Ranking the Best and Worst Roguelite Games

[@chaosqrow634]

Its called Roguelike not Roguelite. Chick is ranking a genre of video games she doesn't even know what the hell it's called

[@winterburden]

They're two different genres, you likely should have known that already, but she even helpfully explained the difference if you didn't for some reason. Unless you're being deliberately dense in hopes you can get roasted in the next mean comments video.

[@DentronicCD]

This bro didn't even get to 0:16 in the video before farting in his hands and typing it out for all to smell.

[@torment4723]

womp womp, counting the minutes till this clown deletes his comment.

[@burgerchamp]

Real Vienna Sausage energy packed into that type of comment.

[@pilouuuu]

Damn, you tried to look smart and you ended up looking like a troglodyte.

[@MajandraFan]

The clip of Rogue showed an enemy called Kestrel. FTL's default ship is called Kestrel. Sweet, I didn't realise FTL referenced Rogue. While FTL does have meta progression (unlocking ships), the unlocked ships do not make the gameplay different for existing ships. The Kestrel ship is the same difficulty no matter how many other ships you unlock. So I think that makes FTL a roguelike. Also, I was playing FTL on iPad while watching your video, it's one of my favourites. If you ever decide to push over the difficulty curve, it's a real gem. Good video!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Oh, that's interesting, I didn't catch that. And thank you!

[@hoshisabi]

It may be a reference, it wouldn't surprise me. But a Kestrel is a type of bird of prey, so it would make sense to name a spaceship after one. (they're basically a VERY SMALL falcon.)

[@MajandraFan]

@@hoshisabi True, but all the FTL ships have clever referential names, e.g. the yellow Slug ship is called Ariolimax, which is the Latin name for the banana slug.

[@lotterwinner6474]

FTL is one of those games I can pick up and play any time. Time investment is small with this one and it rewards careful route planning while paying attention to the strength and weakness of the ship your using and upgrades your finding.

[@winterburden]

Thanks for ranking them Pam!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

My pleasure!!

[@findstr.s-hi-c._w]

same as that people made rogue-lite up, cause there too dumb to call it roguelike. is hades 2 a roguelike or a rogue lite? there both accourding to steam... then tell me what is the diffrence between a roguelite and like? hades is rogue like, as in you go through a procedural generated dungeon, like as in 1980s rogue. (first game that did that). then wat is roguelite? you tell me!? roguelite is a tag not a genre. and metroid like is not a genre either...still just a platformer. like castle Vania. just with backtracking.

[@winterburden]

@@findstr.s-hi-c._w You can stop spamming the comments section with ridiculous troll comments now, sweaty.

[@winterburden]

@@findstr.s-hi-c._w Funny how you toss around the ableist slur, 'dumb,' and yet somehow you can't figure out how to watch this video where she literally explains the difference so I don't have to 🤷‍♀️

[@findstr.s-hi-c._w]

@@winterburden no you cant...lite is nothing. you dont want to...cause you know im right. who sais she right!? convince me or with a straight forward awser or buss off. funny how you let other people "imagine" an anwser for you. go watch some video game history...instead of this ***

[@BusyCasual]

Personally wanted to say thank you for this video because my roommate and I are developing a roguelit(k)e of our own. Definitely taking notes on these opinions to help make sure we do it well. xD

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Glad to help. Good luck with your game!

[@jonasking3670]

Although it was released in 2018, Dead Cells has received a healthy amount of updates. The developer has only just recently announced that production will be stopping for it. It’s a fantastic game even without that in mind.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Honestly, I liked it better before all the additions.

[@architeuthis3476]

I'm surprised _Binding of Isaac_ isn't on this list

[@knivesoutcatchdamouse2137]

I really appreciate such a detailed and extensive list. I got bit by the Roguelite bug about a year ago by Hades and Slay the Spire (late to the party, I know). It must have been quite a bit of work to make this video, so thanks!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@northofvalhalla5087]

These ranking videos over the years are probably my favorites on the channel.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Thanks!

[@Seanbo88]

Thank you for defining the terms properly, Pam. How you defined it is how it actually plays out in the market. Hats off too for alphabetizing and chapter marking everything.

