I Played Youtube's 7 BEST Roguelikes

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I played and ranked the 7 Best Roguelikes according to KZbinrs. I watched 8 different videos from 8 different youtubers to determine what games would go on my list. After playing all of these games I took it upon myself to give it my own ranking.
Referenced Videos I used to make this list:
• Objective Roguelike Ti...
• The Ultimate Roguelite...
• This is the Ultimate 2...
• My Top 10 Favorite Rog...
• Ranking the BEST Rogue...
• Top 10 Best Roguelikes...
• Ranking EVERY Rogue-Li...
• Ranking the 75 BEST Ro...
The games on this list include Hades, Risk of Rain 2, The Binding of Isaac, Gunfire Reborn, Slay the Spire, Enter the Gungeon, and Dead Cells. Not sure if I can say I completely enjoyed all of these games, but it's still always nice to expand your horizons and play games you'd usually never play.

[@phryd]

Why I QUIT the Best FPS Roguelike: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5PZh5Wwg6ytpcU

[@DarlexGardenWarden]

Nice YT channel very underrated def subbing

[@phryd]

@@DarlexGardenWarden Thanks a lot man.

[@DarlexGardenWarden]

@@phryd No problem

[@DarlexGardenWarden]

btw do you got Twitter so I can follow you there?

[@phryd]

@DarlexGardenWarden I don't use Twitter. Sorry man. Tho I do once in a while post dog pictures in IG

[@squarciatore2000]

Isaac is a masterpiece with a very steep learning curve, but once you get past that it becomes a game that will accompany you for life. Isaac is like wine, he doesn't age, he gets better.

[@phryd]

I don't think that'll ever happen to me. I don't wanna spend tons of time learning a game. I also didn't really enjoy the movement and shooting... The concept of the game just isn't my Jam regardless of what else the game holes.

[@michyloddo8516]

@squarciatore2000 diglielo fra che questo non ci capisce niente madonna

[@hoesmad6219]

@@phrydYour review of all of these games seem kinda empty. You would need to put ton of hours on each of these games to give actual review. Not just ”4 way shooting, Isaac bad” or ”ROR2 too floaty, its bad” Roguelike games are really deep and fun with alot of mechanics and if you just tip your toes on each one and say thats it, your not gonna make a good review.

[@HelloHelloe]

Yeah this review was hollow I feel like your trying to weasel into a trend dude. These games respect the time you put into them but you gotta pay it back and earn cool stuff whilst dealing with the struggles. @@phryd

[@phryd]

@@hoesmad6219 I played the games and gave my opinion and ranked them how I saw accordingly with my experience. I don't see anything wrong with that. Be happy I didn't ranked the games according to how Woke or not Woke they were... Haha.

[@siduxjxhdgzhdjxhxuuxxyhgg1079]

roguelike players have such differing taste i love it. gunfire reborn is probably in my top 2 worst roguelikes but its nice to see there are people that enjoy it. would be cool if you made a indepth video on it!

[@phryd]

A video on Gunfire Reborn? That'd be fun.

[@Huckle777]

How tf do you have a top worst list lmao

[@siduxjxhdgzhdjxhxuuxxyhgg1079]

@@Huckle777 roguelikes are the first genre i ever played so i have a lot of em and a lot more opinions about em.

[@Huckle777]

@@siduxjxhdgzhdjxhxuuxxyhgg1079 What is your top 3? I'm pretty shocked you find gunfire fitting of "top worst" when it is objectively an incredible game

[@phryd]

@@Huckle777 Isaac is currently in my top worst list... Along with Darkest Dungeon 2. Haha.

[@hollowsongs3504]

Placing RoR2 at 6th is actually criminal. I have about 230 hours in it and it is definitely my favourite rogue like. Just try to get characters and items, as theres characters and builds for everyone. The more you play, the better the game will get, be it new characters, items, build ideas, or just straight up experience with the game. One rogue like that I've been loving recently (although in demo) is Balatro. Its a poker based rogue like where you have to earn chips by playing certain hands. The game tells you all the hands, and how to make them, and after you beat a stage, you get a Joker. The Jokers are whats really going to power you up, giving you bonuses for certain cards, or more money per turn. Theres also tarrot cards which are one time use and change up your deck a little. Its a really fun game, but can be a bit hard to get into.

[@phryd]

Interesting, I've never heard of Balatro before. Maybe I'll check it out.

[@TheTotallyNoob]

I think, this might be a hot take, if a game doesn't hook you within the first 5-ish hours like they said then it's just not for them, movement in a 3D Game is huge and them saying it feeling off, just wont ever change and can be a dealbreaker to some. I myself love RoR2, I have uh too many hours I think on it and it never gets old, shoutout all my modders out there. But Yeah sometimes a game is just not for you and the placement is subjective. I'd probably put it 1-2 as well, just bc I love it so much.

[@phryd]

@@TheTotallyNoob That's exactly how I feel. If I'm not feeling it after a few hours I'll just stop playing. I don't really wanna keep playing it and hope it'll get better when I can just play a game that I enjoy more.

[@TheFuckingKrayz]

@@TheTotallyNoob even if a game does get good after a certain amount of time, having to chore through it is 9 times out of 10 actually bad design.

[@dahdumbguy]

​@TheTotallyNoob 5 hours for a rougelike is nothing lol if ur gonna make a video beings so critical about a game you should atleast beat it first before just talking about how you had a bad first impression

[@obrinch1579]

I feel like Wizard of Legend is criminally underrated. Almost never hear people talk about it and it feels amazing to play.

[@phryd]

Never heard of it. So you're probably right.

[@allusion1232]

@@phryd i also recommend it but it is pretty difficult ngl

[@olex3061]

huh? 29 subscribers? i thought you would at least had a couple 100k when i checked… you are THE most underrated youtuber EVER.

[@phryd]

Thanks a lot man. Gotta start from somewhere right?

