10 Best Roguelike Games Right Now

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The history of the roguelike genre isn't just that it is popular — it's ever-changing, from second to second, depending on who gets asked what defines it. While there are extremely strict definitions available for absolute purists, the general sense of a roguelike is that it features a decent number of qualities attributed to the original. Beyond those attributes, they're often defined by their innovations rather than their adherence to their genre, with plenty of roguelikes making a push for Game of the Year candidacy in their release years.

The basic definition of a roguelike — at least, a loose one that is more often agreed upon by its players — is that it features procedurally generated «runs» that can result in death and a restart. That's honestly about the only thing people can agree on, though over the years its become more common to associate carry-over metaprogression with roguelike rather than the term «roguelite,» which now often carries additional deviations from the formula to slot into that category. In short, a roguelike has near-endless replayability thanks to procedural generation and an emphasis on repeated deaths until the player masters its systems.

While it might seem like an exercise in madness, we've put together a list of the ten best roguelikes right now, compiling titles that span multiple release years and have challenged the definition of their genre more than once.

is a platforming roguelike developed by Finnish studio Nolla Games. It left early access in 2020 and was immediately praised for its 2D pixel aesthetic, which helped set it apart in the roguelike genre thanks to some stylish choices inspired by winter landscapes and cavernous claustrophobia. Its retro aesthetic is complemented by its Finnish mythological leanings, sporting an intro that references that country's epic.

Gameplay for follows the player character's sorceror, who is able to cast and craft spells throughout a run in a procedurally generated series of dungeon