Welcome back, dear friends, for another massive round-up of new roguelike games. And by that, I mostly mean roguelite games, but let’s not get stuck on a technicality before the end of paragraph one. Instead, let us focus on the fact that this month’s line-up is absurdly good.
That being so, I’ll keep the intro short and let the games do the talking. I will say that, as per usual, there are no games made using gen-AI, there’s nothing too derivative, and I’m trying to be selective whilst also catching all the best games (so let me know if I’ve missed anything obvious). And so, without further ado…
Sephiria | Team Horay | July 31 | PC (Mac, Win)
Team Horay, the studio that previously gave us Dungreed, is back with another action-roguelite: Sephiria. Now, I know that this is technically a July game, but the release date was announced very recently, and I missed it in last month’s update.
That said, I mostly included it because it’s too good to skip, and because I can’t let Bunnyville fall into the hands of evil. Once I have had a proper look, I’ll let you know how I get on, but I’m getting Gungeon vibes!
Anomaly President | Phew Phew Games | August 3 | PC (Win)
This absurd side-scroller is a follow-up to Anomaly Agent. Both are action platformers, but Anomaly President looks like it’s going to dial up the nonsense to 11. For example, you’ll be running for president by day, but by night, you’ll engage your enemies more directly. If the screenshot is anything to go by, you’ll even be able to sport your own Wolverine claws – snickety snick Mr Giant Rhinoman!
It’s arriving on PC first, which is a natural proving ground for this sort of thing, and the declaration says that they expect to remain in Early Access for at least a year. During that time, the plan is to explore the game’s three core pillars: action, base-building, and exploration.
Hell Deck | Offmoon | August 3 | PC (Win)
This deckbuilder hybrid brings a healthy dollop of tower defense to the party, but it does it on a limited playing space. The high-contrast art style is also quite eye-catching, as you protect Hell from a heavenly onslaught in this grid-based tactics mishmash.
Rogue Point | Crowbar Collective | August 4 | PC (Win)
This Team 17-published first-person shooter is part tactical shooter and part roguelite, and it’s finally ready to leave Early Access after several months of updates.
If you’re already on board with Rogue Point, then the headline for you will be a new location to go into the rotation. It’s called Clinic, and it has a big, wide-open area supported by various chokepoints, perfect for a tactical gunfight.
Rogue Point is a tactical shooter at its core, and it’s worth noting that while there is a solo mode and it’s very playable, you’ll get the best out of your time if you go into battle with a couple of friends watching your six.
Re:Night | Seahorse Games | August 5 | PC (Mac, Win)
It might look all cutesy, but Re:Night is all about taking three-character teams out into tactical battles and finding interesting synergies as you build a deck of cards. Expect elemental effects and environmental interactions in a tactics game that sounds more thoughtful than the screenshots suggest
Gunstoppable | Cage Studios | August 5 | PC (Win), Xbox
Colourful carnage is the best way to describe Gunstoppable, a new first-person shooter where speed is damage and time is bendy. Not only does this shooter look sweet with its bold colour scheme and striking enemy designs, but who doesn’t like the idea of destroying hordes of robots and overthrowing billionaires?!
Gods & Gore | Berm Games | August 5 | PC (Win)
I’m including Gods & Gore because it caught my eye while researching for this month’s article. It’s an Early Access release, so it’s unfinished, and it looks more like the original Age of Mythology than a new game.
Yet, there’s something about the core concept that I’m eager to see more of. Simply put, this is a roguelite tower defense game about protecting your Greek city-state from streams of angry attackers, and you’ll have some epic creatures from mythology on hand to help/hinder.
Talespinner | Flash Cat Games | August 6 | PC (Win), Switch
This promising new deckbuilder is steeped in Japanese mythology, and the whole thing has been brought to life with great art and fine presentation. There sounds like a lot of depth, too, with three playable characters, dozens of yokai to battle, and several biomes to experience. All told, both PC and Switch players are in for a mythological treat this month, by the looks of it.
Rogue Eclipse | HUSKRAFTS | August 7 | PC (Win)
Fighter pilots, this is your call to arms. Rogue Eclipse is preparing to take off this month, with a roguelite campaign that will span the galaxy and take you into massive space battles against anything from lone fighters to whole armadas of giant ships. Not only does this one sound like fun, but it’s got a visual style that I find very appealing.
Cult of PiN | KennyMakesGames | August 10 | PC (Lin, Mac, Win)
I’ve always loved the tactility of pinball games, and that’s something that Cult of PiN looks to have captured pretty well. If you’re after a physics-based deckbuilder-pinball hybrid. This one boasts four tables, multiple difficulty settings, leaderboards, and more glyphs than you can shake a stick at.
Pax Autocratica | Multiverse | August 10 | PC (Win)
I have to say, I am very taken with what I’ve seen of Pax Autocratica – it almost seems too good to be true. Fingers crossed that the interesting premise and high-quality presentation are married with exciting gameplay.
