Welcome, Dear Reader, to the monthly update, where I share a collection of new roguelike games that have caught my eye, and then highlight the various elements that have captured my attention. If you’re after a more comprehensive and less opinionated release round-up, you’ll find it in the most recent edition of Gone Rogue.
Other than that, there’s not much to it. I’ll feature any games that look good or those that have tons of interest, but I’ll only feature games that have a fixed release date, which is why so many notable games are ommited. And so, without further a do…
Babel of Ystilia | sundalik | April 3 | PC (Lin, Mac, Win) | I’m delighted that we’re starting this month off with a proper roguelike, and that’s Babel of Ystilia. This one’s a minimalist turn-based affair with a focus on finding synergies that will demolish your enemies. The art style is also rather nice, I think, and it’s out on all three PC platforms, which is handy for everyone.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered | Naughty Dog | April 3 | PC (Win) | The main game is a top tier survival-edged action-adventure with stealthy elements and a cracking narrative. Once you’re done with that, there’s a roguelike survival mode called No Return to get stuck into – all on PC for the first time since its PS5 debut.
Sephiria | TEAM HORAY | April 3 | PC (Mac, Win) | A quick shout out for Sephiria, which has something about it that stopped me from clicking past. The pixel art is lovely, and the whole thing looks like it has real personality, as you can see in the attached screenshot.
Shooper Nova | Jamesika | April 3 | PC (Win) | I’m seeing lots of innovation in the tower defense space right now, with roguish elements powering the genre’s renaissance. The next game to blast all incoming mobs is Shooper Nova, which looks slick, sharp, and just a little bit cute!
Vault in the Void | Spider Nest Games | April 3 | Nintendo Switch | If you’re after a cracking card game with oodles of depth to take with you on the go, then look no further than Vault in the Void. This is one of the most polished and replayable deckbuilders out there, and now it’s out on Nintendo Switch! You’ll find more games just like it in my guide to the best deckbuilders!
Lonestar | Thermite Games | April 3 | PC (Win), Nintendo Switch | Landing Taking off on the same day on the same platform is Lonestar, another super cool deckbuilder about chasing down space bandits and catching them in tense space battles where you’ve got to carefully time your movement and attacks. I really liked it, if you couldn’t tell, and I’m eager to dive back in now the PC version is hitting 1.0.
Gnomes | DYSTOPIAN | April 4 | PC (Win) | The age old battle between gnomes and goblins is the focus of this quirky-looking tower defence game. Gnomes has you setting up elaborate traps in your garden so you can defend yourselves from attack by green skinned crop stealing scum bags. And would you look at those lovely pixels!
Commander Quest | Flyway Games | April 4 | PC (Win) | I have to admit, I’m rather taken by the cutesy units and tiny battlefields of Commander Quest. In this fantasy auto-battler, you must build a deck and then play your cards right during combat encounters. The cel-shaded visuals look crisp, too.
Voidborn | Xekvera | April 4 | PC (Win) | I’m an old man which means I was around at the birth of the first-person genre. As such, I’ve always been a fan of snappy, fluid shooters, and thanks to the many hours I’ve spent lost to Quake, the grim fantasy setting of Voidborn is strangely alluring to me.
Rogue Loops | Fubu Games | April 4 | PC (Win) | It can be hard for action-RPGs to standout thanks to the likes of Hades 2, but Rogue Loops manages to do it by rethinking the space where the action takes place. The clue is in the name, with action taking place on circular stages that change up the whole gameplay loop (pardon the terrible pun).
SlimeKeep | BenBonk | April 7 | PC (Mac, Win) | You know what they say: once you’ve gone green, you’ll need a new spleen. Ok, nobody says that, but they probably would if they spent too much time splatting the ol’ green stuff in SlimeKeep, a snappy actioner with an admittedly limited colour palette and a strange addiction to slime.
Sandwalkers | Goblinz Studio | April 8 | PC (Win) | After a year in Early Access, the good folks over at Goblinz Studio have declared Sandwalkers finished. The new 2.0 update brings with it a ton of new content, including new questlines and the endgame, making this the perfect time to dive back in if you’re a lapsed player.
Driveloop | Stunbyte | April 9 | PC (Win) | Driveloop is another interesting fusion of ideas, this time with steampunk cars and hordes of zombie mutants! There’s a demo if you wanna give it a try early.
Asgard’s Fall – Viking Survivors | Soulpotion | April 9 | PC (Win) | There was a prologue demo out for this one last year, and I wrote about it here, if you’re interested. I daresay a lot has changed in this auto-shooter since then, and more change is yet to come as this one is still only an Early Access launch.
Kaya’s Prophecy | Jérémie & Thibaut | April 10 | PC (Win) | As a fan of both Cultist Simulator and Stacklands, Kaya’s Prophecy certainly caught my attention when pitched by publisher Yogscast. This roguish village builder is all about playing cards as efficiently as possible as you look to establish your tribe and deal with unforeseen circumstances as they appear.
Blue Prince | Dogubomb | Apri 10 | PC (Win) | It would be a stretch to call this one a roguelite, but the repetitive gameplay loop makes genre-bending puzzle game Blue Prince one that I think will resonate with many of you.
Sweep | On.Production | April 11 | PC (Win) | This strange mix of ingredients could turn out to be either awful or pure genius, and I’m really not sure which way it’s going to go based on my initial round of research. Sweep is a card game about adventuring through dungeons and fighting monsters with a submachine game. It sounds strange but it looks compelling. I don’t know, I don’t make up the rules.
