Roguelike games, despite being deeply satisfying, can be too punishing for some players. Having to start each playthrough from scratch demands time and skill, basically forcing you to master every existing mechanic to get to the end of a game.
However, with its crescent popularity and extremely engaging fundamentals,roguelites,alighter variant of the genre,have emerged,allowing you to carry some sort of progress (skills, upgrades, money, etc.) to every subsequent run.
While it shares basics like permanent death and procedural levels, this new approach to the genre is more accessible thanks to players' steady growth and the games' forgiving learning curve, as you’re able to see in our ranked list of the10 best roguelites on Game Pass.
10Inkulinati
Medieval Superstar
Inkulinati
Inkulinatiis a turn-based strategy game that looks like it came from a medieval manuscript, andit’s a clever roguelite that diligently balances fun and strategy.
As an Inkulinati Master, your goal is to defeat historical figures such as Hildegard, Dante Alighieri, and more in drawing battles, influencing the course of the combat through sketching obstacles, relocating your painted units, or exploding your troops.
Therefore, Inkulinati’s magnificent art is more than just aesthetic, as the mechanics and the visual context merge into its gameplay. Add these elements to thevariability of the battlefieldsand theapocalyptic eventsthat can occur, and you find a unique roguelite that looks and plays great.
9Superhot: Mind Control Delete
Slow Motion Repetition
Superhot: Mind Control Delete
Superhotis an innovative series with an amazing concept, intensely combining FPS mechanics and puzzle-like levels, butSuperhot: Mind Control Delete took it to another dimension with its roguelite proposal.
Adding new enemies, weapons, and skills in procedurally generated environments suits the core mechanics of the franchise pretty well. The shift to this new genre was just natural thanks to its explosive action and enjoyable retries, as repetitions felt good and appealing since the first entry.
Overall,Superhot: Mind Control Delete is one of the best roguelites on Game Pass, but it’s also one of the service’sbest shooters. If you like refined, sharp, and flashy experiences, this game fits perfectly.
8Descenders
Roguebike’s Origins
Descenders
Descenders, the extreme downhill freeriding game, is a fresh approach to the roguelite genre thanks to its non-violent gameplay. In this title,all you have to do is enjoy the fast-paced experience of biking.
Defined as ‘roguebike’, you have procedurally generated worlds, an in-depth physics system, and plenty of biomes to freestyle your way down the mountains.
As you earn special mutators each time you play, you have to work with the abilities that best suit your riding style, which gives a sense of personalization that serves the theme of the game.
Becoming the next legendary Descender is not your typical rogue-centered product, but that’s part of the charm of Descenders:being easily distinguishable from its peers.
Overcooked Went Rogue
PlateUp!is a cooking game where you try to build a culinary kingdom in procedurally generated locations, using increasingly more unlocks, abilities, and dishes to develop your business.
Even though you can play it alone,it’s better when enjoyed with friends, as its co-op mode allows up to four chefs to run a restaurant with ever-changing maps, customers, challenges, conditions, and climates.
If you can tolerate having themost unreliable companionsin the kitchen, the entertainment provided by PlateUp! is hard to match. Its management mechanics feel even better with the roguelite progression, making itone of the most fun options on the list.
Auto-firing Potato
As a top-down arena shooter roguelite where you play a potato,Brotato is the type of game that doesn’t let you gobecause of its addictive nature and its fast runs.
Its auto-firing style, dozens of characters, and hundreds of items assemble a system where there’s always room for another try, another search for the combination that will make you survive the countless waves of aliens.
With a charismatic design, thousands of numbers and bullets, and high-octane sequences, Brotato is exactly the sort of experience that you imagine when you think about thebest roguelites.
5Roboquest
First-person Madness
Roboquestis a fast-paced title that merges roguelike elements with first-person shooter mechanics, giving you a frantic and engaging experience.
With a heavy emphasis on movement,it’s a game that’s even better in co-op mode, as it lets you join a friend to enjoy the loop of blasting bosses, upgrading your base, and customizing your build.
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Aim down sights, and fire at will!
It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it doesn’t need to. RoboQuest is a straightforward option with a polished experience and a great soundtrack, and that’s more than enough to be at the level of thebest roguelike shootersout there.
4Neon Abyss
Procedural Bullet-hell
Neon Abyss
Fusing platforming action, tons of creative guns, and melee combat,Neon Abyss is an underrated roguelikethat excels thanks to its massive array of weapons and tremendous challenge.
The game has unlimited options and synergies, resulting in spectacular encounters with so many bullets, beams, rockets, enemies, and blood that it’s simply thrilling.
Also, its setting is full of personality with unmatched aesthetics, so if you’re searching foran addictive roguelike that looks and plays phenomenally well, you’ve got Neon Abyss.
3Vampire Survivors
Snowballing Addiction
Vampire Survivors
Vampire Survivorsis a time survival game with minimalist gameplay and a strong fixation on stealing up to the last hour of your free time. And your busy time too.
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Sometimes less is more
This bullet hell with thousands of creatures thrives on snowballing mechanics, focused on gathering the most overpowered combinations of abilities and trinkets for the pleasure of seeing big numbers and bright colors.
Since you can invest the progress of every run into passive bonuses that will carry on forever, you will always want to go for another try, making Vampire Survivors not only addictive but also anamazing roguelike for a cheap price.
2Deep Rock Galactic
King Of Co-op Games
Deep Rock Galactic
After its launch in 2020,Deep Rock Galactichas carved its way to the top of co-op games, partly because of its procedurally generated cave systems.
In this FPS with badass space dwarves, no two playthroughs are the same, taking complete advantage of its fully destructible environments. It also has four unique classes and resource-focused cycles, so it adds up to countless hours of fun.
In addition,Deep Rock Galactic has a constant flow of free content. Therefore, its depth is always growing and evolving, making it an authentic gem of cooperative and roguelike games alike.
Mastering Perfection
Being one of the best indies of recent times,Sifurepresents everything that roguelites are known for: engaging attempts, the persistent striving for perfection, the seeking for absolute mastery of its mechanics,putting you in a flow state, and so on.
Despite every level being always the same, the character and the players change along the way, unlocking not only more skills to face the challenges but also gathering more knowledge about enemies and bosses.
Besides, following its roguelite structure, each run becomes more accessible thanks to shortcuts that you’re able to open for future playthroughs. By the end of the experience, it won’t only be easier thanks to all the grind previously done, but also thanks to your development as a martial artist.
Given its cinematic orientation,Sifu is a crescent spectacle that makes you feel accomplishedanda brawler masterpiece that every fan of independent games must play.