[@Ttegegg]

Imagine it like a ceiling raised real high. That’s basically it

[@taube3726]

the binding of isaac is my favorite game of all time not just rogue-like, i do not understand how so many people rank it so low. maybe its hard to get into? breaks my heart

[@phryd]

From what I've read in the comments, it does seem like it takes a lot to get into it. I just don't have that much time and motivation to get into it. Haha.

[@racoon7657]

​@@phrydbro, you misunderstood. Isaac's point is that even after 500 hours there is still tons of unexplored content in it

[@stephengrigg5988]

​@@racoon7657that's not really misunderstanding, that's just not liking a niche game. People don't care to invest 500 hours if they aren't engaged at hour 5

[@stephpee4545]

I feel like I love isaac this much because i watched youtubers play it for years before playing it myself (the flash version) but after playing repentence knowing it was the final DLC it just makes it a perfect balance of skill and knowledge-based gameplay. You CAN win a trash run with just your skill, but you probably won't. You CAN lose a broken run, but you probably won't. A beginner and an expert on the same seed of isaac can achieve completely different results. It's deep AND wide as an ocean.

[@phryd]

I don't think I'll ever understand isaac.

[@victorkao1472]

@@phrydit has a deep learning curve. You’ll probably need hundreds of hours to understand

[@almostthestrongest]

​@@phrydyou just have a issue of skill

[@NaoEHoDio]

Subscribed when I heard the CrossCode ost And nice video, roguelikes are my favorite type of game

[@phryd]

Nice! To be able to recognize the CrossCode OST is impressive.

[@EtherealDead]

love this video and especially the editing super smooth and professional

[@phryd]

Thanks man, I'm glad you like it.

[@EtherealDead]

ofc, keep it up@@phryd

[@HienNguyen-pn2rq]

Love your takes man, keep up the good work!

[@phryd]

Thanks a lot dude.

[@boxtupos7718]

This list so interesting coming from someone who loves Rougelikes/rougelites Like most people I know that love this genre (Myself included) sees Gunfire Reborn as mediocre; And RoR2 is one of the best rougelike out there. The floaty movement gives you so much control with mobility,one of the items you want in the game is an item that makes you way more floaty. Variety it offers run after run is way greater than in Gunfire Reborn. I feel like the problem that people outside of gerne feel is being lost in the beginning; Ror2 just throws you out there, you don't which items are good and which to avoid, you don't know what you're building up to and many more. And it's why games like Hades that streamline your first run into it's most bare hooks people.

[@phryd]

What you say does make a lot of sense. As someone who explores a lot of new games often for youtuber purposes, but also enjoyment, I don't want to always have to invest a lot of hours of playing and research just to enjoy a game. So I do appreciate the streamline and ease of access given to us by Hades.

[@Leonard-Mazet]

Yeah he right. I first played RoR2 5 years ago and though "what a piece of trash, getting guitars and droned and shit for a bit of lightening, and what even is the point of me shooting mobs" and overall felt confused, coming from an isaac background. Picked it back up recently and i have been addicted for 3 months now.

[@iaobilibaomaster7928]

​​@@phrydrisk of rain 2 and 1 has great lore

[@YuriLongarms]

I dont understand the floatiness really. You just try to get movement speed items and you're guchi.

[@GabKaulem]

Someone saying rougelite shouldn't be able to have an opinion on the genre.

[@movinMat]

Impressive editing. One of the few videos I watched instead of just listening. You earned a subscriber

[@phryd]

I worked very hard on the editing to keep it entertaining. Means a lot man, thanks.

[@mami5504]

226 SUBS??? BRO, the quality of this video, the funny references, the way it's fun to watch you deserve hundreds of thousands i swear

[@phryd]

Haha, maybe someday?

[@masseffectist]

Mate i love your take on these games. I agree with you 💯 on some of them and even thought i was alone in not totally loving some of these. Thank you for the vid and look forward to your content

[@phryd]

Thanks a lot man. Yeah my takes aren't very popular but it is what it is.

[@lilyemma3382]

love seeing all the risk of rain 2 defence in these comments haha. it's up there for one of my favourite games full stop, not just roguelikes, so I was sad to see it so low! no roguelike I've played has given me loot that feels as good as risk of rains loot system

[@phryd]

I'm not too surprised people are defending Risk of Rain 2. But I am surprised that no one has threatened me about it yet... Haha.

[@milicabojic9434]

Amazing vid!

[@phryd]

Thanks a lot man.

[@shadowwizardmoneygang30]

In Isaac there is an item called Analog Stick that lets you shoot diagonally on keyboard, and if you are playing on controller allows you to shoot 360 degrees with the stick

[@phryd]

Haha, interesting.

[@Waffletigercat]

Very few of the guns in Gungeon are actually bad. Like that bubble gun you specifically complained about, it actually has some of the highest DPS in the game and can be very strong if you learn how to space with it properly.

[@phryd]

Yeah, I noticed it was good damage but I'm way too trash at the game to make good use of it. Haha.

[@Matt77889]

​@@phrydsame

[@Conductor01]

Oh wow this is acctualy really good im suprised this has so few views Keep It Up!

[@phryd]

Thanks a lot man.

[@doug2555]

Although Im upset at your ROR2 ranking, I get it. Its definitely really weird because there is no other game like it. Your biggest enemy in the game is the timer and Monsoon really teaches you that. I too only played on Rainstorm for my first 25 hours and pretty much quit the game after beating it a couple times. Eventually came back on a hunch maybe a year later, played on Monsoon and it kind of just clicked to me. Actually understanding the game and getting consistent runs made me fall in love. Its extremely rewarding to be rewarded for your efficiency as well since no other game really has a difficulty system such as ROR2. I hope you give it a shot again and if you ever decide to play on Monsoon (which is the best part of the game) definitely focus on your movement above all else. Biggest tip I can give is to run in circles. Its obviously more nuanced than that, but its a good start.

[@phryd]

I actually tried playing it again and I got motion sickness. It was weird.