Pax Autocratica is a totalitarian colony sim set in a dystopian future. No, not next Tuesday, the far future. Players must build their base in one half of the game, and then engage in chaotic first-person roguelite battles in the other. Consider me intrigued!
Dominocalypse | Barely Cohesive Games | August 10 | PC (Lin, Mac, Win)
Mixing roguelike deckbuilding elements with a game of dominoes has been done before, but Dominocalypse certainly caught my eye with its pleasantly chunky pixel-art visuals and synergy-chasing setup. The Balatro inspiration is clear, but if the developer can capture a similarly exciting gameplay loop, this could be a bunch of fun.
Echoes of Mystralia | Borealys Games | August 11 | PC (Win)
If you’re after a fantasy-themed magic-infused roguelite with spectacular combat, then Echoes of Mystralia is worth sticking on the ol’ wishlist, imo. This action-RPG is all about the magic powers you take into battle, and filling the screen up with eye-melting effects as you dispose of your enemies. It’s still only an Early Access release, but I shall be keeping tabs on this one to see how it stands up!
Riftstorm | Confiction Labs, Agate | August 11 | PC (Win)
This isometric shooter is all about co-op combat and grabbing loot. There are interesting extraction mechanics at work here, too. It is, however, worth noting that this is still only an Early Access release, so don’t expect a finished game just yet.
There has also been some confusion around its link to web3, but there’s a detailed post over on Steam that explains the situation. It’s noteworthy enough to warrant a mention, and you’ll find it here.
The Carcass | Ahmet Babagil | August 11 | PC (Win)
Fuelled by memories of sentient ships in Iain M. Banks’ Culture novels, I’m drawn to The Carcass like a fly drawn to the flickering light of a slowly failing retro-futuristic console. In this typing roguelike, you wake up inside a dead god, and from there you must grow your colony, negotiate with the universe you encounter, and generally not stuff it up for your digital minions. It won’t be to everyone’s tastes, and it might even be too much reading for my tired old eyes, but I think The Carcass sounds utterly fascinating.
Swordcery | Temple Door Games | August 11 | PC (Win)
This bright and breezy Early Access action-roguelite looks like it has borrowed quite a bit from Hades, but instead of an armoury stocked with bows and spears, Swordcery is all about the swords. It’s not just a clever name, then!
CloverPit | Panic Arkade | August 13 | Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5
This announcement came in hot, an hour after I first published the article, but I’m hoping most people will catch the news just in time. CloverPit is a slot machine roguelike with a horror spin, pun intended, and it self-identifies as the lovechild of Balatro and Buckshot Roulette. Who am I to question its heritage?
Anyway, CloverPit is back in the monthly because the game is finally heading to PS4, PS5, and both Nintendo Switches. If you’ve not played it yet and you don’t mind a bit of RNG, it’s well worth a closer look.
Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns | Black Tower Basement | August 13 | PC (Win), PS5, Switch, Xbox Series
And the award for this month’s longest info bar goes to a remake of an Amiga classic: Defender of the Crown. This old-school RPG has been completely rebuilt, with one portion of the game reverent to the original, while the other half is a roguelike reimagining. If you’re hankering for a shot of nostalgia this month, this one is pure, concentrated old school.
Lootbound | ArtDock | August 14 | PC (Lin, Mac, Win)
It looks like a good old-fashioned dungeon crawl, but one with some really interesting ideas thrown into the mix. You’ll be recruiting your party en route, and then managing your collective inventory as you tackle fantasy creatures as a team.
Not only does it sound like the gameplay considerations will be interesting, but I’m also a fan of the art style, which is delivered via elegantly arranged pixels and a carefully considered colour palette.
Ricochet Abyss | DreamForge | August 14 | PC (Win)
Another interesting Early Access title comes in the form of Ricochet Abyss, which looks one part dungeon crawler and one part physics-based puzzle roguelite. Regardless of which half wins out, this cute little hybrid looks like a fun fusion of strategy and action.
Darkest Dungeon: The Fire’s Edge | Red Hook Studios | August 18 | PC (Lin, Mac, Win), PS4, PS5, Switch
It has been literal years since we got new DLC for the first Darkest Dungeon, but that terrible run is about to end with the release of The Fire’s Edge, an expansion for the first game that upgrades it with elements of the second.
The content is coming to all of the relevant platforms except Xbox, which will follow later. When it does land, players will get two characters, a couple of retrofitted game mechanics, plus new upgrades for your base.
Exark | Robot Cat | August 18 | PC (Win)
Of all the experimental games in today’s round-up, this is the one that has the most striking combination of ingredients, I think. Exark is an engine-building auto-battler that has you building an ark and taking it to the edge of the world where, presumably, survival awaits.
On the back of your giant floating base, you must create buildings and recruit specialised crewmembers, defend yourself from attack, and take advantage of the inventory management elements as you look to craft an ark capable of surviving.
Grim Trials | Glory Jam | August 20 | PC (Win), PS5, Switch, Switch 2, Xbox Series
This Hades-like from Glory Jam expands the reaping theme that we’ve seen other games play with before, but this time you’re working on behalf of Death, and you receive blessings from different incarnations of Death that are drawn from across mythology.
