Welcome back, Dear Reader, for another instalment of Gone Rogue, the weekly article where I put on my hazmat suit and wade into the release schedules on PC, PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox in order to find you all the latest uncontaminated roguelikes and roguelites.
During my trawl through the sludge, I’ll ignore anything that is demeaning towards women or anything that’s looking to exploit your bank balance through nefarious means. I also pass on demos and prologue releases, not for ethical reasons, but because you’ve got to draw the line somewhere. Finally, I always try to apply a light touch when it comes to curation, but I won’t include anything that looks too rough around the edges.
That said, this week has proven to be quite exceptional, even if there isn’t a huge number of games (there was 42 at my last count). Caves of Qud has just left Early Access and it’s excellent (expect a review in due course), Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop proved to be tremendous fun, and Battle Shapers is a new roguelite FPS that has the chops to rival the best in the genre.
Gunslinger Express | Glinnor | Dec 6 | PC (Win) | “Defend a moving train against relentless bandit attacks. Shoot enemies, repair wagons and upgrade your character as you explore diverse regions each with unique guns, enemies and upgrades.”
Endless Deaths | EpiXR Games | Dec 6 | Xbox | “An intense top-down twin-stick shooter rogue-like game that plunges players into the heart of a zombie apocalypse. As a lone survivor, your mission is to navigate through procedurally generated levels filled with relentless zombie hordes, utilizing a diverse arsenal of weapons and character abilities to stay alive.”
Darkchaser Battletide | DB Studio | Dec 6 | PC (Win) | “Darkchaser: Battletide is a Bullet Heaven game where you play as a hero in a monster-infested world, using various skills and relics to arm yourself and battle countless enemies. You can also join online battles, challenge other players, and grow stronger through levels!”
Caves of Qud | Freehold Games | Dec 5 | PC (Lin, Mac, Win) | “Caves of Qud is a science fantasy roguelike epic steeped in retrofuturism, deep simulation, and swathes of sentient plants. Come inhabit an exotic world and chisel through layers of thousand-year-old civilizations.” ]
Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop | Beard Envy | Dec 5 | PC (Win), PS5, Switch, Xbox | “Come on down to Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop, for all your roguelite spaceship repair simulation needs! WARNING: Untested genre not suitable for people with tentacles for arms or an aversion to dying horrifically. Side effects include improved reading comprehension under pressure and a furry fetish.”
Cyber Quest | Super Punch Games | Dec 5 | Android, PC (Mac, Win) | “Cyber Quest is a roguelike deck-building game where you pit your crew against the toughest gangs in the city. Assemble your team, gather weapons, and restore order.”
Rapture Recovery Squad | Reggie Dev | Dec 5 | PC (Win) | “Rapture Recovery Squad is a dungeon crawling, deck building auto-battler. Map out the depths beneath humanity’s last refuge and build up your roster of psionically charged fighters to prevent the end of the world.”
Dragon Eclipse | Fardust | Dec 5 | PC (Win) | “Dragon Eclipse is a roguelite deck-builder with a unique auto-battler twist. Choose your Tamer, team up with powerful Mystlings, and battle fierce foes. Grow and evolve your Mystlings, craft a winning deck, and unleash epic combos to dominate the battlefield. But beware—the Eclipse is close!”
Reality Core | WubsGames | Dec 5 | PC (Win) | “Blast through chaotic dungeons and unleash powerful weapons as you journey through the multiverse in search of a way home. Dodge, loot, and survive against deadly foes, extracting hard-won treasures to repair your ship and make it back!”
Dungeons of Shalnor | Johnny Ostad | Dec 5 | PC (Win) | “A tactical Turn-based Roguelike game. Featuring a “Turn the Camera” mechanic that leads to expected and unexpected outcomes.”
Bloodsaint | Walter Machado | Dec 5 | PC (Win) | “BLOODSAINT is not a remaster of a 94’s retro-hardcore minigame about a cleric performing a ritual for a ruthless synthetic deity, but pretty close.”
Mortal Vessel | SifDoge Software | Dec 5 | PC (Win) | “A dungeon crawler turn-based RPG where you play a hero that has the ability to possess creatures. Featured more than 10 creatures, each of them have a unique skill and ability, Including upgradable skills, ultimate skills, and combine with other skills.”