[@zaneanderson6313]

Put 600 hours in the first 6 months of owning risk of rain 2 because it just had me in a death grip by the balls after learning item combos but I couldn't get hardly any of my friends to play it. A few actually had motion sickness as well, another couple the just didn't like learning and remembering what all the different items do and the last few just straight up don't like the genre of game. Which is unfortunate because a lot of roguelikes imo have more replay ability than most AAA games lmao

[@ClandestineMerkaba]

Woah wtf, I thought this was one of those typical 80k-250k sub gaming channels. That's the impression the video gave, so you'll probably go far dude. Kudos.

[@phryd]

Wow, thanks a lot man. Always nice to hear some good feedback.

[@ClandestineMerkaba]

@@phryd Yes, just clicking through videos, I thought you were another Mythymoo level channel. Keep at it.

[@holocene9953]

Insane production quality, you deserve some recognition !

[@alasdair9085]

My personal list is going to be: 1- Isaac 2- Hades 3- Risk of Rain 2 4- Slay the Spire 5- Gunfire Reborn 6- Gungeon 7- Dead Cells Isaac has so much depth to it between Lore, Items, Enemies, and Characters it's kind of insane being placed last. The one thing you really pointed out was that you can only shoot in 4 directions, but that alone made you ignore almost every other aspect about it. Obviously some random comments can't convince you to love it, but it's community is way more than people who play it for nostalgia, it's genuinely one of the best games ever made imho. (Not to mention the INSANE modding community it has, far more than any other game I've seen, besides skyrim) In another note though, you should absolutely check out a game called Astral Ascent, it's still early access but official release will be early 2024 adding the final touches to the story and bosses. Everything about that game is wonderful in my eyes, and it has the exact progression you seem to love.

[@phryd]

I mostly just don't like how the game plays. The graphics and anesthetics don't really do it for me either.

[@TheFuckingKrayz]

I didn't like Isaac because you either feel like a slug or a god. At least at my brief playtime of a 15-20 hours, with the item desc mod, the start of all the runs was super slow, especially due to the 4d shooting, and if I reached endgame it had no challenge. I beat the game twice, and after the second victory, deleted it. Is it just the variety that you like? Genuinely curious not hating

[@alasdair9085]

@@TheFuckingKrayz The variety for sure helps, but I mostly love how challenging it is and how you can win any run despite a bad start. It's definitely a slow burner, I won't deny that, you can't quite grasp the full scope of the game with just a couple "wins" because past those first wins, there's even more bosses to unlock, opening more and more floors and items to experience. Start speeds, while somewhat dependent on items, are also heavily influenced by which character you're using. I think more than anything, I enjoy that the game never seems to end. 17 characters (Plus alternates, making it 34) all having 14 individual unlocks each (alts having 7), makes it really unending, not even taking into account the secrets and whatnot. I've put in hundreds upon hundreds of hours and I've yet to complete everything, so I know that any time I pick it up, there's always something to accomplish.

[@TheFuckingKrayz]

@@alasdair9085 I guess it comes down to if you enjoy the gameplay loop. Trying to unlock all those characters etc sounds like torture to me. But hey, if you enjoy go for it. All that said I can appreciate the game from a design stand point. Coming up with all the hundreds(maybe thousands? Idk) items, characters etc is a feat by itself, definitely for an indie title of its time.

[@8ewm]

I have like 50 hours in Astral Ascent and I love it. Its art and combat are fantastic and the story is really interesting, at least from the little bit I have been able to glean from hearing characters talk in game.

[@magicolt53]

fantastic video! subbed and nofications on! keep up the good work

[@phryd]

Woo! Thanks a lot man.

[@badger297]

Great video. Im beyond hype for HADES 2. HADES was my introduction to the genre. Dead cells is fucking awesome too +1sub

[@phryd]

Same here man. I can't wait to play the crap out of it.

[@ThunderPhant]

I highly recommend trying Isaac again, but downloading the External Item Descriptions, Mod Config Menu, and Stats+ mods from the Steam workshop before playing. This makes a description of every item appear when you are near them so you can decide if you'd like to pick it up or not. You can also use these mods to disable curses and identify pills. I felt essentially the same way about the game as you before these mods, now it's one of my favorites.

[@phryd]

That's a lot of mods, haha.

[@HypnotizedByJyi]

You can actually see your stats without a mod ever since Repentance came out! Which is so great and so useful, yay (Although maybe you meant 'download stat+ so you get /all/ the stats', because the in-game stats don't show the Planetarium stat, so it's definitely still useful obvs! Just wanted to let people know that, if they're fine with not having the Planetarium stat, they can just go to the options and get the stats straight from the game (: )

[@Kthowsen]

nah the beauty of isaac is learning little by little of your mistakes and picking the wrong items makes that, the next time u see it u won't prolly take it, then when u have played 100 hours u know what most of the items do, and u don't need no mods.

[@enees31]

Great editing and literally everything, wanna see more of your content keep it up, because I know you're going to get somewhere big, the video was catchy and on point with great reviews and literally just your own opinions! Also I really enjoyed the video because all of the thing you talked about was right, isaac is my most played rogue-like but its better with mods, Risk of rain 2 is my second most played one and its also better with mods. I think what makes them "The top rogue-likes" because of their replayability and their mod support. For me gunfire reborn was also the game that I most enjoyed among them, hades was the visuals and everything is just mixed up great and felt good playing. Slay the spire was the one who I couldn't play that much because of the gameplay wasn't meant for me, Dead Cells wanted me to keep playing and playing again to upgrade my stuff and its considered "Rogue-lite" because the gameplay is most focused on its upgrading system. Also ive Tried the Enter The Gungeon but it didn't really catch me somehow even though i've tried it again and again and in 10 hours of playing it, still didn't really catch me. I can't rank any of them in specific order because they are all the same "Rogue-like/lite" Genre but they are also all different from each other which made me play and love them all, they are all similar and different from each other thats why everyone should give each of them a try before giving their thoughts of it, I really enjoyed playing each one of them. Nowadays im just really looking forward to games with modding supports because for me, thats what makes the game better, the community itself adding some of their creativity and love on it makes it a little bit better and also makes the game more replayable and enjoyable for me.

