This list is completely subjective, in no particular order, and is based only on the ones that I have personally played. What is a roguelike, it is a genre of video game that usually has turn based gameplay, procedurally generated elements, and permanent death of your playable character. Once you die you have to start all over again from the beginning. You may be able to keep some money, unlock things for new runs, or bring over buffs from previous runs. Note, these games are also available on other platforms but the portability for these types of games makes it better. Check part 1 for “card based” roguelikes because this list will just be going over the “action” roguelikes.
Enter the Gungeon- Action based gameplay with almost 200 unique weapons and 8 characters. There are lots of projectiles on screen at almost all times so you must dodge and roll away to survive. You will have to fight against bullets that shoot more bullets at you and other sentient weapons. Luckily you can find chests that have fun new weapons to fight back, like a barrel that shoots fish, a laser rifle, or a lowercase “r” that shoots the word “B U L L E T”. It’s a fun and hectic game where you have to pay attention at all times so you don’t get hit by a stray bullet. (also on PS4, Xbox, and PC)
Crypt of the Necrodancer- A dungeon crawler where you have to move and attack to the beat, with catchy songs with BPM (Beats Per Minute) going up the deeper you go. The enemies move every beat so you can’t just wait. The more enemies you beat in the rhythm the higher the multiplier goes, but when you miss a beat it goes away. There are 11 characters that have different abilities and DLC that adds new characters, levels, and built in mod support for even more unique additions. It takes a while to get used to but when you fully get into the groove it’s an incredible experience. (also on PS4, Xbox, PC, and mobile)
Hades- Action based gameplay rooted in Greek mythology where you play as Hades’ son and try to escape his dungeon. There are 6 weapons that all have different attacks and special moves to defeat enemies. Along your run you will be offered boons from Greek gods that can add effects to your attacks like lightning from Zeus, speed from Hermes, and increased crit rate from Artemis. All of the gods’ personalities are very well written and fun to see. Every time you die you are taken back to the House of Hades’ where you can upgrade skills and choose artifacts to take into your next escape attempt. It’s fun to beat enemies and get further to the exit every attempt while beating difficult bosses quicker every time. (also on PS4, Xbox, PC)
Blazing Beaks – Similar Gameplay as Enter the Gungeon but focuses on a very unique risk and reward artifact mechanic. There are 10 different bird characters to choose from! Each artifact is worth a different amount of gold and gives you a different debuff like slower fire rate or a chance for your weapon to jam and not fire anything. Shops will randomly show up after you beat stages for you to sell your artifacts for upgrades and more powerful weapons. It’s very fun to see just how weak you can get without dying for the maximum reward amount. (also on PS4, Xbox, PC)
My next article with cover more roguelikes that are action based with the same fast paced movement.