Just one more turn. Next time, I'll get it right. This game hates me. We go again. Roguelikes are the best, aren't they? Randomized elements in a game may seem like a recipe for disaster, but these games are built for it, rewarding experience and knowledge for a chance of turning the odds in your favor. It just may take a while, that's all.
Roguelikes run the gamut of subgenres, all connected by a few core principles. You could be playing a shooter with random weapon drops, or exploring a house where you choose the layout of the room as you enter it. Bending the game to your will is always the objective, and breaking out of the mold it puts you in always seems achievable.
The best roguelike games on PC are:
1. Blue Prince
Blue Prince is a roguelike puzzle game that puts you in the shoes of a young lad as he attempts to sleuth his way into an absolute fortune. You're tasked with finding a very specific hidden room in a huge estate - the main issue is, it turns out, that the interior of said estate is blank. No rooms whatsoever besides the entrance hall and a strange antechamber at the northernmost point.
Each time you enter a new room, three potential room plans appear on screen, and it's up to you to pick the best one for whatever it is you're trying to achieve. You wind up building a maze of nooks and kitchens and whatever else the estate throws at you. These rooms can be self-contained puzzles, they can be run-hindering spaces like the chapel, or they can be something strange like the ballroom. There are a staggering number of options to choose from, and you'll learn what works and what doesn't the more you play.
In PK's Blue Prince review, he says that this roguelike puzzler is "wildly inventive, tantalisingly mysterious, and ethereally beautiful" and a bit "like if Myst and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture got together for an intimate dinner to talk about the menu system of Vampire Survivors (who is otherwise locked out of the party for being too raucous)." Go play it.
2. Hades 2
How do you follow up one of the biggest and most celebrated roguelikes of all time? It's a tough ask for even the most seasoned of developers, but Hades 2 manages to eclipse the first in almost every regard. A long, twisting narrative, a tighter form of the same combat, and new weapons! It's all there.
You play as the Princess of the Underworld, Melinoë, set on her mission to take down the God of Time, Chronos. Chronos believes that the only acceptable time to exist was the one in which he had total control of everything, and it's down to you to prevent him from causing that reality to transpire.
You can fight your way through the underworld, or take a jaunt topside - each of these holds different threats, and comes with unique objectives, but you'll have to conquer both to find out what's going on, reunite with your family, and put Chronos back where he belongs. Our Hades 2 review says that it's "better than the original in every way," so what are you waiting for?
3. Balatro
Built on the foundations of Poker, Balatro is a game in which players create hands to score the most points. That's it, really - until you throw in Planet cards that level up a particular hand; tarot cards that can do things like duplicate cards in your deck; and, of course, Jokers. Jokers are the reason Balatro is so moreish. They're permanent modifiers to your deck of cards, doing all kinds of weird and wonderful things to boost your scores into the atmosphere.
Featuring eight floors consisting of three battles, each winning Balatro run takes anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes, making it incredibly easy to start a new run if you draw a bad batch of cards. That 'just one more run' statement might be a bit of a cliché at this point, but Balatro nails it.
After a while, you'll know where your deck failed, and you're sure you can do better next time. Always next time. It's easily one of the best roguelikes we've played, hitting that perfect spot between easy to learn but maddeningly difficult to master. If you're already a season player, check out our Balatro mods guide for ways to change up your next run.
4. Mewgenics
Roguelikes can get weird, but few are weirder than Mewgenics. Perhaps we shouldn't have expected anything less from Binding of Isaac creator Ed McMullen, an ethically dubious cat-breeding sim wasn't on our bingo card for one of the best roguelikes in years. The off-the-wall premise might seem like a clever marketing gimmick, but Mewgenics carries a deep complexity in its genetic makeup.
When you decide to get a cat in real life, you might look for a specific coat color, personality, and good health. Not so in Mewgenics. Cats are arranged in RPG-style classes, each with an arrangement of stats that determine their strengths and weaknesses. To clear boss fights like Dybbuk, you need a strong party of mutant felines - ideally, with minimal birth defects.
In our Mewgenics review, Paul Kelly describes it as the "deepest strategy game [he's] played in years." There's also a monumental amount of content to keep you busy, with new items to unlock after hundreds of hours of playtime. If you can stomach the 2000s-style poop humor, you'll find Mewgenics is a roguelike that's as wonderful as it is weird.
