Best Beginner-Friendly Roguelikes, Ranked

Roguelikes have exploded in popularity over the past decade; no longer restricted to indie studios or niche genres. From action-packed shooters to turn-based strategy games to sweaty-palmed horror, if players can think of a genre, there are probably a handful of roguelikes in it.

Though the exact definition of roguelikes is still contested in the gaming community, they are usually characterized by procedurally generated levels and permanent death, where every failure sees characters grow stronger. Whether turn-based or real-time, every moment is a frantic, nail-biting battle for survival, as victory can be stolen from under players in an instant. In every loss, however, there is success, as players unlock new skills, characters, and items once defeated.

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These excellent 2D roguelikes will have you occupied for hours as you push past your limits to explore everything they have to offer.

The following games are ranked based on how easy it is for players to pick up the core mechanics of each game, including the guidance these games provide players for learning their mechanics.

6

Risk Of Rain 2

Easy To Learn, But Lacking Guidance

Third-Person Shooter

Roguelike

Released

September 11, 2020

ESRB

t

Developer(s)

Hopoo Games

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

• Third-person shooter.
• Simple game loop.
• Item optimization is not essential early game.
• Doesn’t have a tutorial.

In this action-packed third-person shooter, players blast their way through alien planets, facing off against monsters both big and small, from the bizarre to the deadly. This game truly holds no punches, punishing even the smallest mistake with death.

Its simple gameplay loop of fighting monsters, buying items, and slaying bosses make Risk Of Rain 2 an excellent introduction to roguelikes, as new players are free to make the game as complicated or as straightforward as they want. Intricate item synergies can make for explosive power trips and godlike characters. Still, they’re not essential, as the first handful of planets can be conquered using whatever item players come across. Beginners can learn the game’s mechanics without immediate pressure for mastery or optimization.

What this game does lack, however, is a tutorial. The absence of a tutorial poses an unnecessary barrier to players new to the roguelike genre who are used to being given clear instructions on how to play. Thankfully, the game’s mechanics and map design help players learn the game’s mechanics and goals.

5

Lethal Company

No Skills Needed

Released

October 23, 2023

ESRB

t

Developer(s)

Zeekerss

• First-person co-op horror game.
• Beginner-friendly gameplay, even for non-gamers.
• Co-op makes learning the mechanics fun.
• Lacks an engaging tutorial.

Lethal Company is a first-person co-op horror game where players must collect scrap from abandoned industrial facilities on alien planets. Beware! These facilities may be devoid of human life, but they are far from empty!

What makes Lethal Company so appealing to new roguelike players is the simplicity of its mechanics and gameplay loop. The only prerequisite here is knowing how to use movement controls, making it a simple game for even novice gamers to pick up. There’s no roster of skills, character abilities, or item synergies to memorize either. The only thing new players must learn is how far they can push their luck before being devoured, and even that’s optional! In this chaotic game, luck is as much a friend as any strategy.

This game, unfortunately, lacks a comprehensive tutorial, relegating it to several pages of writing that most players will skim at best or otherwise wholly ignore. Going in blind can, however, be just as much fun as knowing the mechanics, especially with friends. Chaos, excitement, and terror await crew members who dare to enter facilities unprepared.

4

The Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth

Simple Mechanics Tailored To Players’ Skills

Action

Adventure

Roguelike

Dungeon Crawler

Released

November 4, 2014

Developer(s)

Nicalis, Edmund McMillen

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Platform(s)

PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, New Nintendo 3DS, PC, Linux, macOS, iOS

• Intense dungeon crawler shooter.
• Game mechanics are easy to understand.
• New players can enjoy a powerful run if lucky.
• Requires memorizing item effects.

This fast-paced horror shooter sees players climb down through the depths of the earth, collecting items and slaying every monster that stands in their way. Players can go from weaklings to gods in an instant. All it takes is picking up the right item at the right time.

The Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth presents new players with a simple gameplay loop of collecting items, killing monsters, and completing floors. There’s not too much for players to wrap their heads around here. The same can be said of the game’s mechanics, which only require players to be able to navigate a handful of controls. This game is only as complex as players make it, providing beginners with a perfect training ground to learn the game’s mechanics. Obtaining powerful items is as much about luck as skill, ensuring even beginners can get a taste of the thrill that is an overpowered character.

One of the game’s few shortcomings is its item descriptions. While every item has a description, few give players a clear idea of what it does, forcing beginners to infer their effects and memorize hundreds of them.

3

Barony

Straightforward Gameplay With Hilarious Co-Op

Barony

Systems

Released

April 4, 2015

ESRB

T For Teen Due To Blood, Crude Humor, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence

Developer(s)

Turning Wheel

• First-person co-op dungeon crawler.
• The tutorial explains essential mechanics.
• The tutorial doesn’t spoil any secrets.
• Co-op play adds chaos and fun to learning.

Barony is a first-person co-op dungeon crawler where players seek glory in the dark depths of a dungeon. Death lurks around every corner, whether at the hands of an ogre’s club or a falling boulder.

At the start of the game, players are offered a comprehensive tutorial that covers the game’s main mechanics and goals, giving them a strong sense of what’s in store for them in the dungeon and how they can make a strong character. The tutorial does not give away any of the dungeon’s secrets either. Oh no, players must find those on their own, where many a tragic death, hilarious antics, and powerful characters are sure to ensue.

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8 Best Roguelike Games Designed Around Co-Op

These awesome roguelikes are made all the better for their excellent co-op experiences, delivering a great time with friends.

Chaos is abundant in this co-op game as players rush around, desperate to snag some loot before their friends get to it. For players unfamiliar with Barony, or roguelikes in general, friends make the learning curve a hilariously chaotic mess, as well as softening the blow of inevitable party wipes.

2

Hades

Starts Simple, Gets Complicated

Released

September 17, 2020

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

• Single-player dungeon crawler RPG.
• Starts simple but becomes more complex.
• New mechanics are introduced slowly.
• Death brings new game features.

Hades is an award-winning dungeon crawler that tasks players with fighting through the depths of the Underworld from Greek mythos. Prepare to die over and over again in this brutal roguelike. Death is not the end here, but rather the beginning.

Hades is undoubtedly one of the best entry points for players new to the roguelike genre. The game starts simple enough, giving beginners only a single weapon and a small selection of boons (Hades’ equivalent to skills) to choose from. In this stripped-back form of the game, beginners can comfortably get to grips with the game’s base mechanics. As players develop their skills, they’re then slowly introduced to complex mechanics, including trinkets, character upgrades, and new boons.

Where beginners might find losing frustrating or disheartening, Hades softens the blow, even making it something to look forward to. Death may see the end of a hard-fought run, but on their return home, players gain access to new content, whether story progression, character upgrades, or new items.

1

Slay The Spire

Comprehensive Guidance & Beginner-Friendly Gameplay

Released

January 23, 2019

ESRB

E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Tobacco Reference

Developer(s)

Mega Crit

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

• Turn-based card game.
• Simple, need-to-know basis tutorial.
• The tutorial is given alongside gameplay.
• The starting character is simple to play.

Well-renowned for its high-stakes card-based combat, Slay The Spire stands out among roguelikes for the ease at which new players, gamers or not, can pick up the game. After all, most people have played a strategy-based card game at some point in their lives.

Slay The Spire’s comprehensive tutorial helps beginners the most. Rather than overwhelming new players with pages upon pages of information about the game’s goals and mechanics, Slay The Spire throws them straight into the action, explaining the game’s mechanics only when it becomes relevant. Cutting up information into these easily digestible chunks makes the game a joy to play from the very first game, as the tutorial never feels like a chore to read. Instead, new players are eager to read a few sentences if it means they’ll do better in their current battle.

Slay The Spire does an excellent job of introducing complexity to its gameplay. With one starting character and three more to unlock, each subsequent character brings new mechanics and more intricate card synergies for players to understand. This is a game that grows with new players as they learn.

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Despite the popularity of roguelikes, there are very few AAA studios developing them, which makes these games stand out even more.