You’re training to be a Grim Reaper, you see, and that means lots of scythe-based combat, and lots of hacking and slashing. The visuals look slick, and the cross-platform release has me hoping for something special when the Grim Trials land on PC and console.
Plinkomancy | Fazerdoo | August 20 | PC (Win)
Peggle-likes are often highly entertaining, if the developer can get the physics just right, of course. Indie dev Fazerdoo is the next to attempt to rival the likes of Peggle and Ballionaire, and their effort looks like it’s going to be high on explosions and chaos.
Ironsand | Renderise | August 20 | PC (Win)
Ironsand is a new roguelite shooter with giant mechanised bosses, evil robots, lots of guns, and cute aliens that look like they auditioned for a part in Ratchet & Clank. It’s a weird little brew, but the audio-visuals do seem to be rather polished. If the game underneath all the polish is as good, then this FPS roguelike could be worth keeping in your sights.
Yet Another Zombie Survivors | Awesome Games Studio | August 20 | PC (Win), PS4, PS5, Xbox Series, and Switch TBC
I’ve already played quite a bit of Yet Another Zombie Survivors, which is much better than the clunky game title would have you believe. In fact, this is the work of Awesome Games Studio, who also made Fury Unleashed – an excellent roguelite platform game. But I digress…
Awesome Games Studio also used the development of this survivors-like to help persuade Valve to push through the Bullet Heaven tag on Steam, to be used when describing games like this one on the store. Dammit, I digressed again.
Yet Another Zombies Survivors is a polished and chaotic bullet heaven, and you can recruit a small party of survivors and take advantage of their different skillsets at once. Also, any game that regularly lets you call in a helicopter strike gets my vote.
Feed the Scorchpot | Moravian | August 20 | PC (Win)
I’ve already written about Feed the Scorchpot after I played the demo earlier this year, and it’s finally coming to PC this month. It’s got a nice tabletop vibe, a fun numbers-go-up core gameplay loop, and a bunch of personality via the dragons that will happily eat you if you don’t feed ’em good. It’s especially worth a look if you’re at all into ye olde manuscript art.
Mexican Ninja | Madbricks | August 20 | PC (Win), PS5, Xbox Series
I mean, why not make an action platform game about being a Mexican Ninja and fighting Narkuzas in Nuevo Tokyo? Madbricks has certainly lived up to its name by bringing together some ingredients that have never been mixed before, and I applaud that spirit. As for the game they made, it’s an action-packed 2.5D roguelike beat ’em up built around combos and chaos, and it looks pretty slick!
Dwarrf: A Pinball Roguelike | Sam Stubbings | August 21 | PC (Lin, Win)
The final pinball themed-game of the month (at the time of writing – I rule nothing out) is Dwarrf: A Pinball Roguelike. In this one you play as a dwarven pirate called Arf, and together you must do some pinbally piratey things to charge up your balls before unleashing them on enemy hordes and thus earning massive points. It doesn’t make sense, no, but does it really need to?
Combolands: Roguelike Citybuilder | Crux Games | August 25 | PC (Win)
Given how much time I’ve spent juggling my love of roguelikes and city builders, I find it pleasingly convenient that Combolands is going to allow me to get on with both at the same time. This pixel-art strategy roguelite is all about building thriving little towns that kick out big combos, and it’s definitely one to watch this month.
Funguys Swarm | Stairway Games | August 25 | PC (Win), PS5, Switch 2, Xbox Series
Landing before the end of the month is one of my guiltiest pleasures of last year: Funguys Swarm. It’s a bullet heaven about fighting back flames and a whole host of garden-variety enemies. I’ve played a whole bunch of this on PC while it has been in Early Access, but that time is coming to an end, and the game is also hitting major consoles, which I’m pleased to see. If you’re a fan of survivors-likes, I’d suggest keeping tabs on this one!
Blood Dungeon | Messhof | August 25 | PC (Win), PS5, Xbox Series
Dedicated indie game fans will know Messhof as the developer behind the brilliant PvP sword games otherwise known as Nidhogg and Nidhogg 2. Blood Dungeon is the studio’s next game, and I can’t wait to take it out for a spin; I don’t mind admitting.
This 2D platformer carries the studio’s distinct wobbly cartoon aesthetic, except the format is very different this time around. Instead of fencing on chandeliers, Blood Dungeon is an auto-shooter with a side-scrolling twist, where you must collect gold, blood and bone to level up. Also, it looks like the giant worm is back, so that’s a thing…
Torment Hexus | TMA Games | August | PC (Win)
I’m including Torment Hexus at the end because, at the time of writing, the release date is unconfirmed. I’ve been sworn to secrecy, but I can tell you that the game is entering Early Access this month.
As for the reason behind the secrecy, if you’re going to take down technofascist cyberpunk CEO types via match-3 magic, it’s best if you don’t telegraph your intentions too far ahead of time.