[@phryd]

Thanks a lot man. I guess I never really looked up much into game mods.

[@enees31]

@@phryd Yeah the mods add up to the game way too much, every single youtuber uses mods on their gameplays

[@Blaze6452]

Just saw u have 270 subs and only 4 videos atm. Keep going your going to make numbers

[@phryd]

Thanks man.

[@meathead9454]

as a person who has played isaac 1200+ hours, the thing that really makes me love it, is the variety of items ( especially with repentance ), bosses and enemies. no run is the same, which gives it basically infinite replayability. i also really like the story that is told through its many endings and i think the progression system ( beating endbosses unlocks more endbosses ) is probably one of the best ive ever experienced. For me isaac would definetly be number one but i do respect your opinion :)

[@phryd]

Yeah man, to each their own.

[@Its_A_Real_Goose]

Bro forgot the THREE DLC's that Isaac has

[@MayBlaze0]

Hello hello from your old E7 adventures! I didn't realize where your videos went until i saw this channel. Super glad you're making a variety of content now and super excited to watch it all! Loved this video! But RoR2 deserved better. You did her dirty XD

[@phryd]

Haha, welcome back man.

[@theduckassassin]

1. Gungeon/Isaac 2. Gungeon/Isaac 3. Risk of Rain 2 4. Dead Cells 5. Gunfire Reborn 6. Slay the Spire 7. Hades Isaac has a lot more depth than you think, you can get some really flashy and broken runs. And depending on your knowledge of the game, you can tip the odds in your favor. Shooting in 4 directions is just part of the game, and Repentance is definitely the definitive version of the game.

[@phryd]

Yeah, Isaac has a lot going for it in terms of variety and stuff like that. But I just didn't really enjoy how the game plays in general. Hades at the bottom though? Oooof.

[@theduckassassin]

@@phryd yeah, I just don't like the mirror system, it makes the game feel grindy to me.

[@phryd]

Maybe I'm weird, but the grind kinda gives me purpose. It feels like a reward from playing.

[@logandelp4033]

having risk of rain 2 be called mediocre is just begging for everyone to kill you.

[@phryd]

According to the comments section, you are very correct.

[@xXnithicXx]

I play Gunfire Reborn non-stop and I think the gameplay loop is the most fun in this list :>

[@phryd]

Yeah dude, the game is so fun. Though honestly if there wasn't multiplayer I think I would have ranked it a bit lower.

[@user-ek2ie9gw4j]

@@phrydYou're right, and I don't see a lot of people discussing the game in the comments section, but I'm sure the team will keep optimizing the overall gaming experience

[@glacique]

started playing isaac in early 2022, and I got so addicted. I have around 960 hours in it now, and that number is only going up. what I love about it is how you can play it super casually as well as really try hard. you learn someting new in literally every run, even with 1000s of hours, but not knowing things doesn't stop you from winning. the amount of item variety, synergies, and enemies is second to none. as for the gameplay itself, the shooting is limiting, but it has a surprising amount of depth, utilizing the knockback to slip through tight gaps and angling your tears by giving them momentum. in addtion, the game has a massive amount of achievements, most of them are really fun to go for and making progress towards 100% is really rewarding if that is something you care about. everyone i know who's played this game plays it on and off and then one day it clicks and they can't stop playing it for days or weeks. did i mention how every time you do something in game it unlocks a brand new item or game mechanic? im honestly quite impressed if you're still reading this comment, but if you are, the point of this is to say that isaac is a lot better than it appears on the surface, especially if you get the repentance dlc, and worth giving another try. even though i don't agree with all your opinions, i still liked the video, and i will be watching this channel in the future :)

[@phryd]

Yeah it seems that everyone is saying you need to spend a lot more time playing and learning Isaac to enjoy it. I guess I get it but I highly doubt I'd ever do that. I just doesn't appeal to me and I don't feel like I really have the time for it either. I read all my comments.

[@glacique]

I totally get bouncing off a game lots of people like, I really did not get hades at all. But I think blaming this on the game being older and people still playing are doing so for nostalgia is silly. isaac is still beloved and maintains a huge community with consistently over 10000 concurrent players. PS, I disagree with people saying you need to play the game a lot to enjoy it. the early win conditions are much more reasonable and help beginners learn the game without making it some daunting task that requires tons of game experience, which imo makes it one of the more accessible roguelikes I know this just joins a sea of comments of people defending their favorite roguelikes, but hopefully this adds some unique insight and was worth your time reading

[@HelloHelloe]

The sheer IRONY in that statement right at the end@@phryd

[@phryd]

@@glacique I think with any kind of list there's always gonna be ones defending what's at the bottom and those praising what's at the top.

[@damonke79]

I only recently started playing The Binding of Isaac so nostalgia has nothing to do with my thoughts on it. It is amazing because of the amount of variety and items you can obtain on a run, the music is amazing, the art style is incredible and supposedly the game offers dozens of bosses, hidden by completing a certain amount of runs. It's almost an endless experience.

[@phryd]

Just different taste in the end, haha.

[@mahmuddin4226]

I have played every game on this list over 100 hours each and I agree with your rankings literally everything is in the spot I’d have it

[@phryd]

This is rare, since it seems like most people highly disagree with rankings for Isaac and Risk of Rain.

[@mahmuddin4226]

@@phryd both Isaac and Risk of Rain have a certain “a-ha” moment where you really need to feel the game at a certain level before it clicks and you really love it. For Isaac, it seems the crazy fun part is the amount of RNG is so high that you can have truly awesomely unique runs many hundreds of hours into the game. For me, like you, the base-layer combat and mechanics are so simple and boring that I never get that excited about the mechanics that get built up on top of it. For Risk of Rain 2, a lot of the magic comes from breaking the game and feeling like an absolute god. And then learning how to tweak the game to your liking using artifacts and trying to push for winning in harder difficulties with each character. While I have created godly characters in certain runs in RoR2, the baseline mechanics for fighting felt very repetitive and I personally dislike the time mechanic a lot. I much prefer the gunplay in Gunfire and I like the fact that gunfire is about clearing a room and crafting a build whereas RoR2 is more about racing the clock. One interesting thing about the list in general is that the games that allow for more control and agency over the in-run progression is what we (you and me) seem to like more. The games that offer less influence over progression and are more random are the ones we gravitate less to. Both Isaac and RoR2 are masterpieces of their own right, but the baseline combat in both games are flat for me compared to some of the rest of the list AND the progression has less agency. Both games also take many hours invested before you really start to appreciate the game on a deeper level but the combat/progression never really let me personally get to that level of appreciation for either game.