Midnight at the Disco | Taphouse Games | Dec 5 | PC (Win) | “Annihilate grotesque eyeball monsters in this top-down, roguelike, bullet purgatory, twin-stick shooter. Survive a full day raging on the dance floor by blasting baddies using unique builds combos on each frantic run to nab a spot on the online leaderboards.”
Heaven Seeker ――The Savior of This Cruel World | Success Corp. | Dec 5 | Switch | “HEAVEN SEEKER ――The Savior of This Cruel World” is a twin-stick rogue-lite shooter where you take your own shot at the castle in the sky! A dungeon with a different structure each time you enter, a variety of magic bullets – and a formidable barrage of bullets – await you.”
Abyss SeekerーーWhat Do You See Deep in The Abyss | Success Corp. | Dec 5 | PC (Win) | “A dungeon known as the Abyss has suddenly appeared. To open the “Door of Darkness” at its deepest point, the Seeker plunges into the dungeon gate… in search of the truth. Survive the onslaught of dark forces in this twin-stick survival shooter! — Do you have the will?”
Arpicos | Sope Studio | Dec 5 | PC (Win) | “ARPICOS: A Rogue-lite game that takes you into an underground world full of challenges and mysteries. Take on the role of a brave warrior and face enemies in a dark and mysterious atmosphere. Travel through obstacles and use your fighting skills to survive each time you play again.”
Battle Shapers | Metric Empire | Dec 4 | PC (Win) | “An action-packed, sci-fi FPS roguelite in which you shoot and smash your way through swarms of corrupt robots. Wield powerful weapons, abilities, and game-changing new powers stolen from ruthless Overlords.”
Moon Watch | Jaspel | Dec 4 | PC (Lin, Mac, Win) | “Bullet heaven, deckbuilding, and strategy – Moon Watch is a wild new mix from the creators of Backpack Hero! Master your tactics, not reflexes: stop time at will, craft a killer deck, stop the horde in their tracks!”
Swarmcade | Giggles Games | Dec 4 | PC (Win) | “Survive the relentless swarm in this arcade take on the Bullet Heaven/Survivors-like Action Roguelite. Slay 1000s of foes, level up, loot chests and make your character more powerful than ever. Unlock meta-progression upgrades and more heroes, so you can even the odds on future runs.”
Robot Arena Survivors | ShidyGames | Dec 4 | PC (Win) | “Robot Arena Survivors is a single-player arena auto-shooter where you’re fighting against waves of hostile robots using a powerful arsenal made of hover tank units. Customize your own set of abilities and dismantle your enemies to claim your fame into the leaderboards.”
Pest Apocalypse | Kikimora Games | Dec 4 | PC (Lin, Win) | “Pest Apocalypse is a hyper-realistic post apocalyptic physics based pizza delivery action rogue-lite! Boost, jump, and drift across different maps in a bouncy pizza van. Pick up kooky passengers along the way and focus on the driving while they handle the shooting!”
Arcane Ascent | Catbot Games | Dec 4 | PC (Win) | “Build powerful decks to face the chaos unleashed by the Primeval Witch. With hundreds of combinations available, perfect your strategy in every battle, strengthen your cards and unravel the mysteries that await you – your rise to power begins now!”
Deeper Than Hell | Sad Onion Dev | Dec 4 | PC (Win) | “Deeper Than Hell is an action roguelike for 1-4 players where you play as mysterious mage, driven by the legend of a great treasure, he goes deeper and deeper to find the legendary treasure. Wield weapons & accessories, build synergies and find out what lies deeper than hell.”
Entropy Survivors | Moving Pieces Interactive | Dec 4 | PC (Win), PS4, Xbox | “Entropy Survivors is a bullet hell roguelike where you simultaneously control a powerful mech and a sharpshooting space frog, featuring outrageously creative abilities and powerful weapon customization. Save the universe in single player or 2-4 player online co-op!”
Black Dragon Mage | datablob | Dec 4 | PC (Win) | “The Hall of Relics calls out to you, traveler! Unleash elemental magic, slay demon hordes, and absorb their souls to grow in power. Hatch your very own companion dragon from an egg. Fly your dragon into battle. Avenge your death. An action-roguelite survivors shooter.”
Godsvivors |Titan | Dec 4 | PS4, PS5, Xbox | “Prepare for epic battles between gods and Hades in this top-down action roguelite! Choose your deity, unleash powerful combos, and fight against underworld enemies. Feel the adrenaline for 15 minutes and restore order in the underworld.”
