Guides & Editorial

A guide to the best Roguelikes on PS4 and PS5

You’ll never play the same game twice with this selection of the finest procedurally generated adventures available on PlayStation Store. 

Action roguelikes

Thrilling adventures

Experience death-defying runs that get your heart racing

Returnal

Unravel a cosmic horror story in this blockbuster third-person shooter roguelike from arcade masters Housemarque. After crash-landing on a decaying, ever-changing world, an astronaut finds herself in a time loop. Fight, die and evolve Selene’s skills as you strive to break the cycle and learn the truth about her past.

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Risk of Rain 2

Work your way through a series of stunning alien landscapes full of fearsome monsters and powerful loot in this third-person roguelike. Take on the ticking clock and scaling difficulty as you combine the items you pick up into a build that will take you - and your friends - to the endgame in style.

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The Persistence

Feel the biting tension as you explore a doomed zombie-infested ship trapped in the gravity of a collapsing star. Defy this futuristic waking nightmare by gathering resources, upgrading your abilities and surviving for as long as you can.

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Hades

Hack and slash your way out of Hades to defy its namesake lord of the underworld - who also happens to be your dad. In this frenetic action-roguelike grounded in a stylish take on Greek mythology, you’ll embody Zagreus, wielding legendary weapons and the power of demigods to reach the surface.

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Roguelikes are games characterised by levels that are procedurally generated - that is, created by clever algorithms rather than manually designed - meaning that no two playthroughs are ever the same. Level layouts, enemy placements and the weapons or upgrades you encounter change every time you restart, creating an irresistible challenge that demands hundreds, if not thousands of replays.

The name pays tribute to Rogue, an early dungeon crawler from 1980. The game used procedural generation to create an entirely new dungeon for every playthrough, meaning players could never anticipate the dangers ahead. Through this, Rogue also introduced the enduring concept of ‘permadeath’.

There’s a lot of debate on this. Purists argue that a roguelike must mirror Rogue’s turn-based, dungeon crawler RPG approach to qualify. 

Another school of thought is that a roguelike can refer to any game with procedural elements that will reset your progress completely after each playthrough, whereas a rogue-lite retains some elements of character progression, such as upgraded stats or unlocked weapons and abilities. Because of this, some consider that a roguelike is about the journey, whereas a rogue-lite is about the destination.

There are plenty of roguelikes that can be enjoyed with other players as cooperative experiences. Some of the games that support multiplayer in this curated selection include Spelunky 2 and Enter The Gungeon.

Classic roguelikes

Live to die another day

Perfect your escape strategy across diverse environments.

Spelunky 2

A sequel to the classic indie cave crawler, Spelunky 2 lets you loose on a hazardous underground world teeming with precious loot, hostile life and deadly traps. Experiment with physics and utilise an awesome arsenal of gadgets in order to descend deeper into its secret-filled depths.

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Enter the Gungeon

Shoot straight and true in this chaotic bullet-hell roguelike that sees you exploring an unforgiving procedurally generated dungeon. Try out hundreds of quirky guns and embody a variety of charming, pixelated Gungeoneers as you dodge roll your way to victory.

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Dead Cells

As an immortal blob capable of possessing the bodies of dead prisoners, fight to escape a plague-ridden island kingdom populated by its mutated citizens. Explore challenging, randomised dungeons, master lightning-fast combat, discover permanent upgrades and learn the truth behind the island’s fate.

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The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

Experience a genre-defining action roguelike with biblical undertones and a wonderfully grotesque hand-drawn art style. As the titular Isaac, you’ll descend through procedurally generated chambers, using your tears as a weapon to defeat monsters and evade hazards. No run is the same thanks to randomised items and rooms that can take a run from heavenly to hellish in an instant.

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Rogue Legacy 2

A side scrolling action rogue-lite primarily concerned with succession, Rogue Legacy 2 forces you to choose a new heir when you fall prey to the traps and terrors prowling its ever-changing fantasy dungeons. Leverage genealogical traits to overcome tough boss battles, collect precious resources with daring feats of platforming and commit permanent upgrades to a dynamic skill tree that doubles as a family estate.

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Genre-pushing roguelikes

Find a new beginning    

Explore the boundaries of the genre where no playthrough is the same.

Inscryption

Go in blind to this card-based psychological horror roguelike where unexpected, genre-defying twists await. Face a mysterious opponent and make strategic sacrifices to build your deck of curious woodland creatures as you attempt to escape your gloomy cabin prison.

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BPM: Bullets Per Minute

Slay to the rhythm as one of Asgard’s Valkyries in a first-person shooter where every action is tied to the bass-heavy beat of the soundtrack. A retro roguelike rock opera, BPM: Bullets Per Minute offers randomly generated dungeons, intense boss battles and a variety of characters and weapons to choose from.

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Cult of the Lamb

A cute cult-building simulator where becoming a prophet isn’t so baa-d, Cult of the Lamb doubles as an exciting action roguelike where you crawl dungeons to feed your flock and grow your following. Farm, fight, and pray your way to enlightenment.

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Slay the Spire

Stack the deck against your enemies as you proceed through a randomised dungeon crawl punctuated by challenging boss battles. A roguelike deck builder with a unique fantasy art style, Slay the Spire is a moreish strategic odyssey that delicately pits risk against reward.

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PS VR2 roguelikes

Immerse yourself in the loop

Get even closer to the action in roguelikes designed exclusively for VR.

The Light Brigade

Magic-infused roguelike shooter The Light Brigade sends you on an atmospheric journey to defend humanity from the encroaching forces of darkness. Solve blood-pumping combat puzzles, collect run-modifying tarot cards and upgrade your equipment to conquer its punishing battlegrounds in service of a brighter future.

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Cave Digger 2: Dig Harder 

Chart the cartoon wildlands as a pioneering prospector, exploring randomised networks of ancient mines and perilous caves. Repel rowdy reptiles, pan for gold and fill your boots with loot to trade for better tools in this mercantile multiplayer adventure.

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Until You Fall

A hack-and-slash that blends its fantasy art style with synthwave flair, Until You Fall is an arcade roguelike with a focus on physical blade swinging. Play as an immortal Rune Knight, striking down monsters across corrupted crystallised ruins as you fight to save the realm of Rokar.

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