[@skler123]

This is a really good video! One reccomendation I would make is to talk a bit slower, but overall your editing and mic quality is great for a very small creator. Keep up the good work!

[@phryd]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks a lot for the input dude.

[@bestwishestoyou940]

Imo I felt he spoke perfectly fine and it matches his editing and video style, but I kinda understand what you mean cause usually review videos are lengthy.. I still loved it though!

[@skler123]

@@bestwishestoyou940 To each their own I guess.

[@Kthowsen]

if you give it time Isaac turns into such a fascinating game, even for people who tend to get bored of games quickly. When I discovered Isaac I spent atleast 2-3 hours each day for 4 months playing it. At one point I broke my hand and I still managed to continue playing it. It's just so sublime and intricate, like, there's no other roguelike with even a similar amount of content, like yes, hades is very polished but you cannot playit for 500 hours, you'd just prolly get bored at some point. Not only the best roguelike by far but also in my opinion the best game I've ever played.

[@phryd]

I just don't have that kind of time to dedicate to a game, especially one that I don't immediately find fun.

[@pk251]

@@phrydcompletely respectable man, it’s a game that’s most fun when you invest literal HUNDREDS of hours into, not everyone has that kind of time 👍

[@thedarter]

​@@phryd...then why are you playing roguelikes? That's kinda the point. I mean I get the genre not being for you, but like, complaining about the insane replayability in the genre literally built around it is... an opinion. That's like attacking a multiplayer shooter because you don't like fighting other people.

[@surestrange]

Hades and Dead Cells are the best two imo. Only rogues I ever put 300 hours + into, plus Skul. Skul the hero slayer deserves mention, it’s actually great and right up there w the best imo. Playing Summum Aeterna and loving it right now as a side note

[@phryd]

I've debated on trying Skul, but every time I just find another that looks more appealing to me.

[@maddogmike9982]

I actually use the mod that tells me what items do in Binding of Issac. I do not enjoy randomly picking up items just for it to be terrible lol. Luckily you can still get a achievements!

[@phryd]

That would be really useful for people just starting the game, for sure.

[@borzafror]

ror2 6/10 is blasphemy

[@naaktag3083]

I’m happy for people who enjoy Isaac so much, but I agree that playing it just feels bad. Maybe it’s nostalgia, or playing it when it released…but it’s just not for me with how much fun other games are from the get go.

[@phryd]

Apparently not enjoying Isaac just means you're trash at all games and have bad taste.... haha.

[@MoogSponge]

Robo Quests would be a perfect game to place near the top. It has a good story, different characters, and many upgrades.

[@maddieb4384]

As unfortunate as it is, you're probably going to need to buy the DLC alongside Isaac to truly enjoy it. I wouldn't judge your ranking for just having Rebirth as it seems you did, but when you have everything, the game is STILL being updated, and feels a lot better, with a LOT more content. I can't really justify telling somebody who doesn't like it to spend another $50 to maybe like it though. But it's my favorite game

[@phryd]

Yeah, I definitely won't spend more money just hoping that I would enjoy it more.

[@thelordz33]

It's funny how basically every single one of these games has a different perspective. From 3d 3rd person to isometric to side scroller to top down 2d.

[@phryd]

Decent variety of games.

[@mythex4174]

At least from the footage here, you didn't sprint once in ROR2, which could explain why you disliked the movement and it probably made the game feel slow.

[@phryd]

Good chance you're right. But I did replay the game after making this video and I still couldn't really get into it.

[@lethal3268]

@@phryd have u tried every character?

[@dantemorales1826]

Man, I have never had a KZbinr list be the EXACT opposite of mine

[@phryd]

Cuz I'm not just a youtuber, I'm also an old man.

[@dantemorales1826]

@@phryd OH NO!!! That’s the people my mom warned me about… OLD MEEEEN

[@MightyFahl]

So I honestly disagreed with almost all of these 😂 particularly Isaac and Risk of Rain 2, which are my number 1 and 2 Rogue Likes. That said, I really enjoyed your video. The quality of your editing and story telling and presentation are absolutely top notch, humor is on point, everything here was great and truly shocked me that you aren’t a much, much larger channel. Easy sub. And even though I disagreed with a lot of your takes, you explained yourself well, so I can at least respect that 🤝🏻 looking forward to seeing more from you!

[@phryd]

I think most people disagree with me because of what I said about Risk of Rain and Isaac. But thanks a lot man.

[@MightyFahl]

@@phryd Even if I disagree it doesn’t really matter too much because your arguments were well presented and your video quality was top tier. I don’t have to agree if I’m enjoying it all the same 💪🏻

[@pk251]

heyyyy

[@MightyFahl]

@@pk251 yooo what’s good PK!

[@mr_yea4641]

I hate to say it but a large portion of this list is affected by a lack of skill in some games, while more in others. For example, you never showed yourself fighting ror2 Mithrix. Not to mention you didnt talk about artifacts at all. Even worse, you didnt talk about the true ending of the game, becoming so powerful, God has to shut off your game in fear of you going to kill him. (This was just a rant defending ror2)

[@phryd]

All Valid points, I stopped playing Risk of Rain cuz I didn't find myself enjoying it too much after 5 hours. So I honestly never beat it. I plan to give it another shot though since everyone seems to love it.

