Welcome back, Dear Reader, for another archive edition of The Monthly Update. This time we’ve gathered together some of the most interesting games released in the month of January, so sit back and relax, and take in this extended batch of promising rogues…
The Best New Roguelikes – January 2025
OMG Words | Dave | Jan 3 | PC (Win) | Word games are becoming a thing in the roguelike space, and OMG Words is the latest game to mix procedural generation with alphabet spaghetti. I’m rather taken with the colour scheme and indeed the overall aesthetic, and I’ll definitely be checking this one out at some point if I can.
Bricks Survivors | ChaNoCreArt | Jan 3 | PC (Win) | Brick-breaker gameplay is about as classic as it gets, and I already know that it blends well with roguishness after playing Breaking Survivors last year. The pure thrill of breaking bricks at speed is the fuel that powers Bricks Survivors, a quirky-looking pixel-art arcade shooter that lands this month on PC.
Pinball Storm: Lokanta | Aastral Dynamics | Jan 7 | PC (Win) | Bullet heaven style gameplay with a pinball twist? You’ve got my attention! The gameplay in this action-rogue looks fast and frenetic, and it appears as though things only get more exciting as your character unlocks new so-called “power marbles” with which to shoot at the oncoming hordes.
Warden’s Will | ELYZIO | Jan 8 | PC (Win) | At first glance it looks a bit like Risk of Rain 2, thanks to the colourful alien landscapes and third-person camera. That said, Warden’s Will is different in a number of key ways, including the dual firing weaponry and more bullet hell focused gameplay.
Rabolut: Escape From Hell | Rain Drop Forest Studio | Jan 9 | PC (Win) | This action platformer is aimed at the fans of games such as Celeste and Getting Over It, neither of which are roguelites. However, Rabolut does utilise random level generation to keep its maps and traps deadly. Not my cup of tea personally, but it still managed to catch my eye and therefore make the cut.
The Rangers In The South | DPA Studios | Jan 9 | PC (Win) | With inspiration taken from classic SNES role-playing games, The Rangers in the South boasts an endearing 2.5 art style and cute pixels. It has five biomes to explore, each one with dungeons and villages, and the loot is procedurally generated, too. The characters have no pre-defined classes so you can evolve them as you play – just don’t die, of course.
Cruel | James Dornan | Jan 9 | PC (Win) | With it’s grim-faced horror themes and surreal setting, I’m most intrigued by Cruel. This first-person shooter has you trying to escape an ever-shifting hotel filled with helpful vending machines and weird-looking bad dudes in need of a good shooting. Play will sprawl across ten ever-changing and dynamic levels that are trying to consume you, apparently.
Rogue Hex | Topstitch Games | Jan 13 | PC (Win) | After growing up playing Civ on the old family PC, I love the idea of merging 4X staples with roguelite replayability. The next game to try and explore the genre, maybe even expand it, is Rogue Hex, which is hoping to exploit the best elements of both genres, and exterminate the competition in the process.
Hyper Light Breaker | Heart Machine | Jan 14 | PC (Win) | Looking to build on the success of its predecessor, Hyper Light Drifter, this open-world roguelite looks sharper and more focused than the 2016 original in every way. We’re getting procedurally-generated worlds and frantic-yet-fluid combat, and the promise of online co-op is just the cherry on top.
Magicbook AutoBattler | JXGameStudio | Jan 14 | PC (Win) | I’m not entirely sure about what to make of Magicbook AutBattler, but the colourful graphics and lively gameplay certainly caught my attention. The listing paints a picture of a game where you must mix and match the abilities of your squad to create a fighting force that can dominate all that come before you.
Bio Prototype | Emprom Game | Jan 21 | PC (Win) | Who doesn’t want to be a monster every now and then? I certainly don’t mind being one when the situation calls for it, and Bio Prototype is the next game that wants to put you in the slimy shoes of a strange creature on a violent rampage.
Tyrant’s Realm | Team Tyrant | Jan 16 | PC (Win) | If you grew up in the ’90s then the visual style of Tyrant’s Realm is going to make you feel all fuzzy and nostalgic. This dark fantasy action-roguelite promises soulslike-inspired combat and procedurally-generated levels to explore. I have to say, I like the cut of this one’s jib.
Pairs & Perils | Little Horror Studios | Jan 20 | PC (Win) | As a parent, I’ve played my fair share of memory games over the past decade or so. That being the case, I’m really quite enamoured by the concept of Pairs & Perils, which blends memory-based card-matching and dungeon crawling. That sounds rather sweet to me.
Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel | Games Farm, ARTillery | Jan 21 | PC (Win) | This survivors-inspired action-rogue feels a bit like Vampire Survivors but it has the visual polish of something like Diablo. I quite liked it when I played a demo last year, and I’m intrigued to see what’s in the Early Access version of the game when it lands in late January.
Rusty Dudes | Ilya Gubin | Jan 23 | PC (Win) | I was instantly reminded of the squad feel in Yet Another Zombie Survivors, however, the games are quite different beyond the core concept of moving a group around together as you battle a zombie horde. The 2.5 visuals here are understated, but the concept has real potential and I’m keeping this one in my sights for sure.
Ravenswatch | Passtech Games | Jan 23 | Nintendo Switch | The Switch version of Ravenswatch lands at long last. If you’d like to know more, head over to my review!
Darkest Dungeon II – Inhuman Bondage | Red Hook Studios | Jan 27 | PC (Mac, Win) | If you’re a console owner, you’re going to have to wait for both Inhuman Bondage and free game mode Kingdoms, but PC-based roguelikers can enjoy the two new updates at the end of the month. The paid-for expansion we’re talking about here includes the return of The Abomination, plus a new mini-region to die in called The Catacombs.
Mutation | Ossified Games | Jan 29 | PC (Win) | The Steam listing for Mutation is crammed full of words I love to read, including: “procedural dungeon crawler”, “roguelite”, “survival”, and “RPG elements”. And there’s a “sci-fi Lovecraftian theme” for the win. I was less excited to see a lengthy AI generated content note at the end, though.
The Archives!
November and December 2024: This double bill of archived articles is crammed full of excellent games. The standout game is undoubtedly Caves of Qud, which is ready after years in Early Access. However, there’s a lot more going on than just that, with Battle Shapers, Ballionaire, Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop, and Magicraft all launched as well.
October 2024: This was a really solid month thanks to the release of [REDACTED], the Early Access launch of Windblown, and a surprising little gem by the name of DICEOMANCER. Lots of caps lock in October, and there’s even some roguish robots in the disguise.
September 2024: What an excellent month for new roguelike games, with the highlights including deckbuilders Shogun Showdown and Pyrene, the FPS blaster otherwise known as Wild Bastards, and there was the mobile release of Balatro. Rogue Waters delivered pirate-themed turn-based tactics, and I also really enjoyed both Realm of Ink and Halls of Torment (the first which landed in Early Access and the second which just left it).
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.
