Welcome to another hit list of the best new roguelikes, roguelites, and self-identifying rogues, all of which launched in the month of May – and looking back it has been quite a month. However, if what you’re after is the latest and most up-to-date list of newly released roguelikes then you’ll find it here, and if you keep scrolling down you’ll find links to all of the archive files, too.
May 2024
Undead Inc (May 2) PC – Fallout Shelter meets Resident Evil; that’s the rough premise of Undead Inc., even if it doesn’t quite live up to those lofty comparisons. This roguish base-builder is all about balancing risk and reward; build a big operation developing bioweapons and you can make a fortune, but push it too far and the next thing you know you’ll be up to your elbows in mindless, flesh-munching zombies.
Hexguardian (May 2) PC – This bright and breezy game looks like a fun fusion of Carcassonne tile-matching and tower defense, shot through with roguish mechanics to give it some structure. I really like the hexagonal setup, the fun colour palette, and the overall premise. I hadn’t planned on looking more closely at this one but after writing all that, I think I’ve changed my own mind!
The Braves (May 3) PC – A Saturday morning cartoon inspired auto-shooter sounds like a surefire thing, and I reckon without the scores of other games out there doing something similar, The Braves would be making more of a splash. The art style looks super-fun, so fingers crossed that will be enough to help this one punch through the horde of other survivors-likes that are currently after your time and money.
Chrono Ark (May 3) PC – This polished-looking roguish deckbuilder seems to offer a fusion of card-driven combat and party-based role-playing. Closer inspection reveals heist elements and that piqued my interest further, although the overall presentation isn’t normally my cup o’ tea. Still, based on the user reviews I was just reading, this looks like one to watch as it leaves the confines of Early Access after four-ish years.
Hades II (May 6) PC – We knew it was coming, but we didn’t know exactly when. Now Hades II is out in the wild in Early Access on PC and you can see what Supergiant has been working on all this time. I’ve had a good long look already, so don’t be too nervous about investing now as there’s plenty to see and do. However, do note that the game doesn’t have the proper ending and there is still a new region to come – if you want the full experience, that won’t be in place until the end of this year or the start of next.
Path of Achra (May 7) PC – A traditional roguelike set on Ancient Earth, Path of Achra looks like an absolute treat for turn-based aficionados. After a year in Early Access, this one’s finally polished enough for public consumption, and with inspirations including Tales of Maj Eyal, Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup and Rift Wizard, you can probably imagine what sort of experience you’re going to get. Sign me up!
Heading Out (May 7) PC – It’s an unusual one this, as I think it’s possibly more of an adventure game with roguish elements than an all-out action roguelite, but I’m more than willing to be corrected if I’m wrong. Heading Out is an Americana roadtrip with oodles of audio-visual style, and it’s heading to multiple platforms (which is usually a good sign). Motorheads looking for an interesting new adventure should probably consider picking up this hitchhiker.
Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns (May 9) Android, iOS, PC, Switch, Xbox – The latest big name collaboration between Poncle and a third-party (in this instance, Konami) is going to result in a new expansion for Vampire Survivors. Operation Guns is going to bring a bunch of Contra-themed survivors and weapons to the auto-shooter champion; perfect for someone who loves searching for vampires and wants more coffins to crack. Naturally, this expansion is available on all platforms.
Rogue Voltage (May 10) PC – This innovative power-themed puzzle rogue looks like my cup of tea. I do like the pixel art, I must say, but I think this one has more going for it than pretty pixels. Rogue Voltage wants you to engineer your own abilities to power your attacks, and that sounds like brain-melting fun to me.
Cluckmech Oasis (May 10) PC (Mac & Windows) – Not only does Cluckmech Oasis have a top tier title, but the art style is super-cute, too! This top-down tower-defence hybrid is all about taking heavily armed animals and putting them up against plant-based enemies. Considering the title, the plot, and the giant hammer in the screenshot, I think you can probably guess that this one is a bit silly.
