Roguelike fans have a lot to look forward to as there are a bunch of new exciting games on the horizon. Here are our top 10 picks for roguelike games in 2024 and beyond! With its compelling die-and-repeat model, there’s something about a good roguelike game that keeps us coming back for more. It seems that gamers and the gaming industry at large are inclined to agree, with a staggering abundance of roguelike experiences released in the first half of 2024 alone.
From AAA blockbusters such as God of War Ragnarok’s well-received Valhalla mode, to the early access release of indie hit Hades 2, there’s a roguelike game out there that will suit every flavor. However, there are still a huge number of roguelike experiences that players can look forward to. Read on to discover the roguelike and roguelite games we are most looking forward to.
10. Killer Bean
Release: Coming soon.
Revealed during the Xbox June 2024 Showcase, Killer Bean is a third-person action roguelike shooter where you play a sentient bean with a vengeance. A lot of aspects of Killer Bean are randomly generated, including its locations, missions, characters, bosses, and even the story. This results in each campaign feeling wildly different from the last.
Killer Bean looks like an absolute blast and will feature balls-to-the-wall mayhem pulled straight from some of the most beloved action flicks of the 80s and 90s. You can shoot, slow-mo dive, get into melee combat, and drive an assortment of cool-looking vehicles as you work to destroy the evil Shadow Agency. What’s more, all of this is made by just a single developer. We can’t wait to get our hands on it and try out this insanity for ourselves!
9. Realm of Ink
Release: Q3 2024.
This action roguelike game is drop-dead gorgeous. Featuring a jaw-dropping “ink and brush” art style, Realm of Ink is a tough-as-nails hack-and-slash action title set within a beautiful Chinese-inspired mythological setting. Fans of Hades should feel right at home with Realm of Ink, as it has a variety of weapons and upgrades for you to try your hand at.
In addition to an assortment of biomes to explore and bosses to repeatedly die to, you’ll also be able to fight alongside Ink Pets. These wonderful creatures will serve as your loyal companions that can evolve in 15 distinct forms, depending on the Ink Gems you’ve picked up on a given run. Hopefully, they can make the inevitable boss rush failures a little bit more palatable.
8. Rotwood
Release: April 2024
Already out in Early Access, Rotwood comes from the makers of the beloved Don’t Starve games. Featuring gorgeous cartoony 2.5D graphics reminiscent of Cult of the Lamb, Rotwood is a fast-paced dungeon-crawling action roguelike that will see you take on a variety of forest monsters on your own or with a buddy.
In addition to various weapons and upgrades you can pick up and experiment with, you’ll need to practice your combo abilities to see success. We’re excited to see more bosses, biomes, and gear pieces added as it moves out of Early Access.
7. 33 Immortals
Release: Coming soon.
33 Immortals’ biggest draw has got to be its 33-player co-op functionality, making it feel more like a collection of epic MMO raids than a traditional action roguelike experience. You can matchmake with 32 other players to take on loot-filled dungeons and fight powerful creatures within an exciting fantasy backdrop inspired by Dante Alighieri’s literary masterpiece, the Divine Comedy.
To help all 33 of you work together, you will be encouraged to upgrade your perks, experiment with different weapons, and equip powerful relics to aid other players and pull off powerful cooperative moves to succeed in the Afterlife. It’s an intriguing and fresh take on the roguelike genre that looks to capture the joy and excitement of raiding with huge parties from the glory days of MMOs.
6. Wild Bastards
Release: Sep 12, 2024.
Wild Bastards is the spiritual sequel to the popular indie hit Void Bastards and looks to change things up in quite a big way. It follows an FPS roguelike loop of shooting your way through procedurally generated stages with varying gravity, terrain, and weather. This time around Wild Bastards merges the space-inspired sci-fi setting of the first game with a gunslinging Western aesthetic that goes together perfectly.