[@mrmagoo-i2l]

Yeah, helps finding the games you’ve never heard of.

[@YeOldEntertainment]

What an expensive video to watch XD (got Hand of Fate 2 and Children of Morta). But Here's a couple of things: 1st. Check out SIFU, It's a Kung Fu Roguelite Brawler, but I think you'll like it. Also Darkest Dungeon 2 (I don't think the first Darkest Dungeon should've been on this list,but o.k) which I'm pretty sure has a lot less of what you don't like, and a lot more of what you do, it's very different from the first one! and Awaken Realm's Tainted Grail: Conquest. A Card battler a-la-Slay the Spire but with a narrative structure similar to Hades's. 2nd. I got to a make a similar video but only with Card Battlers :D

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I've heard very good things about Sifu, I'm just not much of a brawler person. I do want to try out Darkest Dungeon 2 soon.

[@ToxicDevil00]

good video. it's always nice to see someone talking about roguelite/like stuff while actually knowing what rogue is (let alone educating people who dont know). i'm not too much of a stickler for the definitions but it does get kinda eyerolling when so many people just assume that meta progression is the defining aspect of all these games sidenote: what do you think about rogue itself? i honestly prefer it to a lot of games inspired by it because it's so to-the-point and fast paced. being able to get pretty far in 15ish minutes is really cool

[@AvanToor]

Wizard of Legend Dicey Dungeons Neurovoider are my favourites that aren't on this list. Oooh, and Nuclear Throne!

[@silentrocco]

Happy to see someone still distinguishing between 'roguelike' and 'roguelite', respecting the genre of games like Rogue. My like just for that alone. And nice to see a very subjective list that doesn‘t care about if the games are general hits. New sub.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Thanks, welcome to the channel!

[@JunJunMusume]

Love these lists you make. There's always something new to discover!

[@DAndHGamer]

Well done, love the list. Kudos on Kingdom New Lands being so high, I love that game and the others like Two Crowns. My friendly gripe would be Hades is way better than Dead Cells IMO. I agree the gameplay of Hades does get insanely repetitive, even easy. And while you can use the pact of punishment to some extent, some pacts just are not fun. End of the day though, the story is just so good it made me want to see everything even if I was grinding for darkness. Dead Cells is also a great game, but for me, particularly after getting past 1 or 2 heat, the huge amounts of weapons didn't mean anything and unlocking another new one just wasn't rewarding. Perhaps it was my understanding of the game that left me not finding interesting synergies or whatever but I just got bored. I will admit I felt the same way early on with Binding of Isaac Afterbirth, then as I really began to understand the game and synergies had more fun, but then it broke completely again in Repentance which I just hated. Oh well, interesting topic, more of these.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I think the gameplay in Dead Cells is more fun, which I generally count more than fabulous story/aesthetic in an action game.

[@AltamishM]

Thanks for sharing! Been doing StS runs again after many years. Just casually, on the tablet, while work meetings drag on. The perfect amount of distraction :)

[@fritzhartman2738]

I love the list Pam! And you actually covered Void bastards and actually liked it!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Yeah, it was on my top games of the year list the year it came out.

[@CBlade0]

Excellent editing with the music!!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Thanks!

[@Clawdragoons]

There's a lot of these games I haven't played, so I can't comment overall, but at least for many of the games I have played and have enjoyed, I disagree with their ranking entirely. I also thoroughly enjoyed the video, and hearing what you liked and didn't like about each. Even where I disagree, I still completely appreciate the way you express your thoughts on these games!

[@pilouuuu]

Great video as usual! This is a genre that can be really fun. Thanks for the recommendations.

