Summary
Although it could be argued that classic roguelikes and the originalRogueitself often offer more of a challenge than the modernized subgenre,roguelitescan still offer their own unique challenges.
This is primarily the case in action roguelites, which ditch thetraditional turn-based gameplayfor an action-orientated approach to combat. This allows these games to be more skill-based, rather than emphasizing knowledge and strategy.
Rogue Legacy
WHERE TO PLAY
Rogue Legacy is a genealogical rogue-“LITE” where anyone can be a hero.Each time you die, your child will succeed you. Every child is unique. One child might be colorblind, another might have vertigo– they could even be a dwarf.That’s OK, because no one is perfect, and you don’t have to be perfect to win this game. But you do have to be pretty darn good because this game is HARD. Fortunately, every time you die all the gold you’ve collected can be used to upgrade you manor, giving your next child a step up in life and another chance at vanquishing evil.But you shouldn’t listen to me. You should check out the trailer. It explains the game better then I ever could.If you really want to READ about this game though, then you should check out our bullet list below.
Rogue Legacywas one of the first roguelite games, and arguably played a large part in popularizing the subgenre. This game features some brutal platformer gameplay, often including traps and tough platforming challenges amidbullet hell action.
This combination of platforming, action gameplay, and bullet hell battles makesRogue Legacya tough experience that often fires on all cylinders. However, this challenge is somewhat alleviated by the game’s lineage system, which allows players to grow stronger across multiple runs.
This sequel takes the formula ofRisk Of Rain, with its MOBA-inspired active abilities, constantly-ticking timer, and open biomes, and brings it into the realm of 3D. This third-person action shooter is a constantly chaotic roguelite with the potential for extremely OP runs, but the game’s variety of enemies and boss fights can often be a challenge.
Masteringeach character’s kit of abilities, as well as understanding which upgrades to choose and where to spend money throughout a run, is a large part of being successful inRisk Of Rain 2. Most importantly, being efficient is integral, because the longer the player takes in a run, the tougher things get. This design heavily discourages grinding, and forces the player to keep moving at all times.
This top-down indie game combines a roguelite structure with immersive-sim elements to create a uniquely challenging experience. InStreets Of Rogue, players will take onone of many playable characters, working their way through a variety of environments and completing missions in order to progress.
These missions, and how the player chooses to complete them, are part of what makesStreets Of Rogueso fun and challenging. The time-to-kill inStreets Of Roguecan be very unforgiving, and something as simple as a stray bullet hitting a generator can result in an explosion, dealing massive damage to anything near it - including the player. This, combined with the fact that each playable character encourages different play-styles and offers unique challenges, makesStreets Of Roguea difficult roguelite with high replay value.
4Ravenswatch - An Isometric Roguelite With Diablo-Style Combat
Steam User Rating: 78%
This uniqueisometric action gamefeatures MOBA-style active abilities and playable characters, with gameplay that centers around the interplay between characters in co-op, as well as themastery of each character’s kit. The game features a ticking doom timer that forces players to play efficiently, happily plucking them out of the map and dropping them into challenging boss fights when time runs out.
The game shows influences from games such asHadesandDiablo, and the level systemuses talents that feature raritieslikeDeepwoken. In the game, players explore an open map, completing events and quests while battling a variety of enemies. The game also features a day and night cycle, which switches up the gameplay throughout each chapter.Ravenswatchdoes feature a system that allows players to revive themselves on death, but these revives are limited. Furthermore, the game’s hard-hitting enemies and powerful bosses, combined with the unyielding doom timer, makeRavenswatchan often challenging experience, especially on harder difficulties.
This modern-classic roguelite from Subset Games (the team that would later go on to developInto The Breach) is a tough-as-nails game that constantly asks the player to make tough decisions. Although its real-time-with-pause gameplay allows players to think over each and every choice, the game’s methods of exploration, along with its strategic real-time combat, make it a tough game to come to grips with.
InFTL, players must manage the crew of their space ship, choosing which stations to man and which weapons to fire. On top of directing their crew in real-time, players must also constantly decide which part of the enemy ship to target, all while worrying about which of their own ship’s systems are damaged and/or in need of repair. Furthermore, the game also features rules for boarding, meaning that players will often have to fight off invaders all while putting out fires left, right, and center. This frantic gameplay is often challenging, and the frequency of decisions the player has to make offers plenty of opportunities for catastrophic mistakes.
2Noita - A Heavily Simulated Roguelite About Creating And Casting Spells
Steam User Rating: 95%
This roguelite features pixel art graphics with deeply-simulated physics that feature spreading fire, freezing water, and falling particles. The game’s systems rely heavily on this simulated physics, and many of the game’s spells play around these systems.
InNoita, players battle deeper and deeper into a cave that features a variety of biomes, fighting challenging enemies and constantly interacting with (and fighting against) the environment. What makesNoitaso difficult is the brutal enemies and unforgiving environment, as it’s extremely easy to burn to death in a flash-fire, or get trapped underwater when the surface freezes over.
This roguelite puts players in the shoes of explorers delving down into a variety of procedurally generated, extremely dangerous caves. The game features action-platformer gameplay and a variety of fun items to acquire, as well as an ensemble cast of dangerous enemies.
Spelunky 2is ridiculously difficult thanks to its unforgiving time-to-kill and abundance of one-shot enemies and traps. The game features dart traps, instant-kill spike traps, hard-hitting enemies, and tough bosses. Not to mention the fact that players could simply whiff a routine jumping puzzle and fall to their deaths. Thankfully,Spelunky 2is as fun as it is challenging, but there’s no mistaking that it’s one of the hardest roguelites on the market.