Void Phantom | Rpx | Dec 3 | PC (Win) | “A space roguelike shooter with epic naval battles. Pilot your ship, face ruthless enemies and massive bosses, and customize your fleet with devastating weapons.”
South Pole Bebop | Sentience Inc. | Dec 3 | PC (Win) | “A multiplayer turn-based strategy game inspired by Into The Breach, set on a 9×9 board, where you control characters and protect bases. Create a unique deck of ability cards and characters. Eliminate the opponent while fending off a zombie horde. Become a savior of The South Pole!”
DoomBreaker | wildlogicgames | Dec 3 | PC (Win) | “Doombreaker is a fast-paced hack-and-slash adventure. Explore a procedurally generated world, delivered to you in radiant 2D pixel art. Build your hero and fight evil, as the story is brought to life with full voice acting.”
Space Duck Escape | Broken Down Software | Dec 3 | PC (Win) | “Collect equipment and climb upwards to assist Puddles the Duck escape from an erupting volcanic planet in this fast paced rogue-lite vertical platformer. Move quickly to avoid the rising lava flows to help this Space Duck Escape!”
Purrfect Alchemy | Inorganic Games | Dec 2 | PC (Mac, Win) | “Purrfect Alchemy is a “purrfect” blend of twin stick shooter, wave survival, tower defender. Craft defenses at the center cauldron with a variety of ingredients you may find. Upgrade spells, defeat bosses and reach the end with up to 3 other friends in this Co-Op adventure.”
Weaveborn Heroes | Caio Goncalves | Dec 2 | PC (Win) | “Survive relentless waves and take on powerful bosses every 5 levels! Weaveborn Heroes is a roguelike arena game where each victory brings you closer to becoming unstoppable. Level up, choose from unique spells and passive abilities, and build your hero to beat the final boss!”
Beat the Humans | Dochungryest | Dec 2 | PC (Win) | “Beat the Humans is the turn-based tactical strategy game. Here you lead an army of aliens against invaders from the human race. Collect your squad, protect planets, strengthen your army with equipment and look for allies if you want to survive and win.”
CrabbleUp | Tamás Solymos | Dec 2 | PC (Lin, Win) | “Dive into an oceanic odyssey, where serene exploration meets thrilling challenges. Embark on a journey through endless underwater mazes, armed only with your cunning and defending yourself from perilous foes with the power of your bubbles.”
1000 Seconds | Sunfish | Dec 2 | PC (Win) | “1000 Seconds is a roguelike – Defeat enemies, gather resources, and upgrade your orb to escape the temporal limbo, but you only have 1000 seconds to reach the end, so be as fast as possible.”
Battle Waves: Card Tactics | CAGE Studios | Dec 2 | PC (Win) | “A fast-paced Card Battler with Tower Defense action! Claim victory in the Roguelite Deckbuilder campaign and Online Multiplayer. Collect all the factions to explore thousands of strategic combinations.”
Tale of Jade | DawnLight Workshop | Dec 2 | PC (Win) | “Tale of Jade / Li Guang is a stand-alone roguelike card game with oriental elements. Constructing your own deck by 5 elements cards, Exploring the map, solving random encounters, beating the demon and uncovering the mystery of Li Guang’s Kingdom.”
Kill Ze Bugs | _badger | Dec 2 | PC (Win) | “Survive for as long as you can while shooting down hundreds of carnivorous insects! Kill ze bugs is a bullet heaven/survivor game in which your success depends on good aim, tactics and – most importantly – synergies between dozens of available augments.”
Space Escape | Gage Henderson, Derek Riggs | Dec 2 | PC (Mac, Win) | “Space Escape is a rogue-like arcade shoot-’em-up game where survival is the only mission. Forget peaceful space exploration—you’re dodging obstacles and blasting alien ships coming at you from every direction. Level up, stack power-ups, and upgrade to take on tougher enemies. Got what it takes to survive the chaos of space? Prove it.”
Verfall | Hoffnung Haydn | Dec 1 | PC (Win) | “Verfall is a turn-based tactical RPG where you must strategically form teams to face a decaying world. Explore, uncover secrets, and use Karma-based abilities. Face challenges, make choices, and determine the fate of the world through multiple endings.”
Sinvers on Wheels | 4WayStudio | Dec 1 | PC (Win), Switch | “Get in your kart and race through a bunch of levels full of obstacles and other crazy surprises. In this amazing racing game, each new game generates a different track.”