[@davidmartin3280]

Hey Pam, hope all is well! I haven't watched this video yet, but I just wanted to say thank you for making this list! I love this genre of game and to date I've only played a precious few, my favorite one thus far being Fatal Labyrinth on the Megadrive/Genesis. I have a random question for you Pam. (Fingers crossed that you see this message) Do you play any TTRPGs or other Tabletop Games? I'm a bit of a board game and TTRPG hobbyist and collector. If so, would you consider doing a video related to your favorites in the future as a one off type of video? In any case, I love your work and I wish you the absolute best. Thank you for your time! Edit: I'm just now learning the difference between Rougelike and Rougelite. Fatal Labyrinth is not a Rougelite. Thanks for the intro to this genre Pam.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I play tabletop games from time to time. I enjoy them, but really never have a group of people to play them with. I've played a couple one shot games of things like D&D or Honey Heist.

[@monkaWGiga]

Awesome list. Great to see Kingdom: New Lands get some love since it seems to get slept on a whole lot and if you haven't you should definitely check out it's sequel Kingdom: Two Crowns. With the whole is VS a Roguelite thing I'd say eehhhhh maybe? The genre is fairly broad so I think it's fine to consider it even if it isn't strictly one. As for some of my thoughts on the rankings themselves I personally quite enjoyed Gunfire Reborn but it's mostly due to some synergies you can only get later and the intro can be rough for sure. I'd put it in B Personally. For me Balatro is an S because it just tickles my brain in the perfect way. Risk of Rain 2 is my favourite Roguelite by far and it's honestly not even close. Just the perfect gameplay loop and I can't wait for Seekers of the storm. I actually agree with Hades. I love it but it doesn't quite make it into S for me. For games not featured that I highly recommend: Roboquest. It's Gunfire Reborns general idea but with far better moment to moment gameplay and gunplay with a strong movement system. Streets of Rogue is an absolute favourite just for the sheer amount of ways to beat it and the variance in it. Noita is extremely unique even if it is pretty damn cruel (especially when you're starting out). The physics of everything in the world and the way you and the enemies interact with it all is always interesting (and potentially frustrating). Crime Boss: Rockay City now that it has been updated a bunch (and only cost £15 when I bought it on Steam) is surprisingly fun. Payday 2 but with Roguelite elements and a goofy as hell plot with just so many random celebs stuffed into it. I suppose no The Binding of Isaac since it's more of a Roguelike even though it does have a small handful perma unlocks It would definitely get an S from me if it did count though. Wow this was a surprisingly long comment on KZbin for me but this video was fun seeing your opinions on these games and it being my favourite genre of game.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I love Two Crowns even more, I think. It's just not very rogue-ish at all. Thanks for the recommendations!

[@Jen-kw2fn]

I didn't need another roguelite ranking, but I love your content. Just discovered you yesterday and I aggressively clicked the subscribe button. 10/10 content and I like that your own opinions influence the rankings. Kingdom New Lands is a fine game but would be more a B for me. It's an S for you and that's fine!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Thanks so much, welcome to the channel!

[@cyborgdokey2650]

Pam! I appreciate you explaining the difference between the styles! thanks to this video, I have a few new games added to my list. Btw no love on Ember knights :(

[@BrianKapellusch]

I think your rankings are pretty fair. But I'm kinda shocked that The Binding Of Isaac isn't on the list.

[@PurplePixieEater]

Well, I did argue with you about definitions once, and you did reply to me, so I felt flattered even if your reply was firm and succinct with something like, "No, you're wrong. That's not a metroidvania." 🤣 Good video You've convinced me to give Slay The Spire a whirl even if I hate deck-builders (tbh, I've never really given them a chance but maybe STS is THE one 😃).

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Haha. Have fun with Slay the Spire.

[@rizzle29]

My favorite genre! Great list Pam!!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Thanks!

[@alexanderpushkin9160]

Thank you. It was a pleasure to watch and listen even though my favorite games of this genre are not present in the list - "BELOW" and "Warm Snow".

[@Drinkabeerandplayagameofficial]

I’ve only been playing Slay the Spire for the past 2-3 weeks and I already have 100 hours in between my phone and switch. Absolute banger of a game

[@Cannotbetamed1]

It's so easy to sink time into.

