roguelikes, this content-rich DLC is absolutely worth checking out for its unique approach to the gameplay style presented in classic first-party Nintendo fashion.
2025-05-26
Developer(s)
Rocketcat Games, Madgarden
The whole zombie roadtrip vibe Death Road To Canada’s got going on really helps to mask some of the more potentially frustrating aspects of roguelike gameplay, but even if it didn’t,playing the game in co-opis fun enough to ensnare even the most determined of rogue-dislikers for at least a few dozen runs.
If you’ve ever wanted to play The Oregon Trail (itself a sort of roguelike for people who don’t like roguelikes) on the couch with your friends, but with five times the hunting, a low-key horror aesthetic, and enough RNG suffering to make theMario Partyseries take notice, Death Road To Canada is just the game for you.
If you go into Death Road To Canada’s co-op with the intention of actually beating the game, the RNG events can get a tad frustrating. Instead, we recommend approaching the game like you would a party game instead of a full-fledged co-op adventure.
What makes Dave The Diver feel different from the others in its genre is the friendly and engaging world outside of its roguelike gameplay centerpiece of diving into the blue hole and seeing how long it takes for the ocean to kill you. At every turn, Dave and his charming posse of misfit friends encourage you to go deeper, try again, and take risks for big rewards in a procedurally generated ocean full offuture sushi dishes.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Dave also offers you a myriad of distractions if the game’s roguelike dives aren’t your thing. Eventually, you’ll even be ableto farm your own fishand focus on exploration, and it’s that, combined with the relaxed atmosphere above the waves, that will keep you coming back, regardless of your opinion on roguelikes.