You’ll spend your time in various shooting galleries that ramp up in difficulty as you progress. It’s a good thing you’ll have up to 13 distinct characters to play as, each offering a unique weapon and ability tree. All of this is set within a gorgeous and inspired cowboy-inspired world, draped in wonderfully cel-shaded and stylized graphics.
5. Odinfall
Release: Coming soon.
Odinfall is what you’d get if you put Enter the Gungeon and God of War in a blender. It’s a Viking-themed action roguelike that features various gods from Norse Mythology. Fans of Nuclear Throne and Enter the Gungeon will feel right at home with Odinfall’s high-octane twin-stick shooting mechanics and relentless onslaught of bullets from vicious foes.
Though difficult, you’ll get to retaliate with some impressive firepower of your own. You can play around with an array of ranged and melee weapons as you blast your way through a series of randomly generated levels and biomes. During a given run, you’ll be able to modify your weapons with an assortment of upgrades. These can change up the gameplay significantly, leaving the potential for a wide possibility of wildly different builds.
4. Sworn
Release: 2024
Sworn is another slick action roguelike that borrows heavily from Hades. However, unlike Hades, Sworn can be enjoyed with up to four players in co-op. Instead of interacting with Gods and monsters from Greek mythology, you’ll be reclaiming a fallen Camelot from the reign of a corrupted King Arthur and his dangerous Knights of the Round Table.
Following a similar system from Hades, you can swear fealty to the Fae Lords and choose from a selection of over 200 unique blessings to add power to your build during a run. Using this in conjunction with the game’s selection of unique weapons and characters will ensure victory. This is especially so if you choose to work together with other like-minded pals in a full party of four.
3. Wizard of Legend 2
Release: Coming soon
As a sequel to the much-beloved Wizard of Legend, Wizard of Legend 2 is shaping up to surpass the first game in every conceivable way. Its fast action-packed spell combat is back with an even meatier impact than before. You’ll gain access to all sorts of melee and ranged Arcana from an assortment of elements, ranging from fire, water, earth, and more. These also look fantastic in the game’s new vibrant 3D visuals.
The game is punishingly difficult and requires mastery of the combat system, as well as in-depth knowledge of your enemy’s attack patterns. This time around, Wizard of Legend 2 takes a page out of Hades’ book and includes much more in-depth storytelling and characters you can interact with between runs. You can also play in up to 4-player co-op which should be a blast!
2. Hyper Light Breaker
Release: Coming soon
From the makers of the critically acclaimed Hyper Light Drifter comes Hyper Light Breaker – a spiritual successor with a major visual and gameplay overhaul. Unlike Drifter before it, Breaker is a 3D action game through and through. You must explore a vast procedurally generated open world full of unique biomes, enemies, loot, and rewards.
You can mix and match a variety of ranged and melee weaponry as you jump on your hoverboard to explore and fight your way through Hyper Light Drifter’s vibrant and gorgeous open world. Unlike traditional roguelike games, you can explore its content at your own pace. However, if you fail to beat the three bosses in each world within the given time limit, you will fail and have to start again.
1. Windblown
Release: Coming soon
Windblown is the much-anticipated next title from Dead Cells creators Motion Twin. It’s set to have a much quicker pace than Dead Cells, granting a lightning-fast sense of speed in traversal and combat. The visuals are eye-poppingly vibrant and there are a variety of colorful biomes for you to dash and fight your way through.
What’s more, you can also swap weapons on the fly, allowing you to change up your tactics mid-encounter. There’s even more room for build versatility, with special powers, Alterattacks, and equipable trinkets that can stack certain abilities. The game was also designed with drop-in-drop-out co-op in mind, scaling in difficulty as players join your game session. Despite the obvious departure from Dead Cells, we have faith that Motion Twin can capture lightning in a bottle a second time around with Windblown. We can’t wait.
That’s it for the top 10 upcoming Roguelike games. For more like this, head over to our lists covering the Top 5 Best Long-Running Live Service Games and the Top 10 Ghouls in the Fallout Games here.
Published: Jun 20, 2024 11:30 am