[@omgwerockhard]

Haven't played it in a while got to and finished ascention 20 on all 4 chars. So many fun ways to beat the game. Invite 4 card deck ironclad is super fun but the run takes so much longer cuz you gotta replay those cards a ton xD

[@omgwerockhard]

Darn autocorrect its Infinite Ironclad

[@chrisb1236]

Good list! I've never heard of Cobalt Core before; it's been added to my backlog. A few title's not mentioned: Returnal, Dicey Dungeons, and Don't Starve Together. They kind of straddle the line between 'like' and 'lite'? Regardless, they're worth a try.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I actually just tried out Don't Starve Together. Things are really tiny when trying to play that couch-coop, and I'm not much for sandbox-y games. Dicey Dungeons looks cool.

[@PieInTheSky9]

​@@Cannotbetamed1I never thought Don't Starve lent itself very well to coop . The original Don't Starve is so much better imo. Once you learn the basics as to how to base build it gets to be very fun!

[@TheTransientOne1]

I didn't know most of these. You reminded me that I have to go back to Enter the Gungeon and really focus on it and learn how to play it well. As for Darkest Dungeon, it can stay uninstalled forever. Thanks for the video!

[@patriksvensson2360]

First of all, I _love_ lists like these; they let me rediscover my love for certain games, allow me to reevaluate my opinions on some of them and, most importantly, open my eyes to a lot of games that would otherwise pass me by. That being said, have you given *Fear & Hunger* a go yet?

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Not yet, it's been on my wishlist for a while.

[@phantomdude777]

Of all the games I have played on this list, I agree with every ranking and opinion. Only exception for me personally was Gunfire Reborn because it was a great co-op game to play with my friends, and I really enjoyed min-maxing my damage in each run. Great list!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Thanks!

[@CitrusXVA]

Great list, as usual. Yeah, Dead Cells can be absolutely frustrating, but when it works, it works. Vampire Survivors, while I like that, I agree with you on it. It's way deeper than it claims, and has a wild rabbit hole (or holes) if you persist with it. FTL is a take it or leave it, but in my case, take, even if it can be incredibly difficult at times. I adore Children of Morta, especially in multiplayer. So much fun. Hades is incredible and I swear that's incredible, with its balanced gameplay, fun characters, and also a surprisingly deep story. I'm really digging Hades II for pretty much the same reasons as the first, and love the extra layers and different paths, above and below, that be taken. I look forward to seeing it come out of early access.

[@BigVoidinLittleWizard]

Deck of Ashes is very similar to Slay the Spire but with an asthetic closer to Darkest Dungeon. There are multiple starter and unlockable class-based character decks, each with their own story-archs. The run-map is more open-world than linear, and the hub-camp is upgradeable with various features regarding deck and card tweaking. It's probably my favorite deck-builder. I'm surprised it's not more popular but that may be due to its dynamic complexity in comparison to StS. Not sure if it's really a roguelite because I'm not sure I understand the genre. I believe you would get some enjoyment from it based on our mutual likes/dislikes. I'm interested to know if you've played it and what you think.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I will put it on my wishlist.

[@ToyKeeper]

I really enjoyed Dead Cells, Hades, Noita, Slay the Spire, and Vampire Survivors. Five different genres, but all great games.

[@gkcook81]

Really good list. Some obscure games on here deserve the attention like Flame in the Flood. I'm a little surprised Binding of Isaac isn't on this list somewhere. The only game I would of ranked much higher is FTL, but I can see how it's a game that isn't for everyone in 2024. I can't believe it's 12 years old now.

[@Neeo-u1j]

Your taste is pretty consistent. I feel like by the second half I could mostly predict if you'd like something or not. That's pretty cool strength of character.

[@davidbrady5618]

Great job calling out games that have no reason to be rougelikes. Fury Unleashed is another good one you may want to try.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Ooh, that one looks cool.

[@bjornwiesner97]

Hello there. A little late to the party, but my favs are Dead Cells, Hades, Slay the Spire, Children of Morta I recommend: Roguebook Banners of Ruin Undermine Curse of the dead gods Great Video, keep up the good work And best regards

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I've played Roguebook since making this and it was great! Couldn't put it down for a month.

[@legionarybooks13]

Great stuff as always, Pam. ☺ This is a genre I've only recently gotten into, mostly thanks to Hades. Which yes, I am an unabashed fanboy of, and eagerly await the full release of Hades II. Saw a few recommendations I may give a go.