Clonizer | Juicy Plume | April 14 | PC (Lin, Mac, Win) | This hex-based strategy game looks cute as heck thanks to its mix of sci-fi art, space exploration, deckbuilding, and capitalist satire. There’s a demo so you can try before you invest in your own clone production line.
Lost for Swords | MaxBytes | April 15 | PC (Lin, Win) | We learned last year with Pyrene that it was possible to make an adventure out of a deck of cards, and Lost for Swords is looking to take this idea to the next level. In this fantasy adventure your cards define the rooms you explore as you traverse a tower, with tactical combat, loot, and more to collect along the way.
Soulslinger: Envoy of Death | Elder Games | April 17 | PC (Win) | I sampled the delights of Soulslinger shortly after it first entered the realm of Early Access. This snappy first-person shooter casts you as undead gunman battling an ethereal Cartel. For what it’s worth, I’ll definitely be reviewing this one and I’m looking forward to diving back in and seeing how this has evolved since I last tried my luck.
White Knuckle | Dark Machine Games | April 17 | PC (Win) | As someone who gets a cold sweat when I see someone else in a precariously high position, White Knuckle sounds like my personal hell. I’m still strangely drawn to its climbing focus and grimey art style, though, and we’ll have a review on the site around launch.
Slingbot Survivors | Clover Bite | April 18 | PC (Win) | Another auto-shooter to grace our screens this month is Slingbot Survivors. This one stands out thanks to a quirky colour palette, certainly, but the thing that really caught my eye was the use of momentum to sling yourself around the place with a grappling hook.
Escape the Mad Empire | XperimentalZ Games | April 22 | PC (Win) | This party-based fantasy RPG places the player in a world overrun by the eponymous Mad Empire. There’s a big focus on tactical combat and weird loot, and I just love the pixel art and overall theme. Bear in mind, though, it’s only an Early Access launch.
Starless Abyss | Konafa Games | April 25 | PC (Win) | I’m a big fat sucker when it comes to detailed and interesting pixel-art, and the visual style of Starless Abyss is nothing short of sensational, in my humble opinion. I’m also a big fan of the theme, which has you fighting against planet-munching Eldritch monsters intent on destroying humanity. Sign me up for duty!
Approaching Infinity | IBOL | April 29 | PC (Win) | The full release of this little gem almost snuck by me, but not quite. Approaching Infinity is a traditionally-inclined roguelike with a brilliant sci-fi setting that leans into the mythos surrounding several major franchises, such as Star Trek, for example. If you’re here after a proper turn-based sci-fi adventure, set your ship’s sensors to scan this anomoly next.
StarVaders | Pengonauts | April 30 | PC (Win) | StarVaders puts you in a mecha and drops you into grid-based battles with the fate of Earth hanging in the balance. I definitely enjoyed the demo I tried last year, and I’m eager to play more. Luckily for me, I don’t have long to wait as StarVaders is bringing its quirky blend of tactical combat and deckbuilding to PC before the end of the month.
Conquest Dark | Eldritch Sword Games | April 30 | PC (Win) | Regular readers will know that I’m quite partial to a well-made bullet heaven (you’ll find my favourite games like Vampire Survivors right here) and the next one that is making a play for greatness is Conquest Dark, which has a dark sci-fantasy setting and what looks like satisfying and tactile combat.
Kiborg | Sobaka Studio | April 30 | PC (Win), PS, Xbox | Smashing its way onto PC and console this month is a gritty cyberpunk beat ’em up called Kiborg. This visceral fighting game mixes up limited gunplay with lots of hand-to-hand combat, and then it’s all about augmenting each run with powerful upgrades as you try to escape a brutal prison complex where you are being held for crimes that you didn’t commit.
Astral Ascent 2.0 | Hibernian Workshop | April 30 | PC (Lin, Mac, Win) | Astral Ascent is out across PC and consoles, and there is news on both fronts. PC-based players are getting version 2.0 via The Outer Reaches expansion, which dropped on April 30. Console-based platform fans, on the other hand, are going to have to wait for the 2.0 update, but can at least check out a shiny new collector’s edition, as detailed via the link above.
The Archives!
March 2025: This March there was a dizzying array of promising roguelike releases. Highlights included Knights in Tight Spaces, Rogue: Genesia, Schism, Metal Bringer, Voids Vigil, 33 Immortals, Reignbreaker and Nordhold. Phew (and there’s more that I could have included, so hit the link for a healthy selection of new games).
February 2025: With highlights including Die in the Dungeon and Sworn, this February is very respectable with a diverse selection of rogues to choose from. I think my favourite game this month, however, is Rift Wizard 2, a hard-as-nails turn-based roguelike about growing a spell book capable of taking on all sorts of gnarly monsters.
January 2025: The year has kicked off with a decent selection of games, so hit the link for highlights that include a gritty shooter called Cruel, bullet heavens such as Jotunnslayer and Pinball Storm: Lokanta (both very different games), and OMG Words, a fun little word rogue that have quire enjoyed. There is also the not-so-small matter of the new campaign mode for Darkest Dungeon II, Kingdoms, which also released in January along with new DLC.
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 finally ready after years in Early Access. However, there’s more going on than just that, with Battle Shapers, Ballionaire, Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop, and Magicraft all launched, too.
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.
