Despite their horrible difficulty, roguelike games are some of the best on PC right now. After all, who doesn’t like playing a game that changes its experience with each new run? However, with so many roguelike games out there, it can be difficult to find which one to pick. To help you out I decided to sit down and list out the best roguelike games on PC right now. So with that, let’s begin!
1. Risk of Rain 2
Release Date: August 11, 2020
We’ll start this list with one of my favorite Roguelike games of recent years, which some people agree to be one of the best. Risk of Rain 2 is the sequel to the old side-scrolling roguelike Risk of Rain. The game lets you land on an alien planet and fight through hoards of monsters and bosses through various levels.
Each run has a different enemy and boss placement and different items to collect. The goal is to end the run as quickly as possible since the clock is ticking, and with each passing moment, the game keeps getting more challenging.
2. Slay The Spire
Release Date: January 23, 2019
Slay the Spire was one of the original roguelike games that popularized the genre tenfold when it launched. The game is considered one of the best roguelike games on PC for obvious reasons. Each run brings a different experience, contributing to infinite playthroughs.
The game is a deck builder, where you go on an epic fantasy adventure, with each run bringing a different deck layout. With the sequel finally announced, maybe give Slay the Spire a try!
3. Hades
Release Date: September 17, 2020
Supergiant Games is one of those studios that has been around for a while and has consistently shared some of the best games with the world. Their Magnum Opus was Hades, a roguelike game for PC and consoles.
In Hades, you play as Zagreus, the son of the Greek god of the underworld, Hades, who’s trying to escape the palace and reach the surface of Olympus. Each run will provide different enemy placements and god boons; the entire game is built upon trial and error. Make mistakes, die trying, and keep repeating. With the sequel Hades 2 currently out in early access, familiarize yourself with the game that became a surprise hit!
4. Inscryption
Release Date: October 19, 2021
If there’s one thing you’ll find in this roguelike list, it is that each of the games mentioned here was a surprise hit, becoming one of the best games on PC. No one expected anything from them, but they come packed with so much content that players invested in it. Inscryption is no different.
In it, you play a board game with a mysterious individual, where the stakes are high, and you are permanently trapped inside a cabin. A mix between deck builder, escape room, and psychological horror, nothing is what it seems. It is best not to spoil much about Inscryption, as the perfect way to experience the game is by playing it blind.
5. Balatro
Release Date: February 20, 2024
Balatro is probably a game you’ve heard many people talking about recently. And for reasonable measures. It almost consumed my life when I started playing it recently. It is a roguelike deck-builder that allows you to play a poker game with a twist.
That is pretty much it! You buy power-ups, get unique Joker cards, build your unique hand, and try getting the combos to reach each round’s score goal making it one of the best roguelike games on PC.
6. Noita
Release Date: October 15, 2020
It’s another personal favorite of mine, which also happens to be an excellent roguelike game of its own accord. Noita is an action roguelike where you play as a magician out on an adventure through a mystical mountain.
Each run will give you a unique cave layout, enemy placements, and weapon choice, giving you a new challenge to surpass. The highlight here is the pixel-based physics. So, you can destroy the environment in unique ways to gain the upper hand against your enemies.
7. FTL: Faster Than Light
Release Date: September 14, 2012
Another game that popularized the roguelike genre on PC in the early heydays of Steam, FTL: Faster Than Light, is what the developers call a “spaceship simulation roguelike-like.” You are the commander of a spaceship with your crew, and your goal is to journey through space filled with enemies and random events that change with each run.
You will die a lot, your spaceship will go through tons of hardship, and you will keep trying. FTL: Faster Than Light is built upon the idea of replayability and does an amazing job of being one of the best roguelike games on PC.
8. Into The Breach
Release Date: Feb 27, 2018
Another roguelike game made by the developers of FTL: Faster than Light, Into The Breach plays entirely differently and takes place in a different setting. Instead of flying through space and surviving, you are now in control of three mechs from the future.
Sent to the earth each time to stop monsters from causing a rampage, each run will pit you against insurmountable difficulties that change every time you play it. And you will die a lot, resulting in one of the best experiences in the best roguelike games on PC.
9. The Binding of Issac: Rebirth
Release Date: November 4, 2014
The Binding of Issac has had many different versions available. However, Rebirth is the one that players prefer to be one of the best roguelike games whenever the discussion pops up. In it, you play as Issac, a kid trapped in a basement after his mother tries to sacrifice him to the god.
It is a pretty gnarly setting, which gets even creepier when you play the game and meet the enemies. Each run gives you randomly generated rooms, items, and an experience you’ll keep returning to.
10. Dead Cells
Release Date: 7 Aug, 2018
Ending this list is another favorite roguelike I’ve constantly played recently on a Steam Deck. Dead Cells is an action roguelike platformer where you play as a warrior who travels through an ever-changing castle, collecting unique weapons, killing enemies, getting strong, and dying trying.
You’ll die a lot, gain the necessary knowledge, and probably try another run. Okay, maybe two runs. Dead Cells is highly satisfying with its gameplay and will undoubtedly hook you into its great experience. It’s only fitting that I end this list with what I consider one of the best PC roguelike games.
These are the best roguelike games you can play on your PC. So do you have more favorites you want us to include? Let us know in the comments below!