[@stuartcollins7616]

Great list and good to hear opinions that mean that even if I don't agree with a particular rating, I can at least understand why you feel differently. For me the Roguelite genre is inferior to the Roguelike genre in instances where a run can't be beaten without the meta progression. I was rubbed the wrong way by Rogue Legacy because it's practically impossible to win that game on your first run. Even if you were an experienced player, you need meta progression stats to make the game playable, so you basically need to grind for a significant number of runs before you can expect to win your first time. Contrast that to something like Slay the Spire (happy to see the S rank!) where you'll likely lose your first run, but if an experienced player starts a fresh save file they will have absolutely no issue beating the final boss on their first run because the 'meta progression' is really just card unlocks to encourage you to keep playing. New players aren't using all of the cards/relics anyway, so gating some of them for your first handful of runs isn't meaningfully restrictive and gives you something shiny while you're likely repeatedly losing.

[@jucksalbe]

"The game doesn't really tell you how to play" very much summarizes my experience with Kingdom: New Lands. I tried it once, I think it was on one of the subscription services, because I see it get recommended often, but I just couldn't figure out what to do at all. Considering the praise you're giving it as well, maybe I'll just give it another chance sometime. It's usually pretty cheap when it's on sale anyway. Did you try World of Horror? I think that usually counts as a roguelite. If anything it's a very unique style of game. I haven't played enough of it myself to really recommend it in any way. But with many of these kinds of game kinda blurring together, it's nice to have something very different.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

No, I never tried World of Horror, it's been on my wishlist since it released though.

[@Terron29]

Really cool interesting upload with a few titles that I never heard of so thank you for that. I loved Loop Hero though so how dare you madam! jk. Keep up the great content!

[@HarmfulOpinions]

I see Tiny Rogues has not been included as it would be unfair to the competitors.

[@anarchistica]

I really like your clear and concise descriptions. You might like Iratus: Lord of the Dead. It's like a less grindy Darkest Dungeon. Another rare rogueli*e i didn't loathe was Shattered Planet. I also tend to think "i would like this if it wasn't a rogueli*e", especially with Hades.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I tried that one, I don't remember why I didn't stick with it.

[@matisselundstrom]

I loved the turn based battle system in "Star Renegades" and got pass one loop of the story. But a rogue like RPG is a crazy concept when every successful run takes hours but can be trashed into nothing at any moment. Think it´s developed in Toronto.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

The art in that game is gorgeous!

[@DeathlessDevil]

I’ve only played a few…2 that weren’t mentioned. Put a zillion hours into The Binding Isaac (S+ easy..digital crack), and Getsufumaden (good too). I own Canada and Gungeon..haven’t played either, but great to hear they’re A grade!

[@mrmo1984]

Great list! Except Kingdom (I have it on A), I have your S tiers on S as well. Did you play Kingdom Two Crowns already? Should be THE couch coop game for you.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Yes, I love Two Crowns. I've played a lot solo and a little co-op. I think it mostly drops the rogue-ish elements.

[@mrmo1984]

@Cannotbetamed1 Yeah, I think so too. Now off to Kingdom Eighties. I already own it, but didn't have the mindset and time to play it yet.

[@Cyrus_Nagisa]

Loved the video, I dont play Rougelites or likes much myself, as I too dont care for the repetitiveness of it. I will say though Vampire Survivors is one of my favorites, and it does take more thought then just walking around. This list has defiantly shown me a few that I do want to try though, now that I think about it, I am sure I already own Children of Morta.

[@Whatthetrash]

Awesome list! :)

[@truejavier]

I fully agree with you on questioning whether or not Vampire Survivors should be in this category, but can I argue with you anyway?

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Sure!

[@seanm3933]

It's a good list. I would put Gunfire Reborn in either A or S tier though. It's pretty unique and plays really well. Also maybe move Vampire Survivors up to A or B tier just due to the influence it had on that genre.

