Games like Hades and Dead Cells for PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC
At least since the surprise hit Hades from last year, so-called “roguelikes” have been on everyone’s lips – but what does that actually mean? GIGA explains what the genre is all about and what makes such games so attractive. In addition, we present some of the currently most popular representatives of the genre, to hopefully give you a taste.
According to Wikipedia, the term was established in the early 90s. He was referring to the eponymous game Rogue from 1980, which was very popular at the time. When trying to formulate an overarching term for this and other similar games, the community finally agreed on the still common term “roguelike”.
So much for the story, but now for the much more interesting part: What makes such games so special and what do Enter the Gungeon, Dead Cells or Slay the Spire have in common? In itself, the games just mentioned couldn’t be more different, but what they have in common is the fact that you will probably very often bless the temporal at the beginning. The more you play, however, the better you get yourself and often your character as well, since in most cases there are various improvements available to you. In the following we present a small selection of popular roguelike games that should be especially exciting for newbies:
Contents
- 1 The surprise hit: Hades
- 2 Pixel game with an addicting factor: Dead Cells
- 3 Roguelike of a different kind: Slay the Spire
- 4 The family adventure: Children of Morta
- 5 And the marmot shoots every day: Enter the Gungeon
- 6 The newcomer: Curse of the Dead Gods
- 7 Honorable Mentions: Metroidvania, Soulslike or Roguelite?
The surprise hit: Hades
Hades (Nintendo Switch)
Available platforms: Nintendo Switch and PC – the physical version linked here will be available from March 19, 2021.
With Hades, the responsible developer studio Supergiant Games has really made a bang. The roguelike adventure, released in 2020, was showered with numerous nominations and prizes. And rightly so, I think. You can expect varied gameplay with potential for addiction, a beautifully staged story and an extremely high replay value. You can find out even more details about the game in our leaderboard with the most popular Nintendo Switch games.
Hades sparked my love for the roguelike genre in the first place, even though I had avoided such games before. So if you still have doubts to date, you can hardly go wrong here. It is also very possible that you will not be able to put the game down for the next 20, 50 or 100 hours and afterwards wonder where the time went. I speak from experience.
Pixel game with an addicting factor: Dead Cells
Dead Cells (Nintendo Switch)
Available platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, PC and Android / iOS
Dead Cells is a game that saw the light of day in 2018. However, updates have always been published regularly, which is how I became aware of this gem. What immediately struck me: the beautiful pixel graphics. The combat system also cast a spell over me. You will also unlock more and more skills and weapons. In this way, each run feels different and at the same time new fragments of the story reveal themselves to you in the numerous levels.
In our test, the game was also able to convince, which is why it almost received the highest rating from us. So if you’re looking for an action-packed roguelike platformer, you should definitely take a look at Dead Cells. Not least because of the funny Easter eggs that you will come across again and again in the game. By the way, you can now even play Dead Cells comfortably on your smartphone.
Roguelike of a different kind: Slay the Spire
Slay the Spire (Nintendo Switch)
Available platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, PC and Android / iOS
Slay the Spire is a bit out of line at this point. At its core, the game is actually a deck builder. However, this aspect has been cleverly linked with typical roguelike elements. A different combination of cards and relics is available to you in each run – both of which you will receive as random rewards from defeated opponents during a game. So it is important to play foresight in order to gradually put together the ultimate deck so that you can then take care of the final boss.
Sounds complicated? In the beginning it is – at least in my experience. But that is exactly what makes the game so appealing, because with every defeat you learn something new and you get more and more a feel for powerful card combinations. Typical case of: “Just one more round, I promise!” Should you still take a break or need help, we have a suitable guide ready for all bosses. Similar to Dead Cells, you can now also play Slay the Spire on your smartphone. So what are you waiting for?
The family adventure: Children of Morta
Children of Morta (Nintendo Switch)
Available platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox and PC
What is the best way to describe Children of Morta? Presumably as a kind of Diablo 3 in pixel optics with a much more family-friendly story. You slip into the role of different characters of the Bergson family, who call the eponymous mountain Morta their home. However, rot has recently spread there, which is endangering not only your life, but the lives of everyone there. Therefore it is now time to save the world with united forces.
What fascinated me most, besides the heartwarming story and the lovingly designed pixel graphics, was also the really successful gameplay. Each family member, be it the father, daughter or son, each have completely different skills, which ensures plenty of variety. In contrast to other representatives of the genre, you are through with the story relatively quickly and besides a New Game Plus there is (unfortunately) hardly any reason to come back again. But if you are reluctant to invest hundreds of hours in a game, this is the right place for you. The included co-op mode is also a nice bonus.
And the marmot shoots every day: Enter the Gungeon
Available platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, PC and Google Stadia
Enter the Gungeon is probably the first game on our list, which can lead to total frustration on the one hand and ecstatic euphoria on the other. Basically, this is a classic arcade shooter, the aim of which is to turn off the lights of your opponents before they do the same to you. Several classes and an extensive arsenal of weapons are available for this. Especially the boss fights are tough and not for the faint of heart.
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It is quite possible that one or the other controller will fly around here. In the corresponding test on GIGA, however, this was by no means highlighted as a disadvantage, because it is precisely this crisp level of difficulty that provides the necessary motivation. Should you still despair, you can also try your luck in co-op mode. It is well known that suffering shared is suffering half. For die-hard fans there is also a spin-off called Exit the gungeon.
The newcomer: Curse of the Dead Gods
Available platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox and PC
Finally, we come to a more recent addition to the roguelike family: we’re talking about Curse of the Dead Gods. After an extensive maturity phase in early access, the title has now officially appeared in version 1.0. The influences of other popular genre representatives are clearly noticeable, which is by no means a disadvantage in the context. On the contrary, because the mix of familiar aspects from other games works surprisingly well here. At the same time, there are still new elements, which all in all makes for a really successful gaming experience.
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Admittedly, I was a bit disappointed at the beginning, because the story of Curse of the Dead Gods, to put it mildly, plays a rather subordinate role. Here I was spoiled a lot by titles like Hades. Nevertheless, the game has its raison d’être, especially since the combat system is a lot more tactical and not nearly as hectic as I was used to in other games. What I think has also been successful: the three different temples.
So the duration of a single run is not excessively long, which pays off especially if you want to play a quick round in between. In addition, there is always enough variety, as each temple brings new environments, monsters and bosses with it.
Honorable Mentions: Metroidvania, Soulslike or Roguelite?
With the ever-growing abundance of games, the boundaries of the numerous genres cannot always be clearly separated. Since we are reluctant to withhold game pearls from you, here is a further selection of games in quick succession:
Roguelikes aren’t your thing, are you? Take a look at our other buying guides:
