Welcome back, Dear Reader, for another fat stack of roguish releases. As you’ve come to expect by now, we’ve assembled a collection of the latest roguelike, roguelite, and rogue adjacent games, and ordered them chronologically for your consideration.
The rules are the same as always: nothing overly sexualised, no free-to-play fluff, no prologues or demos, nothing too rough-looking, and where possible, nothing built using AI (hire real people, people!).
On the other hand, I’ll make sure to include the studio name, a release date and the platform details, as well as the store description as provided by the devs. There are also no links to any of our content, to keep things fair.
Having said that, I know that there are those among you who prefer the highlights, so keep an eye out for Monster Train 2, probably the week’s headline release. Having made that bold claim, I went with 9 Kings for the spotlight, as I’m really looking forward to that one.
In other news, I quite like the look of Twilight Wars, I’ve played Bloodshed before and rather enjoyed it, and I’m glad to see Knock on the Coffin Lid is getting a console release (in fact, it was a particularly good week if you’re on PS5). Enjoy the round-up!
Propaganda vs. Zombies | Loboz | May 24 | PC (Win) | “Build your deck of Propaganda, Bullets, and Spells to defend your Leader in this Bullet Heaven where you can’t move! Use Propaganda to turn Zombies into your Comrades and make them fight for You! Make choices about your people but be careful, they might overthrow you if you choose wrong!”
Sin and Love | XingCai Studio | May 24 | PC (Win) | “Sin and Love is a dark narrative roguelike game with a background set in a fantastical version of the Tang Dynasty. You will play as a princess from the ‘Stone’ Kingdom, who has been poisoned and rises from the ashes.”
Twilight Wars | Comrade Bear Games | May 23 | PC (Win) | “Twilight Wars is a tactical dungeon crawler set in a neon-drenched cyberpunk future. Corporations rule the world. Rebuild a shattered spy agency, assemble a team of elite operatives, and wage a covert war to reclaim the world from the shadows.”
9 Kings | Sad Socket | May 23 | PC (Mac, Win) | “A fast-paced roguelike kingdom builder. Grow your empire and fight massive battles against powerful rival kings. Break the game with thousands of insane builds to become the King of Kings.”
Landmine Princess | Jeistar | May 23 | PC (Win) | “Meet Mina! She’s a landmine girl! That means she’s cute on the outside, but dangerous on the inside! But maybe she’s the kind of danger you’ve always been looking for. This is a rogue fast-love dating sim. And the only sim that teaches you to be nice to girls. Or else.”
Garden of Witches | Team Tapas | May 23 | PC (Win) | “Garden of Witches is a cute roguelike action game full of danger. Help the protagonist, Sil, as she tries to round up her unruly fellow witches and save the Garden.”
Auto Rogue | 定期的な宝物 | May 23 | PC (Win) | “A roguelike where you automate combat. Combine skills and conditions to find your own optimal solution! No complicated controls at all!! Sit back with a coffee and watch the beautiful battles you’ve crafted unfold! Utilize a variety of skills, conditions, and relics to craft the ultimate build!”
Magic Frog | Ashton Entertainment Studios | May 23 | PC (Win) | “Control a magic student who, after messing up a spell, turned into a frog. Fly on a broomstick, dodge and shoot obstacles and enemies, collect items, and gain new abilities while trying to survive as long as possible.”
packet.Breach() | CeltiCo | May 22 | PC (Win) | “packet.Breach() is a roguelike tower defense where you deploy hacker programs to manipulate and redirect projectiles to attack your enemies. Build your deck and join a hacker faction, or choose to remain unaffiliated and become a legend.”
Tank Busters | tankotableat | May 22 | PC (Win) | “Sci-Fi arena building tank combat game. Build an arena to maximize your chances of survival and profit, then fight your way through the arena and reach the end.”
Leaf Town | SpringLeaf | May 22 | PC (Win) | “Leaf Town is a farm management game that includes pigeon racing gameplay elements. Here, you can manage your own ranch town. By purchasing farm buildings, arranging them for optimal effects, exploring and expanding the map, and using pigeon racing items, you can achieve higher profits.”
Bloodshed | com8com1 software | May 22 | PC (Win) | “Bloodshed is a Roguelite Survivors FPS; an exhilarating fusion of Roguelite elements merged with retro-styled visuals and first-person “Survivors-like” frenetic combat action!”
Hostile Lands | Perceiving Light | May 22 | PC (Win) | “Hostile Lands is a 2D top-down, roguelite shooter where a crash landing is mistaken for an act of war. LOOT tons of unique guns. ENHANCE your skills. RESCUE surviving crew members and ESCAPE…if you can.”
Lynked: Banner of Spark | FuzzyBot | May 22 | PC (Win), PS5 | “Build a bright new world alongside a band of rescued robot buddies! In this colorful action RPG, battle waves of enemies in solo or co-op, then return home and use their parts to craft a thriving town. Assemble your crew and grow stronger with each new adventure!”