[@Chris.Newbury]

Even if I highly disagree with your review and your ranking, thanks for the video because it's always when you see how other players see your favorite games that you can step back and think about it (well, I did and still think you're wrong, but that's MY opinion 😉). Take care 😀

[@phryd]

I think a lot of people think I'm wrong, haha.

[@My5terical]

Enter the gungeon was the first roguelike that I played, and honestly it's one of my least favorites. Definitely not saying it's a bad game, it's great, but I love the sense of being thrown into a world of unknown and learning yourself how things work, because I find the information I learn that way sticks with me better than when someone or something tells me how things work. That's why I really REALLY enjoyed ROR2 when I was addicted to it, it felt amazing learning how different items worked all by myself.

[@phryd]

Yeah, a lot of games seem to go with the whole "figure it out" as you go learning. I feel that a little bit of tutorial could go a long ways in getting someone to initially enjoy a game, which is the most valuable time.

[@byter-exe2984]

yo the algoritham blessed you! i hope you continiue and youtube will acknowledge you! :D

[@phryd]

Thanks man.

[@_Rozzo]

You are WAY too underrated

[@phryd]

Thanks man.

[@rezarz8168]

very good video. I don't know why it has 200 dislikes :( You just told us your own opinion and it looks like some people were having a hard time hearing it...

[@phryd]

Thanks man. Sadly I can't satisfy everyone... Haha.

[@icicleditor]

And besides, getting hooked in and being intrigued by all the crazy new shit you're finding is a part of the rougeli(k/t)e experience-- if thats bogged down and impeded by aged controls or physics that feel too floaty, then that hurts that important part of the experience. For me, I'm definitely at that point of discovery with Noita, and its great. Ive had a few tastes of great power, but it can hardly be called godly yet-- I'm still making my way to the final boss, not even to beat it Smashing poor steve's head with a tablet will never not be funny, though. Scott, on the other hand... well, I've seen him once. I died shortly after.

[@worldofoblivion977]

Theres a newer roguelike that ive heard is an upgrade to gunfire reborn, ever tried roboquest?

[@noahludtke5910]

There is a game that's in early access now that I am interested in called witchfire that apparently is like a roguelike but it also looks like it plays similar to doom

[@phryd]

Take a look at Deadlink, that's kinda like Doom. I have a little video on it.

[@noahludtke5910]

Have you seen the game Witchfire?@@phryd

[@sstockton4152]

I love rougelikes and Isaac has the most different synergies and game-breaking potential which I love, plus there's ALOT of content and replayability.

[@phryd]

I just don't like how the game plays I guess.

[@aydenalsip6835]

Gunfire reborn is actually the best game of all time and now I gotta go buy it again because of you but still got my full skill tree and that turtle mfkkkkkka damn good video brother got my sub!

[@phryd]

Thanks for the Sub man! Wish I had more time to go back and play more Gunfire myself.

[@isaacvargas7722]

I didnt start playing tboi until last year and never watched any videos. Great game

[@phryd]

Playing wat?

[@isaacvargas7722]

@@phryd the binding of isaac

[@impetuoso4622]

About isacc I feel like you coud get that grip with the dlc and 50 or so hours (even less) but yeah I get why it feels old, you will probably never try it out again but still I woud really give isaac a second chance with all the dlc since isaac surely deserve it. still a great video man keep it up

[@phryd]

I've been thinking about it here or there, but I always find something else to play instead. I do feel 50 hours is way to much to put into a game before enjoying it.

[@impetuoso4622]

@@phryd fair, I mean cant really change your taste, i cant really do much about it. A shame but still I did my job as an isaac fan lmao. Also my bad for the 50 hours, cant really estimate hoe much time you need to get into the game, so my bad on that lol

[@Nolphoenix]

I think the appeal for isaac for most players (other than the mods and dlc) is the randomness. The game will never be the same no matter how you play it due to the items. Also the massive amount of content and replayability. I'm over 400 hours in and have 57% of achievements.

[@phryd]

I get the appeal, but I just don't like how the game plays.

[@Nolphoenix]

yeah its practically unplayable without mods and dlc too, some of the other characters are way more fun too@@phryd

[@YourPugKing]

bro how does this video have 270 dislikes, I don't agree with all his takes but the video is really well made

[@phryd]

It's what happens when you don't like Isaac. Haha.

[@YourPugKing]

@@phryd so fair

[@elaremalaka_]

You simply cannot judge Isaac if you have played it for a small amount of time cause the variety it has is insane. For example, you CAN shoot diagonally. There's an item that lets you do that

[@phryd]

Yeah, but I just generally didn't like how the game felt or played.

[@ViktorTrifonov_]

He didn't have repentance also so kinda explains it but I too think it's not fair ranking it this low if u played like 12hrs

[@thomasneal9291]

@@ViktorTrifonov_ why do you even CARE if he ranks it low or high? how is his ranking important to YOU? I'm soooo tired of this BS. Someone tells you their favorite ice cream is vanilla, and you all have to spend hours trying to tell them they are wrong. it makes no sense.

[@ViktorTrifonov_]

@@thomasneal9291 this game is father of roguelikes, by ranking it so low is like not giving it credit, I don't care about rankings, all I wanted was to help him and explain why he didn't like it ast much and give the game another chance because I think he'll like it. Basic isaac is preatty okay ish of a game, its not the masterpiece it is now but it without this mid base game roguelikes as a whole wouldnt be as popular nowadays. By no means I cock suck on any game or anything my opinion is my opinion and it's fair for him and everyone to have their own.

[@null6209]

"You have to spend hundreds of hours playing this game you don't enjoy playing or your opinion is worthless to me" do you see how stupid you seem now?

[@porkopio9468]

If you like Hades you got to check Death must die. Its early access but the power ups and gods is very similar

[@phryd]

I see, maybe I'll check it out.

[@StevieDrawStuff]

I have more hours into Dead Cells and Hades than I care to admit. But Dead Cells is where I still come back to almost daily. After this video I will give Gunfire Reborn a shot as it looks fun.