[@jazzanarchy]

I’m having fun with Tunche. It’s a beat ‘em up roguelite based in Amazonian folklore. I love the setting, and the mythos and I think it adds a lot. It’s also multiplayer with different character play styles and progression. It feels along the vein Streets of Rage. I think it’s underrated and often overlooked. 👍🏾 I encourage you to check it out!

[@ArnoldEvanR]

Rogue was one of my favorite games when I was a kid with only a Tandy 1000 to play on. The opening screen was legendary.

[@DanPantzig]

My favorites have been Hades, Rogue Legacy, Binding of Isaac, and Dead Cells.

[@MahjikM3]

Thank you for the list. Identified one or two that I had skipped over which maybe deserve a second look.

[@CheddahSlammer]

Yeah Kingdom New Lands is Rouge Like, Kingdom Two Crowns however is Rouge Lite. If you like Kingdom New Lands, I would suggest Kingdom Two Crowns which has Co-op, and basically you collect certain permanent abilities, and need to build a ship to move over to another island, collect those permanent abilities. Like I found a Griffon that replaced my horse, and I had it for the rest of the game, and it has a push effect that pushes the Greed back.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Yep, I love Two Crowns even more than the original. I think it's barely a Roguelite though and doesn't belong here.

[@Mechosin]

Hi Pam. Have you played Returnal? Did you like it? Do you think it belongs to the genere?

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Nope

[@Igunaq]

I've been addicted to the roguelite "The Dungeon Beneath" lately. It's a pretty chill party-building game.

[@peterdbrwsk]

Great video!

[@Lost_Hwasal]

I thought cult of the lamb was mid as well. I think we have similar taste in videogames as we grew up in the same era and have similar childhood gaming memories. I never got children of morta because of the steam reviews, i might have to go grab that now, as ive always wanted it but held back. Also, i didn't know you had a partner! You're breakin my heart here ; P

[@LatashaMoore-y7r]

Very interesting and informative video!

[@UltraZelda64]

Brotato seems to often be referred to as a Survivors-like game, being one of the gazillion Vampire Survivors knockoff games. My personal favorite Survivors-like game, other than the namesake, is Boneraiser Minions. I wish they would port that one to consoles; it is incredibly fun and addicting, and adds quite a bit to the Survivors formula. 20 Minutes Till Dawn and Army of Ruin are also pretty good. There are so many Survivors-like games, many of them good. But unfortunately most of them are PC only and don't have a console release. Most are playable on the Steam Deck though. I've also heard these being referred to as "bullet heaven" or "reverse bullet hell" as opposed to bullet hell (the idea is that bullets are going all over the place, but they're coming from you instead of at you). I'm not a fan of either name really.

[@MythicalP]

Love your videos ❤

[@BlankManj5]

Enter the gungeon is my all-time favorite game. Thousands of hours pour into it because the gameplay is just so smooth. It’s hard but damn it felt amazing to beat that game.

[@Davey_Cakes]

Rogue Legacy 1 and OG Hammerwatch are the games that sold me on Roguelites. I started Rogue Legacy 2 in 2020 (early access) and eventually beat it in 2022 in 1.0, where it became my GOTY. I like it more than Dead Cells. If you like twin-stick shooters you should play Star of Providence (previously Monolith). Maybe you've covered it before, but I forget. Also, it's more Roguelike than Roguelite, but still one of my faves! Children of Morta keeps going to ~$6 on Steam and I've had it on my wishlist forever. Should really give it a try.

[@ranchman693]

Scrolling by, I miss read the title as "Ranking the Best Ratatouille Games" and got REALLY excited until I found out it was just Roguelike games LOL

[@raab837]

Is the new TMNT game classified this way? What do you think of it? IM digging it , but its def different

[@lobabobloblaw]

I’m Team FTL on this one. Blame it on the Inner Picard.

[@omgwerockhard]

Ftl is my fav too. Love the music

[@lobabobloblaw]

@@omgwerockhardyes-the music is a huge part of the experience!

[@omgwerockhard]

@@lobabobloblaw The last stand one is so good. I need 4 x burst laser MK2 and pref stealth with the kestrel to beat it. Target sheild first then get those weapons offline. Cloak power surge and cross your fingers rest goes well 😆

[@KaskelotenZebbe]

I worked at Crackshell and Heroes of Hammerwatch. You should be able to change the resolution so the camera is more zoomed in. Maybe it's not possible on the console port, which was outsourced. Too bad you didn't like the game very much, but I still like your channel 😊.

[@JustinB_Oz]

Good list Pam!

[@zangdaarrmortpartout]

I find really intesting that you talked about Kingdom New Lands but not Kingdom Two Crowns, which is actually more on the rogue lite side (upon loss of the crown and heir take charge on a previous island and greed wave strength is set back 100 days). This game is awesome you should play it, plus, it's also a coop

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I love Two Crowns, but it's not very roguish at all, so I didn't include it on the list.

[@tommycwills]

Of the ones you discussed I also think Dead Cells is the best followed by Hades and Balatro. My favorite overall however is 30XX which did a phenomenal job essentially translating Mega Man X to the roguelite genre.

[@DanishSegaGamer]

I am really baffled that you put Loop Hero and Vampire Survivors on such a low teir, they are imo amazing games and Vampire Survivors actually has alot of story, tons of levels and tactics to it. Vampire Survivors is a Rogue Lite, but after it came out there was a surge in similar games due to it's popularity of Vampire Survivors and I think they call it "Garlic likes" now. My list of must play Rogue lites: Binding of Isaac, Slay the Spire, Dead Cells, FTL, Balatro, Hades, Rogue Legacy, Darkest Dungeon, Loop Hero. I would also recommend "knock on the Coffin Lid". It is very similar to Slay the Spire (blatant rip off), but with a twist as it has story to it and the paths are not randomized from run to run in the normal mode, but you have to learn gradually how to defeat the last boss. So far I think it is great.

[@CM-FCB]

I know you have a billion games in your backlog and this comment is a drop in the ocean, but here are two roguelite suggestions: * Revita - IMO it's a better Neon Abyss * Skul: The Hero Slayer - Frenetic 2D combat like Dead Cells

[@__Philip__311]

Not that experiences with the genre, but Crypt of the Necrodancer my favorite of the ones I've played.

[@StewNWT]

You are so right about dead cells playing so fantastically well. It’s difficult and I hate how hard the final bosses and you don’t have any way to practice on him but the actual gameplay is incredibly fun.

[@DansenOpWagner]

You do have a way to practice the bosses - there's a training room.

[@StewNWT]

@@DansenOpWagner wait really?? How did I miss that?

[@Sronmar]

I am very interested in Kingdom: New Lands. I had never heard of it until I watched this last night.

[@miisterclutch5005]

One day Skul will be in the big leagues, one day.

[@nickclone]

Just bought it yesterday, noticed it didn't make the list.

[@henlohenlo689]

i have not played alot of them but this is my ranking of the ones i did play: 1. slay the spire 2. nuclear throne 3. magic survival 4. pixel dungeon in my opinion slay the spire is a genius game. so well balanced, so much replayability. after owning that on my phone i don't need any other games. i play gaming casually, and it hits the spot. the only other game i play outside of that is magic the gathering vintage casually.

[@StewNWT]

Hi Pam - thinking of you as I’m stuck inGuelph for 6 weeks without my Switch, I actually like your description of Auto-battler. Clemmy from Get Indie Games calls them Bullet Heaven games but I think yours is more accurate. Children of Morta is a game I loved and devoured but like Hades the actual dungeons are just too short

[@darknessprince6]

Sunless Sea/Skies you can actually pretty easily Alt-F4 out of them if you’re about to die. I know it’s technically cheating but it does help to ease that soul-crushing difficulty you mentioned.

[@tamash.5291]

Pam, I'm curious, what do you think about Caves of Qud? + Dwarf fortress? They are pretty good roguelikes! Caves of Qud is a roguelike packed full of stuff. It's a puzzle with neutron star density. It was released from early access recently! Dwarf fortress is a roguelike colony survival management simulator. Waaat? roguelike + colony management simulator? Yesssss! Exactly! The interesting part of these games is that *anything* could happen! Usually something interesting does happen (and a few steps later your dwarf colony goes extinct because of that). You can put thousands of hours into these games and will still have left new things to discover.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I've heard good things, but neither of them has ever really called out to me to play them.