Crystal Keepers | Polycon | May 22 | PC (Win) | “Face hordes in intense battles, unlock abilities, and combine items to create unique builds. Play solo or with up to 3 friends, discover powerful synergies, and survive the insane waves. Evolve your strategy, defeat bosses, and become a true Guardian of the Crystals!”
Maniac | Skystone Games | May 22 | Switch | “Welcome to Maniac where chaos is just waiting to be unleashed. Maniac is a throwback to times of the Original GTA’s of the world in which mayhem reigned supreme.”
An Amazing Wizard | Tiny Goblins | May 22 | PC (Lin, Mac, Win) | “An Amazing Wizard is a 2D fast-paced metroidvania-inspired spell-slinging roguelike where you’ll create spells. Master 7 elements and merge 120 unique spells in any order to create endless possibilities. Choose from 250+ perks and 200 artifacts. Collect your lost memories and reclaim true name!”
Monster Train 2 | Shiny Shoe | May 21 | PC (Win), PS5, Switch, Xbox Series | “Monster Train returns with all new clans, new enemy factions, new challenges, new modes and more! Defend your Pyre in the classic three-tiered, vertical gameplay that made the original roguelike deckbuilder a hit.”
Knock on the Coffin Lid | RedBoon | May 21 | PS5, Xbox | “In Knock on the Coffin Lid you wake up in a cold crypt a thousand leagues from home, devoid of memories of what has happened, and in the company of an enigmatic stranger. To return lost memories you will have to examine the dark secrets of your own death, form unexpected alliances and carefully plan your route.”
Regulators | Orangepixel | May 21 | PC (Win) | “Regulators is a tactical top-down shooter where you lead a team of mercenaries to clear the city from mutating villains using your weapons, gadgets, special super powers and intelligence.”
Desktop Survivors 98 | Brandon Hesslau | May 20 | PC (Win) | “Desktop Survivors 98 is a chaotic roguelite dungeon crawler that unfolds right on your Desktop. Your cursor becomes the hero as you explore new rooms, battle relentless waves of enemies, and collect powerful new weapons.”
Guardians of Restoration | Creative Gorae | May 20 | PC (Lin, Win) | “Guardians Of Restoration is a top-down robot action game that combines action and bullet hell elements. Level up within a set time to enjoy thrilling battles against various bosses. Each boss randomly possesses one of three traits, ensuring a unique and exciting experience every time you play.”
Rogue Ninjas | Mobmonks | May 20 | PC (Lin, Mac, Win) | “In Rogue Ninjas, survival demands cunning and precision. Manage a squad of elite ninjas through twisting dungeons, strengthen your inventory with rare enhancers, and battle ruthless bosses in this dice-driven roguelike adventure.”
Towers of Babel: Survivors of Chaos | NANOO | May 20 | PC (Mac, Win) | “Battle hordes of monsters, acquire new skills, and upgrade your abilities. Customize your build with hundreds of item combinations and reach the top to fulfill your deepest desires. Conquer the tower in this thrilling roguelite hack and slash survivors game!”
Hollowroot | Cmrack | May 20 | PC (Win) | “Hollowroot, a fast-paced 2D action roguelike. Master tight platforming and combat in ever-changing, procedurally generated levels. Every run is a new challenge. Can you survive?”
TMNT Splintered Fate | Super Evil Mega Corp | May 20 | PS5 | “Grab your friends, pick your favorite Turtle and jump into a roguelike adventure to save Master Splinter from the foot clan! Master ninja skills, unite in bodacious online and local co-op gameplay, and conquer iconic NYC locales.”
Rustwing | Sleepy Crystal | May 19 | PC (Win) | “Rustwing is a twin stick shooter roguelike, set in the distant future. Navigate from star to star, battle the scattered factions of humanity, discover strange anomalies, customize your weaponry, acquire powerful upgrades and become a legendary pilot!”
Gunswitch | Wicked Tavern | May 19 | PC (Win) | “GUNSWITCH is a top-down arena shooter: Mow through hordes of demonic aliens. Upgrade your weapons to fire thousands of bullets within seconds. Escape space prison with your robot squad. Switch your loadout on the spot to adapt and become a killing machine.”
Make It Count | Sky Games | May 19 | PC (Win) | “Make It Count is a 1-3 players Co-op, post-apocalyptic, top-down shooter with roguelite elements. Venture into your mission with randomized routes, find trinkets and bring carnage to the filth that is infesting this world!”
Bioprototype | Emprom Game | May 19 | PC (Lin, Mac, Win) | “Bioprototype, a Roguelike & Skill Customizing Rhapsody! This is an auto-bomber with programming elements. Customize your character skills with visual programming, utilize enemy organs to finish the mutation, and construct the ultimate prototype, one can survive in the endless wave of flesh.”
