Best Roguelike Games With The Most Satisfying Gameplay Loop

Roguelike games have become all the rage with the advent of indie gaming. While this genre technically existed way before the boom of small-time developers, there’s no denying that the true potential of roguelike games was achieved when indie developers with limited resources decided to include a sense of randomization to build in a satisfying repetition to the gameplay loop.

Some of the best games fans can get their hands on follow a roguelike structure to bump up the playtime in a meaningful manner. These games capture a player’s attention with their gameplay loop as they try to make the best of every run and come out victorious after slowly coming to grips with mechanical nuances. This makes it important for a title’s gameplay to be off the charts for players to make the most of what these games have to offer.

5 Hades

The Quest To Escape The Underworld Never Ceases To Be Engaging

Hades is one of the greatest hack-and-slash games of all time, with players controlling Zagreus as he tries to escape the underworld and meet his mother despite his father warning him against his course. This leads to numerous failed runs where players acquire numerous weapons in their quest, taking on numerous enemies and excellent boss fights across four zones before inevitably facing Hades himself.

What makes Hades‘ gameplay loop so incredible is its amazing structure, letting players embark on an action-packed run before being sent back to the House of Hades and interacting with the many denizens of the Underworld. It’s a nice way for players to enjoy a breather before embarking on another run, climbing the layers of the underworld for another shot at escape, proving how Supergiant Games is the masters of marrying gameplay elements and storytelling into one delectable package.

4 FTL: Faster Than Light

The Satisfaction Of Outrunning The Rebel Fleet Is Unmatched

FTL: Faster Than Light is one of the first indie games to show what the roguelike genre could achieve. The brilliance of this game can’t be stated enough, with players embarking on an intergalactic adventure for the ages where they must bring sensitive information to the allied fleet at all costs while evading an imposing rebel fleet that can tear them apart in no time. This wild goose chase makes for a challenging title where players will have to move on from their failures over and over again.

However, it’s a testament to FTL‘s stellar gameplay loop that players treat each death as a learning experience, embarking on another playthrough where they try their hardest to accomplish this goal while keeping their ship hale and hearty. As players unlock more ships and understand the best way to play this game, they’ll have a great time overcoming the game’s challenges and coming out victorious not just once, but many times.

3 Returnal

The Fast-Paced Gunplay Is A Joy To Master

It’s a testament to the immense success of the roguelike genre that major developers have tried to emulate its design in their AAA products, with Returnal being a great example of the same. This great sci-fi roguelike places players in the shoes of Selene, an astronaut who finds herself stuck in a time loop after landing on a mysterious, hostile planet named Atropos. The narrative of Returnal is unexpectedly brilliant, with players being drip-fed small chunks of the enigmatic story before some major revelations come to light.

What makes Returnal such a fun title to play is undoubtedly its combat system, with the familiar over-the-shoulder third-person perspective giving a sense of familiarity to the shooting combat that is way harder than most people would assume. Defeating regular enemies before taking a crack at the boss is something that never ceases to be engaging, and players love mastering the tough-as-nails gameplay to attain a sense of satisfaction as they beat a challenging boss and uncover more narrative details to flesh out their understanding of Atropos.

2 Inscryption

Ominous Atmosphere & Great Deckbuilding Deliver A Unique Experience

Inscryption is a game that consists of three acts, each with its own unique deckbuilding elements and menacing atmosphere. While the game changes dramatically throughout, and the roguelike elements are focused into the Act 1, this massive first section is the most iconic, taking place in a spooky cabin, with escape room-style puzzles set up around the table. The table itself contains the deckbuilding portion of the game, where players must assemble the best cards that can augment their deck and help them take Leshy down by any means necessary.

It’s a satisfying moment to take on the big boss at the end of Act 1 — only for the game to throw a curveball and completely switch the gameplay. The masterful roguelike gameplay will be over and done with after completing Act 1, though the deckbuilding elements continue and evolve throughout the rest of the game. Players who want to experience more of Inscryption‘s first act can check out Kaycee’s Mod after they finish the game once. It’s here that the game becomes ridiculously challenging, forcing players to adapt to certain strategies and use modifiers to make things interesting in a game mode that shows just how captivating the roguelike deckbuilding gameplay of this title truly is.

1 Wildermyth

Embark On An Epic Adventure That Feels Fresh Every Time

Players who feel like the procedural generation present in most roguelikes takes away a lot from strong character-building and engaging storylines will sing a different tune when they play Wildermyth. This high-fantasy roguelike RPG lets players control a group of heroes who are tasked with saving the world from an unknown threat, taking on numerous foes in strategic encounters as they level up and tackle bigger threats.

Losing a hero can prove to be a genuine loss, so players should make it a point to level up their party before taking on the major threat that stands in their way. Every adventure spans numerous years, with certain heroes retiring and leaving their successors behind. It’s a masterful roguelike that feels as epic as they come, with the gameplay loop being simple yet engaging enough for players to make the most of its strategic combat and overcome the toughest threats without breaking a sweat.