Summary
- Most roguelikes focus on combat, not stealth, but some blend roguelike elements with stealth mechanics.
- Games like Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead and 9th Dawn 3 offer viable stealth options without dedicated stealth skill trees.
- Titles like Cogmind provide unique ways for players to be stealthy and maneuver past challenging enemies in the game.
Despite a ‘rogue’ being known as the archetypal stealth class in most RPGs, the roguelike genre itself (and to an extent, the founding game of the genre, Rogue) doesn’t typically focus on stealth. Roguelike games such as The Binding of Isaac or Enter the Gungeon are more concerned with stringing together combos with equipment or facing down hordes of enemies. In general, most roguelikes operate on the basis that enemies are there to kill or be killed – not avoided.
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But there are exceptions to every rule, and a genre as expansive and intricate as roguelikes is filled with unique twists on the original challenging, addictive formula. Whether players are stealth game veterans or roguelike fans looking for a twist on the genre, these games combine stealth and roguelike elements to make for some fascinating titles. These games are ranked based on how in-depth their stealth mechanics are overall, as well as how relevant and viable stealth is where gameplay is concerned.
6
Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead
Use Line Of Sight And Light To Sneak Around
Roguelike
Sandbox
Survival
- Released
-
March 1, 2023
- Developer(s)
-
CleverRaven
- Publisher(s)
-
KorGgenT
An incredible post-apocalyptic roguelike with mechanics as expansive as the game’s lore and world, Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead is the pinnacle of traditional roguelike difficulty and customization. Players are able to make vastly different characters between runs, as fine-tuned or comically inept as they wish – and no matter the odds, there’s always at least a slim chance of survival.
Stealth is not a dedicated skill in this game with a skill tree or actionable talent that can be used to make the player quieter, but it’s still absolutely a viable option to crouch, remain low, and stay outside the enemies’ line of sight. Light levels and overall sound will still determine if and when an enemy detects a character, so those looking to quickly skate by some powerful foes should keep these things in mind.
5
Tales of Maj’Eyal 4
Many Expansive Class Options Focus On Stealth
- Released
-
December 31, 2012
- Developer(s)
-
TE4
- Publisher(s)
-
Netcore Games
The incredibly deep Tales of Maj’Eyal 4 has a host of classes that either embody, fuse, or subvert classic fantasy archetypes. Players can be greatsword-touting warriors, time mages, slime mages, or just about anything in between. Building a character in Tome 4 is easy, even if the game itself is challenging, and the constant variation between runs makes this an exemplar among open-world roguelikes.
There are many subclasses, especially where the rogue class is concerned, that involve using stealth to get the jump on enemies, landing lethal critical hits, or passing by foes unscathed. This is a roguelike where experience is gained by slaying enemies, however, so players should choose what battles they avoid carefully.
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4
Cardinal Quest 2
Sneak Attacks Are Often Lethal
RPG
Hack and Slash
Roguelike
- Released
-
March 20, 2014
- Developer(s)
-
Randomnine Ltd
Built around quick, dangerous runs across several acts, Cardinal Quest 2 is a great title for those who like incredibly diverse classes, as no two classes will ever play the same. For D&D fans, this is also a game where the ranger is a satisfyingly lethal character archetype.
Many classes, such as the pugilist, can specialize in stealth by taking the appropriate skills in the skill tree or finding the right gear, but the thief and ranger in particular are incredibly good starts for those wanting to specialize in high-damage stealth attacks.
3
9th Dawn 3
A Dedicated Stealth Tree To Focus On
Hack and Slash
RPG
Dungeon Crawler
- Released
-
October 5, 2020
- Developer(s)
-
Valorware
Exploring an incredibly immersive open world, 9th Dawn 3 has some of the most versatile character-building options available among open-world titles. There’s nothing stopping players from constructing any kind of build they wish – armor-clad mages or lightweight warriors.
There’s a stealth skill tree for those who wish to take a quieter approach to the game’s often challenging dungeons, and getting the jump on enemies is often a great way to help adjust the difficulty these dungeons often have.
2
Cogmind
Stealth Sci-Fi Action
- Released
-
October 16, 2017
- Developer(s)
-
Grid Sage Games
- Publisher(s)
-
Grid Sage Games
An excellent sci-fi roguelike where players are a robot building themselves up with spare parts, Cogmind is a traditional, high-difficulty roguelike with an excellent retro aesthetic and incredibly unique mechanics regarding combat and traversal. The customization is excellent and broad, built up from years of updates, allowing players to fly, drive through walls, or explode the map with grenades.
In particular, however, Cogmind allows players to become incredibly stealthy and sneak past the high-level enemies that can essentially unmake them. There are plenty of ways for characters to build up their obscurity and move through the map unscathed.
1
Infra Arcana
A Horror Roguelike Where Stealth Is Preferred
- Released: June 5, 2011
- Developer: Martin Törnqvist
- Platform: PC
Many roguelike games utilize horror to up the stakes or intensity, but the freeware title Infra Arcana is utterly immersed in horror, with even its relatively simple tileset able to build up atmosphere and tone through blood spatters and excellent ambient sound effects. Trying to dismantle the Church of Starry Wisdom, players descend many levels of an ancient cathedral, encountering terrifying creatures along the way.
Experience is not rewarded for defeating enemies in this title, and many creatures transcend mortal capabilities so much that the player’s best bet isn’t figuring out how to defeat them, but instead, how to sneak past them.
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