Gatekeeper (May 10) PC – The art-style and character design in Gatekeeper is going ensure comparisons to Risk of Rain 2, but this is a top-down shooter and it looks like it does a lot of things differently. The aim of the game is to rescue the so-called Heart of the Universe, and you’ll do this with a lot of creatively assembled weapons and even a couple of friends in co-op, if you’ve got them.
Homeworld 3: War Games (May 13) PC – To be clear, Homeworld 3 isn’t a roguelike, however it does come with a mode called War Games, and this is more up our collective street. War Games is all about short runs with the ability to rapidly evolve abilities in crazy directions for intense space battles. The Homeworld franchise has always specialised in the aforementioned space battles, so I’ve got my fingers crossed that it’ll translate well into a roguish structure.
The Land Beneath Us (May 13) PC, PS, Switch, and Xbox – I really enjoyed the demo version of The Land Beneath Us when I played it on Xbox, and I’m getting ready to return to the Welsh underworld of myth and legend on May 13. This time my return will be on Steam PC, although the game is also set to roll out on PS5, Switch and Xbox Series. This is definitely one to watch if you like turn-based rogues, in my humble opinion.
Never Mourn (May 13) PC – The Early Access release of Never Mourn is giving me Darksiders vibes. This third-person actioner leans into the necromancy side of things, with players balancing combat in two different states – life or death – which could make for interesting combat encounters.
Mullet MadJack (May 15) PC – I can’t tell if Mullet MadJack is going to be surreal or genius (I’m not ruling out both). I really enjoyed Post Void and its short, intense runs, and I think that MMJ is trying to do something similar, only this is more focused on retro anime tropes. The Steam listing also compares it to the brilliant Dusk, another favourable comparison that has me eager to take a closer look at this frantic shooter. (I took a closer look, here’s my review.)
Robobeat (May 16) PC – Another first-person shooter, Robobeat is all about blasting robots to a beat. It’s not just a clever name, then. You’ll be doing all this robo blasting in an ever-shifting lair full of traps and various things that are out to kill you, naturally. You’ve got a range of traversal options to aid you in your quest for survival, which helps this one stand out from the crowd.
Break the Loop (May 16) PC – This party-based roguelite looks like a cartoon friendly take on Darkest Dungeon but with time travel. That sounds like a lot of fun, and that energy is reinforced by a cheeky and playful sense of humour that pervades the project. The aim of the game is to save the world from an apocalypse, by going back in time and picking the best path through the end times.
Spellcats: Auto Card Tactics (May 17) PC, PS, Switch and Xbox – Spellcats: Auto Card Tactics does exactly what it says on the tin it’s going to do in the title. You’re a cat who has spells, which you’ll unleash on pesky humans via playing cards. Do you really need to know more than that?
Combo Card Clashers (May 17) PC – Landing on the same day, but with fewer cats (that’s a guess on my part, I must confess) is another fantasy-infused deckbuilder with auto-battler elements. Combo Card Clashers is all about playing your cards in the right order to trigger big fat combos and take down your enemies.
Realm of Ink (May 17) PC – This a game I’ve been keeping tabs on for some time, after playing the first demo. This action-RPG-turned-roguelite is about Chinese storytelling and is defined by its watercolour art style. I’m not sure it’s going to hit the same heights as Hades, an obvious reference for Realm of Ink, but I’m the eternal optimist and I’ve got my fingers firmly crossed. This initial release is still only Early Access, btw. (Update – there’s a new demo out now but the EA release actually got delayed for a few months).
Harvest Hunt (May 22) PC – Strange first-person horror games are starting to get more roguish as time goes on, and this most-welcome trend is set to continue with Harvest Hunt. Playing as the so-called Warden, you must protect your flock of villagers from untold terrors with nothing but a few playing cards and giant pointy fork.
