With a rise in the number of indie games released over the years, there has also been a rise in the number of roguelikes, particularly on the Nintendo Switch where indie games have managed to find a good home. Though there is some debate on roguelikes vs. roguelites, the mechanics are similar enough for our purposes.
10 Best Roguelike Modes In Non-Roguelike Games
These games are an extra challenge with their roguelike modes.
The gameplay of a roguelike is simple and broad, meaning it can take advantage of many different genres while still retaining its roguelike status. In many cases, roguelikes often don't look or play anything like one another, something that isn't common among any other video game genre. These are the very best ones available.
Updated January 18, 2025 by Jacob Whaling: We've updated this list with even more roguelikes to play on the Nintendo Switch.
28 Crown Trick
Crown Trick is a turn-based roguelike dungeon crawler with deep, strategic combat. Enemies move after you do, which means you have all the time you need to analyze each situation and proceed along the best course of action. With tons of different weapons and relics to experiment with, you'll definitely need the time to strategize.
Crown Trick's flashy art style sets itself apart from similar roguelikes. While it isn't as difficult as others in the genre, there's definitely a good deal of challenge here to keep you invested for a while.
27 Nowhere Prophet
- Released
- July 19, 2019
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Blood, Use of Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Sharkbomb Studios
- Publisher(s)
- No More Robots
- Engine
- Unity
- Number of Players
- 1
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- PC Release Date
- July 19, 2019
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- July 29, 2020
- PS5 Release Date
- July 30, 2024
- Nintendo Switch Release Date
- July 30, 2020
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike, Digital Card Game
- How Long To Beat
- 6 Hours
- File Size Xbox Series
- 818.13 MB
- How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)
- 17 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Nowhere Prophet blurs the lines between roguelike and card game, not unlike games such as Slay the Spire. However, where Slay the Spire takes place in a somewhat amusing fantasy world, Nowhere Prophet tells the tale of survivors in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world who must make their way to salvation by any means necessary.
Something unique about this game is that the combat's main focus is on the positioning of units in battle, as units placed in front of one another will protect them from the majority of attacks, though this also means that those units at the rear will be unable to attack ahead of them.
26 Going Under
What was once a record-breaking hit song by Evanescence, Going Under is now a comedic action roguelike with a bright and colorful art style that stands out among other games in the genre.
While similar dungeon crawlers will have a somewhat serious story, Going Under sees the player character, Jackie, dive into the cursed ruins of failed tech startups, wielding various pieces of office rubbish as weapons to defend herself.
25 Crawl
- Released
- April 11, 2017
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Blood and Gore, Violence, Partial Nudity, Crude Humor
- Developer(s)
- Powerhoof
- Publisher(s)
- Powerhoof
- Multiplayer
- Local Co-Op, Local Multiplayer
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- PC Release Date
- April 11, 2017
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- How Long To Beat
- 1 Hour
- How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)
- 14½ Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Crawl is a unique take on the roguelike genre, incorporating a local multiplayer system where one player controls the hero and up to three other players control the monsters they face. While local multiplayer is definitely the focus, the game can also be played entirely solo.
Best Roguelike Games For Beginners
While it can be difficult for a beginner to dive in, these games serve as a fantastic jumping-off point for newcomers to the roguelike genre.
The dungeons are procedurally generated, but the additional players use the monsters that spawn to try and take out the player. If one of them manages it, their reward is being able to become the hero themselves.
24 Moonlighter
- Released
- May 29, 2018
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Digital Sun
- Publisher(s)
- 11 Bit Studios
- Engine
- Unity
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, PC, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Action RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 14 Hours
- Metascore
- 88
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
- X|S Optimized
- No
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
In Moonlighter, you play as a man with a double life. By day, Will operates a shop in Rynoka Village. This is no mere cutscene - you can decide what to sell and set the prices, plus hire your assistants and expand your operation. By night, Will follows his dreams of becoming an adventurer, investigating the local dungeons to find new things for the shop.