5. Darkest Dungeon 2
Darkest Dungeon is misery incarnate. Visually oppressive, brutally difficult, and bleak in the extreme, never has such a moreish game made you feel quite so bad. It succeeds at holding you in a constant state of anxiety as you delve deeper into its dungeons, searching for trinkets and gold.
Setting out on a stagecoach through a perilous world, you encounter grim inhabitants in turn-based combat. You also have to consider that your party members aren't thoughtless meat shields. The physical and mental toll of your expeditions will inevitably take its toll on them, which gives Darkest Dungeon its bite. The very real nightmare of contracting a foul disease or seeing a friend wounded - or worse - can cause any adventurer to spiral toward an early grave.
Although a few years old at this point, Darkest Dungeon 2 is still getting a lot of love from its developer. A new Kingdoms expansion was released - for free - recently that added a more expansive game mode that sees you plotting a path through a dungeon, fighting whatever it might be that comes your way.
6. Returnal
The former PS5 exclusive title has made its way onto PC, introducing the award-winning bullet hell roguelike to a brand new audience. You play as Selene, an astronaut who has crash-landed on a shapeshifting world. Packed to the brim with creepy crawlies and vicious monsters, Selene must do anything she can to survive, including blasting every threat into a million pieces using her arsenal of weapons.
The procedural world of Returnal is incredibly punishing, forcing Selene to restart her journey from the very beginning each time she dies. You won't experience the same run a second time, so take advantage of the items at your disposal and do your best to avoid being taken out.
This is a roguelike for those who want all action, all the time. Fights are chaotic and beautiful, and the roguelike elements ensure that no two runs are the same. There's also a co-op mode, so if you want to attempt a run with a friend, you can! Check out our best Returnal settings guide if you need a hand getting the most from this beauty of a game.
7. Cult of the Lamb
Take on the role of a cuddly cult leader as you battle your way through a series of dungeons and bosses, taking down the very powers that put you in this undead world. Hopefully, fortune favors you, as Cult of the Lamb is particularly RNG-heavy, with each room, weapon, and reward generated randomly each time you pass through.
In a unique twist to the roguelike genre, though, Cult of the Lamb is also a management game. Naturally, outside of battling demons, you must keep your cult running smoothly by collecting lumber and stone, recruiting new members to deliver Cult of the Lamb doctrines, and keeping them all fed, happy, and - above all - loyal.
Before you get started, take a look at our Cult of the Lamb beginner's guide for some handy tips for cult management, like how to get lumber and stone - you won't get far without it, a real run-ender.
8. Vampire Survivors
With each run in Vampire Survivors, you must defeat hordes of enemies while collecting new guns and items to progress through each area and wave to survive the night. There are many levels, tons of achievements, and many unlockable Vampire Survivors characters.
On the face of it, Vampire Survivors looks like a throwback, with its pixellated 2D character models, but you'll understand the true beauty of this roguelike game when it properly starts kicking off. When the screen turns into a moving, LED Jackson Pollock, you'll know.
The indie game became an instant hit and receives regular updates, including several paid-for DLC packs, so if you're just starting out, here are the best Vampire Survivors builds as well as all Vampire Survivors weapon evolutions.
9. Spelunky 2
Despite its cutesy cartoon aesthetic, Spelunky 2 can infuriate and delight in equal measure. Its predecessor is considered indie royalty, yet the sequel effortlessly one-ups it in every possible way by providing an incredible number of gameplay possibilities. Yes, you still need to traverse a series of hazard-filled, procedurally generated caverns searching for treasure, but its iterative nature allows developer Mossmouth to refine the Spelunky formula to near perfection.
Iain's Spelunky 2 review says this about the roguelike sequel: "Each run feels charming and varied, and every small eureka moment is exhilarating. It's a wonderful thing to experience for the first time, even if you have played Spelunky before."
You play as the daughter of the first game's protagonist as she searches for her missing parents on the moon. To reach them, you must fully use your platforming and problem-solving abilities. The tiniest of errors can have chaotic consequences, but what makes Spelunky 2 special is how flexible its systems are. It can sometimes feel like no two runs are the same, and as such, you'll continue to make wonderful discoveries even after you're dozens of hours deep.
