Today I caught wind of a new bundle that has just landed on Steam, and it contains some of the biggest names in the genre. It’s called the Iconic Roguelites Bundle, and I don’t think that’s hyperbole, for once.
Here’s the deal: the devs behind FTL Faster Than Light, Nuclear Throne, Spelunky, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, and Crypt of the NecroDancer have put their heads together and come up with a bundle that should help some of you discover one or two true genre classics that might have slipped by you the first time around. To that end, there is now a permanent 15% discount on all the games in the bundle, for anyone looking to complete their collection.
“The original Rogue was a huge part of my childhood,” writes Ryan Clark from Brace Yourself, “so I’ve really been enjoying the proliferation of roguelikes and roguelites in recent years! Fun fact: NecroDancer was inspired by a combo of the original Rogue and the freeware version of Spelunky, Spelunky Classic!”
Speaking of which, Derek Yu, the developer of Spelunky (among other things), provided the art below!
“Back when we were working on Nuclear Throne I had no idea that this genre would blow up like it did,” writes Vlambeer’s Jan Willem Nijman. “It’s super cool to look back and see how we could be a small part of those early days, and I’m proud to be bundling up with these legends today!”
Still with us? Of course you are! If you want to keep reading about great hand-picked rogues, the following articles represent a huge collection of the best roguelike games ever made.
Next, there are genre-specific lists that delve into the best roguelike games of all types. I’ve pulled out the best examples from each category, alongside the links to more in-depth articles!
The best turn-based roguelikes: Caves of Qud | There are some seriously incredible turn-based roguelikes out there. Of all the modern games, these are the closest to the original Rogue.
Awesome first-person rogues: Gunfire Reborn | We almost went with Blue Prince for this spot, but most people checking out first-person rogues probably want to wield a gun, you know?!
Cool roguelike deckbuilders: Balatro | Sorry, Slay the Spire fans, but this poker-solitaire deckbuilder has stolen Mike’s heart and won’t give it back.
Exciting roguelike platformers: Spelunky | Now, don’t get us wrong, Dead Cells is an incredible game, especially with all the DLC switched on. But when it comes to impact, you just can’t beat Spelunky.
Amazing action-roguelites: Hades 2 | And finally, let’s wrap things up with our favourite of them all. There’s no beating the original Hades, although Hades 2 comes pretty close!