[@oneautumnleaff2119]

merc on ror2 feels the best out of everyone, i use to love doing Monsoon carries before console got artifacts, i could do full party carries pretty easily but i also had like 1k hours on merc and its kinda hard to mess up when you have so many s.

[@phryd]

That's a lot of hours...

[@lofijedi]

Slay the Spire is literally the only Roguelike game on this list, in the traditional sense. The rest are all Roguelites.

[@phryd]

I know. But using the term roguelike is much easier.

[@wetteryan]

I can't WAIT for Windblown. Very little gameplay has been shown but what was shown looks incredible. To me it looks like a Dead Cells spin on Hades. I am so down for that.

[@phryd]

Oh that. I think it will be either hit or miss.

[@wetteryan]

Potential is there. Such a passionate team behind it. It's early though. Barely any footage.

[@KidKonySWIM]

Yo youre tripping with binding of isaac you CAN shooot diagonally with specific items or characters

[@FinalFrontier101]

Isaac use the EID mod with Repentance DLC you get the Alt floors and the Alt paths you have 713+ items and 100 trinkets and Alt bosses. The Dead god achievement is one of the hardest achievements to get because it is impossible to speedrun it by the way the game is intentionally made. It can take you years to get it just cause RNG and shit. The end game bosses such as Delirium, Hush and Mother are ridiculous in the DLC. Not to mention the tainted characters recontextualizing the understanding of each character. This game easily expands each run with every item. The game has stats and DMG multipliers too you can show them in the extended hud settings. There's so much that can't be explained in a simple comment.

[@phryd]

I believe that the game does have a lot of stuff. But I just generally didn't like the feel of how it played.

[@megamatthew69]

One thing u should do when it comes to ror2, play it with friends, it makes the experience so much more fun, and funnier, i think thats what it was built around, whole reason i sunk 200 hours into it, other then that i do agree with most of the list, except for gunfire reborn but thats because ive never played it

[@phryd]

I would have to find friends then... The struggle.

[@megamatthew69]

@phryd bro I'll play wit ya then, give u the true risk of rain experience

[@roguelikes_are_my_roguelife]

@@phryd you could always do a youtube stream where you play with subs, so long as you are fine with making that type of content that is. Gives you an opportunity to play with people and make content at the same time

[@phryd]

@@roguelikes_are_my_roguelife I'll start streaming again someday. Haha.

[@megamatthew69]

give it a shot, for shits and giggles@@phryd

[@boozledbamboozeler3822]

Having Afterbirth Isaac on here instead of Isaac Repentance is like putting Super Mario 3d land instead of Mario Odyssey to represent a platform game :/

[@phryd]

Well, I'm not the one who chose these games. Haha.

[@burymeintulips]

For me, The Binding Of Isaac got me interested in the genre. I remember playing Dead Cells a few years ago but it never stuck. However after looking into some more roguelikes after Binding Of Isaac, man Slay The Spire sent me down the rabbit hole. I fell in love with the game. Maybe it's just the Pokemon fan in me though

[@phryd]

If Binding of Isaac was my introduction into Roguelikes it would have made me sad, haha.

[@MunitionsDudTester]

I will not stand for this Risk of Rain 2 slander (i am sitting)

[@Huddybuddy1]

Never let bro cook again 😂😂

[@phryd]

What's the point of making a video if you can't express yourself right?

[@Huddybuddy1]

I was just joshin. Everyone entitled to their own opinions, and the video quality was really good. Enough to get a su. From me.

[@zero9945]

Who let bro cook?? 🗣️🗣️🗣️🔥🔥🔥

[@phryd]

My serving of Dino Nuggets.

[@wtfisspanish8360]

never let him cook again 🔥

[@phryd]

It got a little hot for some people in the comments section.

[@DDOMC]

I feel like you should re-review ror2 because (in my opinion) the game doesn't get good until 20+ hours, and after that, it just keeps getting better and better. Also, the movement aspect of the game is something you learn, like playing cluster truck or titan fall 2, but unlike tf2, you can instead get items that greatly impact your game, same with survivors. Ps:you didn't get any artifacts which can change the game drastically.

[@phryd]

I do want to give RoR another chance. I'll just have to figure out how to prevent myself from getting motion sickness first.

[@NemilNihil]

bro didn't have his God Run in Risk of Rain 2

[@WiiFan20XX]

I wonder if he realizes you can't actually "seduce" Dusa. She's ace

[@phryd]

The answer is no. But nothing can stop my imagination.

[@seancurtis1199]

lmfao "Doesn't take itself too seriously, very unlike a lot of modern fps games" then proceeds to put a clip of xqc playing battlebit :D

[@phryd]

Serious business man.

[@Hisokaxchrollo]

I know my comments late but,I agree with your list aside from ROR2 it even worse on console,and I will definitely consider checking out gunfire reborn,also a really good rougelite is skul:the hero slayer

[@phryd]

I've debated on playing Skul, just haven't gotten around to it.

[@demon-spawnanimations5230]

Tboi is really good, but you gotta play it with the repentance dlc to have it be the best it can be

[@demon-spawnanimations5230]

The older versions have a lot of issues lol

[@phryd]

I'll check some videos on it... Maybe it'll convince me.

[@christopherowens6979]

I read through your comments on people comments on risk of rain 2 and the fact you didn’t know you could sprint but rank the game low and boring is wild 😂😂😂

[@justinthyme5263]

The main problem with Hades is that each run feels the exact same. it’s always the same 4 maps with the same 4 bosses, and there are only 6 classes to pick from. on top of that, when playing Hades i’ve never once had to contemplate a decision whether it was which door i go in or which boon to pick, whereas in Slay the Spire, picking a route and deciding what to buy at the shop and picking which card if any to grab constantly has me thinking. Basically Hades is a game that gets insanely hard carried by its story and aesthetic and slow skill curve, but the roguelike genre is one where the main focus should be gameplay.

[@phryd]

True that Hades does get a bit repetitive because there are things that don't change much. I think the gameplay itself is very fun though, so I can forgive that flaw.

