10 Best Roguelike Games on PC (2024)

The roguelike genre is known for its tough, ever-changing gameplay, where each defeat means starting from scratch. It blends unpredictability with the thrill of mastering difficult challenges, continually evolving with new elements from various gaming styles. Here, we've curated a list of ten best roguelike games on PC.

10. Noita

Noita invites players into a captivating magical action roguelite where every single pixel is dynamically simulated. This unique feature allows for extraordinary interactions with the game environment—you can set things on fire, watch substances melt, or cause explosions that reshape the landscape. The world in Noita is procedurally generated, meaning every playthrough is different. Players explore new environments ranging from dark coal mines to icy wastelands, each filled with hidden dangers and treasures. Plus, the constant threat of permanent death adds intensity to each adventure.

9. Slay the Spire

Slay the Spire combines card games with roguelike mechanics to offer a strategic, turn-based experience. Players choose a character, each with unique cards and abilities, to ascend a spire filled with various foes. With each battle, players can add new cards to their deck, enhancing their abilities and tailoring their strategy. The game also includes relics, special items that provide powerful effects and can significantly alter gameplay. The gameplay here is about making choices, from which paths to take to how to build your deck, ensuring no two runs are the same.

8. RoboQuest

RoboQuest transports players to a scorched future world where fast-paced action meets strategic gameplay. Here, players become a rebooted Guardian robot, revived by a young scavenger named Max. They embark on a dangerous journey through hostile environments, fighting waves of deadly robots determined to stop them. The game challenges players to navigate ever-changing levels, uniquely generated to offer fresh experiences every run. With a focus on movement, players must master running, jumping, and evasive maneuvers to dodge enemy fire and overcome obstacles, all while managing relentless attacks from enemy bots.

7. Balatro

Balatro combines the excitement of poker with the strategic depth of a roguelike deck builder. In this game, players skillfully mix poker hands with unique Joker cards to forge powerful synergies and craft a winning strategy. Each round challenges players to manage their cards wisely to overcome tricky blinds and progress through increasingly difficult levels. Additionally, Balatro offers a diverse array of cards and tools to supercharge the gameplay. Players can choose from 15 different decks, each with its own unique modifiers. And with 150 distinct Jokers, each adding unique abilities, the possibilities for creating explosive combos are nearly limitless.

6. Risk of Rain 2

Risk of Rain 2 translates the classic 2D chaos of its predecessor into a stunning 3D environment. Players choose from a roster of characters, each with distinct abilities, to survive on an alien planet. The game is known for its scaling difficulty: the longer you survive, the harder the game becomes. Players must find and activate teleporters in randomly generated levels while fighting off hordes of monsters. Here, items that enhance and modify abilities are key, often stacking to create powerful combinations, and are crucial for surviving tougher levels.

5. Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor

In Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, players embody a solitary dwarf who battles waves of alien creatures on the hostile planet Hoxxes. This single-player, survivor-like auto-shooter equips players with a vast arsenal from the beloved Deep Rock Galactic universe, blending intense combat with resource management. Players also unlock powerful upgrades and weapons to enhance their survival capabilities against the planet's dangers.During gameplay, players complete various mission objectives that are essential for progression. Successfully tackling these missions bolsters the player’s dwarf by unlocking new abilities and enhancing existing skills.

4. Ravenswatch

In Ravenswatch, players step into a world where legendary tales and dark realities merge. This top-down roguelike action game casts players as fallen heroes from famous folk tales, tasked with defeating Nightmares that are corrupting the realm of Reverie. It offers both solo and cooperative gameplay for up to four players. The game combines intense real-time combat with strategic elements that appeal to a variety of players.

3. Hades

Hades combines Greek mythology with thrilling action. Players control Zagreus, the son of Hades, as he attempts to escape the underworld. Each attempt teaches new tactics, with Zagreus gaining powers gifted by other Olympian gods. The game is lauded for its fluid combat and compelling story, unfolding more with each run. Hades also features beautiful art and voice acting, bringing the world and its characters to life. The blend of story and action makes this game both captivating and replayable.

2. Enter the Gungeon

Enter the Gungeon is a bullet-hell dungeon crawler where players take on the role of a band of misfits. These characters seek redemption and hope to change their past by finding a mythical gun in the Gungeon's deepest level. Players choose a hero and dive into the Gungeon, a place filled with a dangerous mix of foes known as the Cult of the Gundead and intricate, deadly traps. To survive, players must master quick movements, dodge rolling, and use the environment strategically to block enemy attacks.

1. Backpack Battles

In Backpack Battles, players enter a unique arena where strategy involves careful inventory management and smart placement of items within a backpack. This player versus player game focuses on acquiring a range of items varying in shape, size, price, and rarity to create formidable builds. You must buy and craft items like potent potions, legendary weapons, or even hatch a dragon to assist in battles. The placement of these items within your backpack directly influences your strength in combat. Furthermore, players can choose from different classes that affect their combat style, opting for heavy critical hits or preferring to deal poison damage over time.

So, do you agree with our picks? Or do any other roguelike PC game deserve a spot here? Let us know on our socials here!