The adorable art style in this game is just the tip of the iceberg. There are plenty of activities to keep you busy on your travels, including crafting, enchanting, and befriending the locals.
23 UnderMine
UnderMine
- Released
- August 20, 2019
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Thorium
- Publisher(s)
- Fandom
- Engine
- Unity
- Platform(s)
- PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
This pixel-art roguelike looks more like it has been pulled straight out of Stardew Valley, as both games have a very similar art style and color pallet. However, UnderMine's dungeon crawling combat is closer to The Binding of Issac or Moonlighter than a methodical farming simulation.
UnderMine attracts players and has managed to grab attention in all the best ways. Combined with RPG mechanics that allow players to customize their loadouts even further, UnderMine isn't a game that should be ignored by roguelike fans.
22 Risk Of Rain Returns
- Released
- November 8, 2023
- ESRB
- T for Teen Due To Drug Reference, Mild Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Hopoo Games
- Publisher(s)
- Gearbox Publishing
- Engine
- GameMaker
- Franchise
- Risk of Rain
- Platform(s)
- PC, Switch
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike, Platformer
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Risk of Rain Returns is a remake of the original Risk of Rain, featuring new characters, items, locations, enemies, and updated graphics and music. The original Risk of Rain is already a fantastic game, and Returns elevates it to a new level, somehow perfecting a game that was already nearly perfect.
If you're familiar with its sequel, Risk of Rain 2, both the original and Risk of Rain Returns play a little differently. This is a side-scrolling roguelike, so the different perspective makes avoiding and attacking enemies much more different. In some cases its harder, but other times its easier. Either way, Risk of Rain Returns is an excellent game, especially in handheld mode on the Switch.
21 Crypt of the Necrodancer: Cadence of Hyrule
- Released
- June 13, 2019
- ESRB
- E For Everyone due to Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Brace Yourself Games
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- Monkey X
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- Genre(s)
- Action, Rhythm
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
A spin-off that few saw coming, Cadence of Hyrule takes the fantastic gameplay of the original Crypt of the Necrodancer and puts a Legend of Zelda twist on the entire spectacle.
Not only can players take control of Link and Zelda, but updates also allow the player to control Skull Kid from Majora's Mask and Impa, the recurring nursemaid of Princess Zelda with her own score to settle with Ganon's monsters. Topped off with some great remixes of classic Zelda tracks, it's very easy to pick up, and love this game despite its crushing difficulty at times.
20 Slay The Spire
- Released
- January 23, 2019
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Tobacco Reference
- Developer(s)
- Mega Crit
- Publisher(s)
- Humble Bundle
- Engine
- libGDX
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- Platform(s)
- Android, iOS, PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike, Deckbuilding
- How Long To Beat
- 12 Hours
- File Size Xbox Series
- 575 MB (December 2023)
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
- X|S Optimized
- No
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Taking a roguelike and injecting deck-building mechanics into it seems strange at first, but it works far better in Slay the Spire than anyone could have anticipated. Standard gameplay sees the player choose one of four characters, three of which need to be unlocked through subsequent runs, with each one's deck playing differently enough to feel unique.
Even though each run is randomized, the actual card mechanics are solid enough to make sure players always have a fighting chance no matter which deck they choose to start with, though some have an easier time late in the run than others.
19 The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+
- Released
- September 28, 2011
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Violence, Blood and Gore, Crude Humor
- Developer(s)
- Edmund McMillen, Florian Himsl
- Publisher(s)
- Edmund McMillen
- Engine
- Adobe Flash
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Split Screen Orientation
- N/A (Shared Screen)
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike
- Metascore
- 91
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-4 Players
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The Binding of Isaac is definitely one of the first games that come to mind when it comes to roguelikes, and for good reason. Taking roguelike gameplay into a dungeon crawling environment ripped straight out of classic The Legend of Zelda games, it's hard to not love this indie gem.
The graphics and gameplay are both very simple, but that is more than enough to grab anyone who is a fan of the genre. The story is also very strange compared to many other roguelikes, as players follow Isaac as he escapes from his religiously insane mother while she tries to kill him.