[@WaffleStart]

My ranking would be sth along the lines of 1. Enter the Gungeon 2. Dead Cells 3. Risk Of Rain 2 4. Hades 5. Gunfire Reborn 6. Slay the Spire 7. Binding of Isaac I simply love the combat and difficulty of etg, though its completely understandable why that very same difficulty can be off-putting to many. I like all these games and while ive only 100% ETG and Hades, i cant say i hate any of them (excluding binding of isaac). these are very much the cream of the crop when it comes to roguelikes and at the end of the day enjoyment comes first. Really nice video man!

[@phryd]

Even though ours lists are very different... At least Isaac is at the bottom.

[@avEn_12]

binding of Isaac is #1 for me ❤

[@WaffleStart]

@@phryd yeah lmao..ive tried it and ive done quite a bit on it, but i cant imagine myself returning to it or wanting to play it. the other games i enjoy greatly, be it the artstyle or just the adrenaline, theres something to return to 😅 though at the end of the day everyone enjoys different things and has a different palate

[@phryd]

@@WaffleStart Yeah... I actually thought I would get more crap about not ranking Hades as number one. But everyone seems to be okay with realizing everyone likes different stuff.

[@kid_animal]

Your order is almost the direct inverse of mine. I find it strange that you call Dead Cells difficult though, IMO Isaac, Slay The Spire and ROR (ROR1 is actually significantly more difficult tho) are significantly harder to be good at. After a few hours I was able to speedrun Dead Cells. Also surprised theres no Spelunky 2 on this list

[@phryd]

It's probably cuz I'm trash at games... haha.

[@ratmaze]

First time watching your channel. Can't believe you have so few subscribers. Such a high quality video and delivery 👌 sub from me!

[@phryd]

Thanks a ton for the sub dude. Stay tuned, there is more to come.

[@8ewm]

Gungeon is an extremely difficult game. I have over 150 hours in it and have only beaten it one time. Granted I suck at bullet hells.

[@8ewm]

Also my own list would probably be 1. Hades 2. Risk of Rain 2 3. Slay the Spire 4. Gungeon 5. Dead Cells 6. Isaac 7. Gunfire Gunfire is last simply because I have never played it.

[@R4ndom1zer]

Bro is getting attacked in the comments 💀 cool channel btw subbed

[@phryd]

Opinions are not good on the internet! Haha. Thanks man.

[@NecroGs]

I'd say: 1. Issac 2. Hades 3. Risk of rain 2 4. Dead cells And I haven't played slay the spire or gunfire. Did make me sad you only played rebirth on the binding of Issac since the DLC (rep) makes the game so much better. The game definitely has its problems but there are so many small mechanics that make the game much deeper than what it appears on the surface. Good video though

[@phryd]

I think for those who like Isaac, they really like Isaac. If you don't like Isaac, then you really really don't like Isaac. At least that's what it seems like. I do think it's just the general gameplay of Isaac that really turns me off, the simplicity of it I guess?

[@DarlexGardenWarden]

Also Risk of Rain get's more fun when you unlock more characters and Artifacts also if you play with friends It's very fun too

[@phryd]

Friends? That's a far reach.

[@DarlexGardenWarden]

@@phryd Yeah... I barely even get to play with friends. and it is indeed a far reach 😔

[@phryd]

@@DarlexGardenWarden also need to find friends who enjoy the same type of games, haha.

[@DarlexGardenWarden]

@@phryd Yes dude I've tried so many times but they all just wanna play Mario Party or Mario Kart

[@mortalscum2]

What's the game shown at 6:59??

[@phryd]

That is "Have a Nice Death".

[@vinnycomeback]

a really good rogue-like game in my opinion is soul knight. It is very similiar to enter the dungeon it has pretty fun gameplay, replayability, many charakters to choose from. Every update it has some new gamemode and overall it is a good game. The problem is that well... its a frree mobile game so it has some microtransactions, ads. I feel like if soul knight would be on pc it would be way better.

[@phryd]

Is it a bullethell? I'm really bad at those. I spent many many years in the mobile world. Not sure if I wanna get back into it.

[@Jay-tg9uv]

I agree with the binding of Isaac placement. I just.. don't get why so many people love it. It just feels rough to play for me. The items aren't interesting and the actual gameplay is way to simple. Also you should try voidigo it's pretty cool and wildfrost but that game is ridiculously hard but not in the bad way

[@phryd]

Yeah, the gameplay just isn't my thing. I haven't played voidigo but I have played wildfrost and I do really enjoy it.

[@Jay-tg9uv]

@@phryd just saw your video with wildfrost. oops.

[@marekharing]

You did not just badmouth Isaac like that 😰

[@phryd]

Oh, I totally did. Haha.

[@Mystery_Meat]

Well made video! I disagree with your rankings, but I think your logic is sound. I would put ROR2 and Dead Cells on a different type of enjoyment than these other games. I have never played slay the spire, but for the rest I think their their bosses being so static really hurts replay-ability. After awhile it just loses it's engagement for me, and Gungeon is actually one of my least favorite games of all time for this reason. While approachable and straightforward, I think it's tedious, and your luck can decide if your run is actually fun or not, and in turn how much time you waste trying to perfect bosses. Not so much the difficulty you feel depending on your experience with the game. I haven't mastered ROR2, and the more I play it the more I appreciate the game design and boss interaction in the game, but I can understand why it's not everyone cup of tea.

[@phryd]

Thanks man. Yeah a lot of people aren't happy with my Rankings because Isaac and Risk of Rain are so low on the list. But ya know, something had to be down there.

[@shriekk]

out of this list ive sunk the most hours into risk of rain 2 for whatever reason, but ngl my favourite has to be dead cells, with gunfire reborn and hades coming in as close second spots

[@phryd]

Dead Cells is really good. I just think it's slightly harder to enjoy cuz it's so much harder than a game like Hades.

[@xelith6157]

​@@phryd Honestly Dead Cells clicked for me so much more than Hades, idk why but I found DC way easier.

[@shriekk]

@@phryd personally i find dead cells much easier than hades, also found it easier to get the hang of it