10. Rogue Legacy 2
Move through a maze of traps and a path of destruction as you storm a castle in the sequel to one of the best roguelike games of all time. Rogue Legacy 2 features randomized runs and changing characters, as per the genre, but the difference here is that after every death, you spawn as your last playthrough's heir.
Defined by your last run and your parents' inheritance, you become strong by building up the family manor and giving your children the best fighting chance. Each rung on the generational ladder you go down presents a new opportunity, with traits giving you powerful passives or perhaps run-hindering debuffs.
Couple this with excellent platforming and 2D combat, and you've got a winner on your hands. Rogue Legacy 2 is a challenge, that's for sure, but once you get to grips with its core mechanics, you can take on the castle every time - no matter what form it takes. If you're looking to supercharge your next run, we have a Rogue Legacy 2 Scars guide that will give you a helping hand.
11. Caves of Qud
Inspired by Dwarf Fortress, Caves of Qud may look incredibly confusing at first, but if you stick with it, you'll discover a game like no other. Set in a version of Earth that has lived through several thousand years of civilization until decay set in. There are four modes to experience, including classic, with traditional roguelike elements like permadeath. In this adventure game, you must explore the massive, ever-changing map in search of answers about the planet and its inhabitants.
Epic is a word that comes to mind when talking about Caves of Qud - the potential scale of the adventures in this roguelike is beyond most others in any genre. It offers a level of freedom you would struggle to find anywhere else, and while some may look at the simplistic visuals and be put off, they're simply a gateway into something utterly magnificent.
There's a learning curve, but we think that anyone who sticks with Caves of Qud until it clicks won't regret a single minute of their time spent staring at a screen of borderline-ASCII symbols.
12. Peglin
Remember Peggle? Popcap was on a roll in the '00s, creating smash hits like Zuma, Bookworm Adventures, and, of course, Peggle. What made Peggle so special was its simplicity: just hit ten colored pegs and you're greeted with a blaring rendition of Beethoven's Ode to Joy. Peglin takes the foundations of Peggle and builds on them using roguelike mechanics, recreating that feeling of landing an astounding shot, but with a new strategic element.
The game's developers, Red Nexus Games Inc, have highlighted both Peggle and Slay the Spire as inspirations for Peglin, which should tell you something about its gameplay. There are enemies in Peglin that stand in your way, and the way you deal damage to them is to clear the board of its pegs.
Peglin features relics, potions, and bombs to increase your power, giving you the ability to fire off multi-balls, drill directly through pegs, and activate other board-altering effects. The roguelike mechanic comes in by creating a new map each time you play, ensuring you always have a unique experience with different enemies and orbs.
13. Dead Cells
It's difficult to imagine anyone not immediately hooked by Dead Cells' bloody hack 'n' slash action and breakneck pace. As a deathless (not to mention headless) science experiment, you break free of your prison cell and set about ripping and tearing your way through an expansive castle, from the dungeons below to the towers above.
The game allows you to carry certain upgrades across runs, making you feel a constant sense of progression. As a result, being sent back to square one after a particularly messy boss fight doesn't carry the same sting as it might in other roguelike games and makes starting a new run even more tempting.
That's not to say that Dead Cells is a walk in the park - it will still kick your butt on the regular - but removing the pressure of losing it all makes for a less daunting experience. It also helps that the game's post-launch support has been nothing short of exceptional, with Castlevania-themed Dead Cells DLC proving to be just as good as the base game.
14. Into the Breach
Into the Breach is a turn-based strategy roguelike where you face an army of monsters known as the Vek. The only way to counter their overwhelming attack is to enlist the help of some giant mechs. It takes place on a small grid, and you - and the enemy - take turns in moving and taking actions around the landscape.
As you progress through the game's islands, you'll uncover improved weapons and pilots to help you turn the tide of war and save mankind from certain doom. Its straightforward combat won't be off-putting for newcomers - it's among the most approachable strategy games around - but you shouldn't expect anything less than a stressful, though constantly rewarding, time from Into the Breach.
Where Into the Breach differs from others of its type is the compact nature of the environment - there isn't much room to maneuver, and you must use every square if you want to stand a chance at winning. Pushing enemies around the board is key, transforming some battles into a puzzle that can only be solved with really, really big guns.