C.A.R.D.S. RPG: The Misty Battlefield (May 23) PC, PS and Switch – Japanese-style strategy RPGs don’t get enough roguish love, but that’s going to change soon with C.A.R.D.S. RPG: The Misty Battlefield. Now, I’m going to knock off points because they made me put full stops (periods) after each word in the acronym, but then I think I’ll give those points right back because this game has been developed by the studio behind Octopath Traveller.
Zet Zillions (May 23) – The ultimate conclusion of the deckbuilder genre is probably something along the lines of amassing a deck of cards so powerful that it can blow up entire planets. And that’s exactly what you get to do in Zet Zillions, which I think looks rather stylish. The presentation is really strong here, and if the gameplay matches up, this could be one to keep a beady eye on.
Terra Randoma (May 23) PC – A very late addition, but the launch was announced and then happened after the mid-May update, so this one isn’t on me! Terra Randoma has a mystery dungeon aesthetic that I really like, but it also sounds like a serious roguelike RPG with an expansive open world to explore. Worth a closer look if you like your rogues turn-based, I think.
The Rogue Prince of Persia (May 27) PC – Announced just last month, The Rogue Prince of Persia looks like a fantastic use of one of gaming’s greatest IPs and I can’t wait to see what Evil Empire does with it. I’ve been playing iterations of Prince of Persia my entire game-playing life, and the platforming spirit of the originals looks to have transposed well onto a more modern and replayable format. (Here’s my Early Access review, if you care to read it.)
Rack and Slay (May 27) PC – I’ve already played a bunch of Rack and Slay and I can’t wait to try the finished game when it lands at the end of the month. This fusion of billiards and roguish staples works a charm and the early build I played suggests that this physics roguelike is going to be a hole-in-one. Wait, that’s golf… You get the idea. (Want to read more? Here’s our review.)
Dungeons of Blood and Dream (May 27) PC – Dungeons of Blood and Dream is so low-fi that I almost didn’t include it, but then I remembered myself! This admittedly crude-looking first-person rogue is all about magic spells and sharp, pointy swords, as you look to escape an endless death loop. I don’t know if it’s going to be any good, but there’s something about it that suggests there might be magic to be found in these dungeons.
Perfect Dice (May 27) PC (Mac and Windows) – If what you’re after is a dice-based roguelite that challenges you then Perfect Dice might be a game worth taking a look at. It describes itself as “incredibly complex” which probably rules it out for me and my fuzzy brain, but the idea here is to learn the nuances over the mechanics so you can make the most of your luck. The pixel art looks nice, too.
Wraithbinder (May 27) PC (Lin, Mac, and Windows) – For shame, I didn’t know about Wraithbinder until the game was almost upon us, but it looks and sounds like it’s going to tick all the boxes for a boy like me. This pixel-art action-RPG offers a blend of roguish gameplay and metroidvania-inspired ability progression. The Early Access release is going to be solo only but online co-op is on the way, apparently.
Cowboy 3030 (May 28) PC – The Wild West comes to deep space in Cowboy 3030, a new Early Access shooter about trying to take down a nefarious gang of space bads. This one’s a polished-looking third-person shooter with a bold and bright colour scheme that makes me think that this is one of those games that my kids will like as much as I will (hopefully). The progression on this one looks unusual (in a good way) and the game supports online co-op for up to four players.
Romanticized Dreams of a Post-Apocalyptic Cowpoke (May 29) PC (Lin, Mac and Windows) – It’s a strong end to the month for people who like their games set in the Wild West – or at least artistic interpretations of the theme. What I like about this one, on top of the excellent name, is the surreal twist that has you controlling all manner of anthropomorphised characters as you storm a series of bandit camps, all viewed through a top-down pixel-art lens.
Trash of the Titans (May 29) PC – I love a good play on words and so when Trash of the Titans was brought to my attention over on Reddit, I was immediately inclined to click on the link. What greeted me upon arrival was a turn-based tactics RPG about defending magic trash from invading rats and then eating said trash to level up your elite squad of bin critters. Just your standard roguelike theme, then…
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.
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.
