The roguelike genre has grown from a relative niche to something much bigger. Roguelike games can be notoriously difficult to crack; Typically, they have a high difficulty which means you'll be banging your head against the wall as you learn how to play the game, puzzle out which strategies work best in procedurally generated levels, and figure out how to beat difficult enemies or challenges. 2024 showed that the genre wasn't just a commercial force through hits Hades 2 And BalatroAnd also that a roguelike can be almost anything: from a poker variant to a flashy multiplayer action game.
talking BalatroIt was undoubtedly one, if not DGame of the year. The game is extremely easy to pick up due to its roots in traditional poker hand building, but each round feels very different due to clever and sometimes super-powered joker cards that can give you huge bonuses. The game is a perfect blend of skill, risk and a bit of luck, and it feels great when you find a strategy that stacks the chips perfectly in your favor. I think I will play Balatro With everything cooking up for the coming year, especially the game's upcoming major update. And now that the game is off on mobile, I can play wherever I want.
That is, when I'm not dipping my toes back in Hades 2. The game, which is still in early access, is shaping up to be a worthy successor HadesAnd it's arguably more fully fleshed out than many finished titles. I have already put in more than 30 hours Hades II, And I feel like I still have a lot to unlock and master, but I've purposely stopped myself from playing more so that I don't get spoiled before the game reaches v1.0. I only beat the new boss in the most recent major update before deciding enough was enough.
There are other roguelikes that I've loved and wanted to spend more time on but haven't been able to check out due to the sheer volume of other games in the genre. Shogun ShowdownWhich is all about strategy and positioning, showing you the future and making you feel like a genius. I really enjoyed getting a handle on the game's weapons and items so I could pull off well-planned combos against waves of enemies.
windyNew roguelike from dead cells The makers of Motion Twin, which make it, take a lot of things dead cells Awesome and translates it to 3D. The weapons are varied, satisfying and can combo well with each other. The game's biomes are creative and fun to explore, with lots of nooks and crannies. but where windy Its multiplayer really shines — until playing the game, I had no idea how good roguelikes could be with friends. like Hades, windy It's also in early access, so I'm hoping to play it a lot more next year as Motion Twin makes major updates.
And they're the only new roguelikes I've actually been able to spend time on this year. There are still a bunch more that I want to play or have barely touched that seem very promising. Vampire Survivor received two Major crossover DLC I'd dig: The one with opposite and with a Castlevania. (I only played a few rounds Castlevania expansion, and I was tickled by how big the map was.) And while I'm talking Vampire Survivor: The pain iswhich is kind of like Vampire Survivor Blended in with the old school Diablo Aesthetics, left early access, and I'd like to see what's changed since I first dabbled in it last year.
Rogue Prince of PersiaA classic take on a roguelike prince of persia Action and platforming, an example of how big publishers like Ubisoft are jumping into the genre — and it seems like something right up my alley. rogue Another early access roguelike on this list, but it's received a bunch of big updates since its May launch, including a significant update in November that revamped the art style and added new biomes, bosses, and more. I should mention it rogue Also there is one dead cells Connection: It was developed by Evil Empire, the studio that has worked on many dead cells Updates and DLC, which gives me a lot of faith that they will do a great job of getting the game to full launch eventually.
Heck, 2024 was such a banner year for roguelikes that even the 2014 classic D The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth Got a significant new DLC update that Added online multiplayer.
Sheer amount of great roguelikes Only this year Shows that genre structure offers many ways to create interesting games. I especially appreciate how they are usually more digestible than blockbuster epics. Next year looks like some promising roguelikes Slay the Spire 2 And Hyper Light BreakerBut I know I'll be coming back to 2024's many wonderful roguelikes — well, after just one more round. Balatro.