15. Slay the Spire
You won't win a prize for guessing your objective in Slay the Spire. Mega Crit's card battler is one smart roguelike, trimming the fat from pre-battle faff and adopting a choose-your-own-adventure mode of progression that creates a fast-paced, action-oriented experience. As you ascend the titular spire, it takes careful planning and no small amount of mental mathematics to slay all the monsters that cross your path.
As our Slay the Spire review attests, this "mechanically perfect" deckbuilder thrives on explosive synergies that imbue each run with a sense of adrenaline and discovery. However, the high of defeating a once-insurmountable boss comes hand in hand with sudden and crushing defeat. The higher you go, the heavier the cost of your mistakes.
If you've already clocked hundreds of hours in the spire, don't hang up your deck just yet. Slay the Spire 2 is out now in early access, and it's the perfect follow-up with new characters, cards, and bosses. While it's still beholden to balance changes, Slay 2's roadmap promises a bright future and new frontiers for one of the best card games on PC.
16. Don't Starve
Don't Starve is a sharp, unnerving shot of gothic horror that delights in stressing you out and causing you pain. On a basic level, it's an isometric roguelike survival game where your task is to make a life for yourself in a world that so wants you dead.
Developer Klei never seems short on new - and often unwelcome - surprises, and setting out to explore your surroundings is a terrifying and alluring prospect. As cruel as its world can be, you'll be called back time and again to have another go, to unravel its complex systems, and to see what lurks just beyond.
A free co-op expansion, Don't Starve Together, allows you to take on the difficult task with a friend, with our DST review claiming that "having a buddy in tow simply feels like the right way to play Klei's cartoon horror romp."
17. FTL
FTL is great, and everyone should play it. There you go. Oh, you want more? Okay. FTL (Faster Than Light, we're led to believe) tasks you, and whichever crew you choose to take with you, to get from one side of the galaxy to the other while being chased by the big bad space filth. It's a top-down roguelike where you have to manage the systems of your spaceship, like oxygen, shields, engines, and even your doors, while interacting with other ships, random events, stores, and whatever else the game throws at you.
Runs are mostly randomized (being a roguelike, obviously), and the scope of what this game can throw at you is one of the reasons it still feels fresh all these years after release. Sometimes you'll cruise through sectors wondering what the fuss is about, and other times you'll be clinging on by a fingernail, limping from each shop to the next, just hoping for some good luck.
Becoming overpowered is, like in many games, wonderful, and the feeling of swanning around deep space, exacting your will on anyone who crosses your path, feels great. It's chaotic, often tense, and totally demoralizing when you die and have to start again. Until you actually begin again and realize the journey is the more worthy part. Probably.
18. The Binding of Isaac
Developer Edmund McMillen's The Binding of Isaac reinvigorated the roguelike genre when it arrived on the scene almost a decade ago. Plenty of flashier, more modern roguelike games have come along in time since then, but there's still nothing quite like it.
It remains unflinching in its depiction of Isaac's dire situation. In fact, the game sits comfortably in the realm of horror as you cry your way through its repellent world and encounter Isaac's many demons, including his own mother. Ultimately, its enduring popularity is a testament to both its elegant design and singular personality.
While The Binding of Isaac: Repentance may be the final update, it adds many new enemies, rooms, secret bosses, and even support for up to four players in local co-op. It's no wonder it managed to accrue 60,000 concurrent players on Steam alone in its opening weekend (though it's also available on the Epic Game Store, so that number is likely a bit higher).
19. Inscryption
Inscryption is an unfair game. It's a roguelike card affair that pits you against your captor, and they don't like playing fair. Stuck in a wooden hut with a strange and vaguely violent being, you do as you're told, and you look at what you're supposed to look at… until you don't.
To explain Inscryption any more would be to give too much away, but to say that this fairly simple game went places would be an understatement. On the face of it, Inscryption is a competent, turn-based card game that would arguably be enough on its own.
When you add everything else, it turns this into a must-play for roguelike enjoyers, horror enjoyers, and everything else in between. Just make sure you go in with no more information than what's here.
Upcoming roguelike games
We have an upcoming PC games list that tracks every notable, upcoming title, which includes a couple of entries that might just make their way over to this list. We're looking forward to some new experiences that make us tear our hair out, grit our teeth, and with any luck, win.
If you're looking for something a little different, check out our best PC games list, which will have a bit of everything for any taste, or see our free PC games guide if you want to try a bunch of new things without spending a dollar.