[@V-vision]

This is the first time that I've heard someone express almost my exact opinion of Hades. Not that I tried too hard to gauge opinions, but when I happened across them, it seemed like i was the only one with a critique. Though maybe I liked it more because ultimately, I pushed through all the side content and adding more and more difficulty modifiers was decent entertainment for a bit

[@rodney5092]

I really love Streets of Rogue. If you haven't played it before, you should give it a try. It's available on Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Android.

[@newavejunkie]

38:31 Anytime Pam uploads a 50+ minute ranking video

[@duhmez]

WAYNE'S WORLD, WAYNE'S WORLD, BEST WORST, ROGUE LIKES OF ALL TIME, IT'S EXCELLENT! I just playued SHiren the Wander and the tower of fortune on Switch, pretty new port, an tonne of fun, 85 hours to beat it. It is the real OG proper ROGUE, mystery dungeon style of game, full proper rogue like. I recmomend! I love rogue genre alot. Also, rogue card games I recomend, Slay the Spire, Monster Train, Rogue BOOK!

[@bostontx]

thanks for introducing me to a bunch I've never seen or tried before

[@ninetendopesaitama2107]

Into the breach is a masterpiece. If you like advance wars and such. Get it for switch. Already played 50+ h and it's still addictive. ☮️

[@mangaas]

Pretty much all the expected ones, all where they should be, only surprise is ranking Loop Hero so low...😮 Also, missing "Inscryption" thats a genuinely great Roguelite deck builder with great puzzles and amazing atmosphere, aesthetic and sound design.

[@DevinBowen]

It's so good. It almost transcends the genre. Like the genera is as a meta commentary on itself.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Inscryption has a roguelite deck builder in it's first act, but I don't consider it to be a roguelite on the whole.

[@mangaas]

@@Cannotbetamed1 Didn't realize there was more to the game - never beat the later bosses, I thought the card game and the room puzzle was the entire game. Time to go back.

[@PieInTheSky9]

Inscryption is like a lot of games in one

[@lotterwinner6474]

Children of Morta and Kingdom new lands is going on my wishlist! I felt the same way about Hades, I really want to experience all the story but I cant bring myself to playing it again.

[@SALT-cp4eu]

I had the same issue with Hades, kept thinking if they just had some DLC with maybe 2 more areas you had a choice Dead Cells style to pick from with a few new enemies that broke up the same trek to the surface it’d be a 10/10.

[@Honorhawk]

I would rank Children of Morta a notch or two lower because of some gripes, notably the 'unlocks' cutscenes not taking into account the 'story progression' cutscenes. (Slight spoiler but I'll remain vague) - some things unlock only when you die or end runs often enough, and having an important story NPC bed-ridden and near death in one scene, then meeting the requirements for recruiting a new character by finishing a run and seeing the bed-ridden, near death NPC up and about and doing the dishes when they're supposed to be corrupted and on the verge of dying just really dragged me out of the story. Granted, maybe the player is supposed to believe these unlock cutscenes happened in the past, but there's no indication of that. After seeing the craft and dedication put into Hades' narrative, Children of Morta just felt unsatisfying and shoddy craftsmanship.

[@gorgeousgorillawitz5563]

Dead Cells deserves an S+, otherwise great list :D You might like Ember Knights for your co-op night.

[@MikeStavola]

You reminded me that Dungeons of Dredmor exists.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

And now you've reminded me that it exists!

[@pedroarroyo345]

Pam posts and im happy

[@JoeSchmo-z6l]

My favorite genre. Thanks Pam!!

[@KentCorlain]

More: Renowned Explorers: International Society Devil Slayer - Raksasi Griftlands BlazBlue Entropy Effect Leap of Fate --- Chrono Ark Samurai Bringer Dreamscaper Castle Morihisa

[@philosophyoftrucking]

People are always trying to escape to Canada 🇨🇦 in an apocalyptic event.