In an attempt to stop our article about the best new roguelikes becoming over-encumbered with text and screenshots, I figured it would be best to separate things out. That being so, here are the best new roguelikes that released in…
February 2024
While writing up March’s article I gathered some late arrivals from February, so I’ve included them below before things get back on track with Hellcard.
KeeperRL – KeeperRL just left Early Access on February 29th, and I didn’t realise that was going to happen, if I’m honest. This dungeon simulator turned RPG lets you revel in the nasty side of life as you play the evil wizard. As well as that you can take your minions out for traditional turn-based roguelike battles. You can also pretend to be good and attack other player-made dungeons, if you’re feeling heroic.
Pacific Drive – This creepy station wagon simulator gets a mention as it sits on the line between sim, roguelite, and action-adventure. Pacific Drive escaped my gaze at first because I didn’t have a full understanding of what it was trying to do. I’ve still not played it, however, after digging deeper it’s clear that the procedurally generated elements aren’t just for show.
Windowkill – I picked this one up myself as soon as I saw it, mostly because I loved the idea of playing a game on a shifting arena that mimics a Windows desktop environment. The game underneath this exciting premise is fairly straightforward, but I love the spirit of this game and I wanted to make sure to include it.
Gods Against Machines – Another late addition to the update from February is Gods Against Machines. This looks like a classically-trained RTS, but a closer inspection reveals a roguelite gameplay loop that should boost the game’s potential longevity.
Dicefolk – Sneaking in just before March (on February 27th) is Dicefolk. This one has already gotten off to a “very positive” start, and it has you rolling with unique dice mechanics as you build a team of powerful chimera. I don’t think I’ve ever played as a “chimera summoner” which makes this a most interesting proposition for roguelite loving gamers who like to roll dice.
Original Article
Hellcard – This month kicked off with another Early Access exit, this time for a co-op roguelite deckbuilder set in a papercraft world. Follow the link for a more detailed exploration of the game and its cooperative mechanics.
The Great Rebellion – Also landing on February 1st is The Great Rebellion, a side-scrolling run’n’gun cyberpunk bullet hell with roguish elements and optional permadeath.
Legendary Hoplite – This strategy-RPG lands on February 2nd with roguelite elements and a tower defence twist. If you’re a sucker for Greek mythology, this one could well be up your street.
WitchHand – This deckbuilding game kept appearing in all my searches, so I thought I’d include it as it does look somewhat roguish. It’s out on Feb 7th.
SpellRogue – An Early Access fantasy roguelike deckbuilder with dice-rolling elements, and it’s due on February 12. What’s more, it’s published by Ghost Ship Games. That’s relevant because…
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor – The same publisher is launching their DRG survivor-like just two days later on February 14th. Hit the link for a more detailed exploration of this dwarven auto-shooter, and stay tuned as I’m going to be covering this in more depth very soon.
Sisyphus Paradox – This is a late addition to the list as it one wasn’t on my radar until recently. This Early Access game looks to combine the best elements of classic side-scrolling space shooters with a roguish framework. The hand-drawn art style also caught my eye. Take off is scheduled for February 14th, but there’s already a demo.
WarSphere – A late addition to the round-up, it’s worth flagging WarSphere as I think one or two of you might just like it. You play as a rolling death robot and you rampage about the place and blow away anything that crosses you. The main portion of the game is free, too.
PlateUp! – This Yogcast Games published title is already established on PC, however, I thought it worth mentioning that as of February 15th, you’ll be able to play this restaurant/cooking themed co-op roguelite on the Switch, PlayStation and Xbox.
Helskate – This novel combo of skating and roguelite action is rolling onto Early Access on February 15. There’s a demo out already if you’d like to take an early look at this roguish ode to Tony Hawk.
Balatro – I used to play a lot of poker back in the day, which is why this card-playing rogue has caught my eye. It’s out on February 20th, and I’m really interested in seeing how poker has been adapted into a roguish experience.
Feed the Cups – I’m not sure what to make of Feed the Cups, which describes itself as a co-op roguelite drink-crafting game. I think. Whatever this charming-looking game is really about, the cup will be full enough for you drink from on February 21st.
Geometry Survivor – I’ve written about this one over here but I wanted to mention it here, too. Geometry Survivor is exactly what you think it is: a mash-up of Geometry Wars gameplay and survivors-like mechanics. It’s hitting PC, PlayStation, Switch and Xbox platforms on February 21st.
The Tribe Must Survive – This one looks like an interesting genre mash-up with players tasked with helping a stone age tribe stay alive. This survival-roguelite village builder is out on February 22nd.
Inkulinati – Another game dropping on February 22nd is none other than Inkulinati, which leaves behind its early access tags and releases in full on PC (linked), PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox. For the uninitiated, this quirky turn-based strategy game is based on wonderful art that was scrolled in historical manuscripts. It’s very silly.
Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island – The next Shiren game is heading to Nintendo Switch on February 27th. I think it’s the sixth mainline entry in this storied roguelike franchise, and I’m very much looking forward to playing this one for review.
Spiritfall – Landing on February 28th is the full version of Spiritfall, which is ready to shed its Early Access tags. It looks good, too, and describes itself as a fast-paced action-roguelite with “combat inspired by platform fighters”.
Bootstrap Island – This pirate game is a polished looking VR experience that I’d rather die than play (because I hate VR because it makes me want to hurl – that’s a me problem, though). There’s no specific date other than “February”.
Tamarak Trail – A late addition to this edition of the monthly round-up is Tamarak Trail, which is launching this month on the rarest of release dates: February 29th. It’s worth noting that this promising dice-rolling deckbuilder is a cross-platform release, so you can pick the game up on PC (linked above) as well as PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox!
Champion Shift – No sooner had I hit save on the latest update, but I got another release date email, this time about Champion Shift. This action-roguelite has players switching between legendary heroes (such as Sun Wukong, Athena, and Gilgamesh) and sports cars. I’m into old-school Transformers and so this leftfield premise hasn’t put me off. It’s also got co-op and it’s out on Steam on February 29th. There’s a demo out now if you want to get your engines started early.
The Archives!
October 2024: There were several big releases in the month of October, but none as exciting as Windblown, the next game by Motion Twin (Dead Cells). I did enjoy [REDACTED], which is a comic book spin-off based on The Callisto Protocol, and I also picked up Diceomancer, a very underrated deckbuilder with a lovely graphical style and plenty of charm. Other releases included Wizard of Legend 2 and Transformers: Galactic Trials, for a truly unique blend of titles.
August 2024: The August archive boasts highlights including the blackjack-themed deckbuilder Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers, a co-op update for Cult of the Lamb, plus excellent games including Peglin, Terminus: Zombie Survivors, Knock on the Coffin Lid, and Nova Drift all left Early Access. Plot twist: Risk of Rain 2’s latest DLC launched to very mixed reviews.
July 2024: Headline acts this July included the console release of Darkest Dungeon II, and Lost Castle 2 releasing into Early Access. The original Epyx version of Rogue has finally been ported to Nintendo Switch, with one or two improvements that no doubt explain the delay. Finally, shout outs to Arc Seed, because I do love a giant mecha battle, and Wastelander, because I’m a sucker for sci-fi strategy games.
June 2024: This month got better as it went on. June closed out with a tetromino-powered tower defense roguelite by the name of Emberward, a turn-based western rogue called Guncho (wanted dead or alive, apparently), the quirky auto-battler otherwise known as Million Monster Militia, and the early access exit of Champion Shift. All of them landed in the back nine of the month, so keep on scrolling.
May 2024: Hit this link for some of the very best launches of the year, including the Early Access release of Hades II, the wonderful turn-based roguelike Path of Achra, and a big crossover as Contra comes to Vampire Survivors. Plus stellar shooters Robobeat and Mullet MadJack both dropped in May, and there’s a certain Prince from Persia who arrived before the end of the month, too. Phew.
April 2024: One of my favourites in April was peaceful puzzler Planetiles, which certainly contrasts the grimy first-person horror of Buckshot Roulette. Traditionalists will note the release of Story Mode in Dwarf Fortress as a milestone, while console owners finally got to savour the delights of Dave the Diver. Finally, I want to highlight Against Great Darkness and Inkbound; two indie gems out this month.
March 2024: Mortal Glory 2 dropped in March and it’s an excellent tactical turn-based roguelite about fantasy gladiators. The always brilliant Crypt of the NecroDancer got a big multiplayer update by the name of Synchrony. Two very different magic games were released into Early Access this month, with third-person actioner Vellum landing alongside turn-based spell-simulator Rift Wizard 2. Finally, the wonderful dice roller Slice & Dice made an appearance on Steam.
February 2024: An earlier iteration of this format – February’s round-up is a bit of a mess. Nevertheless, it was a good month for games with the release of Balatro on PC and console, which has been my most-played game of the year by far, and Shiren 6 finally arrived on Nintendo Switch. Other highlights include the full release of Inkulinati, and the Early Access launch of Deep Rock Galactic: Survivors.
January 2024: The first month of the year is usually pretty quiet across the industry (except for at Capcom for some reason) but we did get some good rogues, too. Lonestar is my personal pick, but Go Mecha Ball landed on PC and console, and the unofficial Indiana Jones parkour simulator otherwise known as Phantom Abyss left Early Access. Finally, BlazBlue Entropy Effect also left EA.
November and December 2023: It was still early days for Rogueliker and the formatting is all over the place, but if you want even more games, I’ve got a few from late 2023 to tell you about. Picayune Dreams is one of the highlights, as is Against the Storm, two of the year’s best games, in fact. Other top-tier titles to drop before the end of the year include Cobalt Core, Roboquest, and Risk of Rain Returns.
