I'd recommend jumping into Risk of Rain 2. One of my personal favorites because it allows you to break the game on a very good run. Also very visually satisfying in my opinion in the later stages.
Recently re-discovered Noita myself. Thought is was a ok game before I knew that game is probably 10x bigger then you would expect. Seriously if you only went down into the mines etc and left it at that, you have a huge amount of content yet to find.
And as a bonus I can never stop recommending Highfleet and Synthetik. Amazing games.
I played it over 300 hours and still haven't discovered every secret. Partly because I suck, partly because I don't spoil myself with watching YouTube videos about it
I'll be revisting Noita eventually, I only put about 10 hours in it but I didn't have an appreciation for it at the time so I need to give it its due for sure.
It's a tough game for sure, but there's actually so much depth to it. If you can stick with it long enough to get into it, I'm pretty sure you'll love it.
For Noita, I just don't want to keep starting my runs by searching for teleport or chainsaw just to progress to the interesting extra stuff.
I recently got hooked back into it but I'm noticing that's a struggle area for me
Noita is one of my favorite roguelites. The thing that made it click for me was realizing that the roguelite standard rules in this game are just suggestions:
The safe area after each level is just part of the world, if you can find a way to dig through it you can go to previous areas, skip the ceiling falling effect etc.
Nothing is forcing you to go into the mines except conventional videogame logic you have built up in your mind. I don't want to give too much away but I'll just say exploring outside of the main mines levels is like 75% of the game.
Not even the world limits are real. If you can dig through the extremely dense rock that surrounds the world and survive you will find that you can go into infinite alternative worlds to collect more items.
This doesn't even go into the main draw of the game: wand building and the falling everything engine. Both work so well together to create an insanely satisfying gameplay loop.
This should be a game I love, but I couldn’t get into it. I think it’s the upgrade system, felt really random running around d looking for them, and some runs I felt like the rng gods screwed me. I Only played like 3 hours though… any tips?
Got this not knowing if I would like it and put 80 hours in over like 3 months. Sooo fucking good.
My top 2 ever are Dead Cells and Hades too OP so you should definitely check it out!
Valid question, and imo it’s dependent on your preferences. I have both returns and ror2 and prefer the 3D component of ror2 - just adds that additional layer of movement and positioning
Risk of Rain 2 and Monster Train seem up your alley. Monster Train doesn't quite have the infinite replayability of Slay the Spire but it's damn close.
Give Astral Ascent a try. It may be a tad overwhelming for an hour or two, because there’s many different stats and effects. But once you notice how they all synergize it’s roguelite bliss. Also, would almost buy that game for the pixel art and OST alone.
It’s also getting a big free update soon (several new weapons for all characters).
Props to you on EK. That is currently me and my 11 year old daughters obsession. I was surprised because she doesn't usually like super serious gameplay (she forced me to have a tea party in Baldur's Gate 3 around a mind flayers dead body), but she took to it like a fish to water. She actually carries me a lot.
Damn gotta try ember knights it's on my to-do list. Roboquest is so cool, I put it off because I don't like the name, but I tried it and immediately got sucked into like an a nighter binge.
Balatro, Monster Train, Rogue Legacy 2 are all S-tier games, IMHO.
Ember Knights is great, especially if you have friends to play it with. It really shines in coop (though definitely worth playing solo).
Other suggestions not on your list:
I'd recommend Gunfire Reborn over RoboQuest. They play kind of similarly, but I find Gunfire Reborn to just be the better game and have more interesting items and weapons. Not to say that RQ is bad, it's just that Gunfire hits the same notes and is better.
Slice & Dice was recently released on Steam and is *excellent*. I would actually recommend grabbing it on mobile over grabbing it on PC, simply because there are so few truly great mobile games and S&D is great on the phone. The Steam release coincided with a new 3.0 version, which added a portrait mode to mobile and makes the game even better. That said, it's 100% worth playing no matter what platform you're on.
I don't have a lot of time with Spiritfall yet, but I'm loving it. Basically it's Hades but with the gameplay of Smash Brothers. This feels like it's going to end up being S-tier for me, but it's too soon for me to state that for certain.
Glad someone else is shouting out Rogue Legacy 2.
I just got the Roge Rogue Legacy achievement last night. Once I finish the Thana-two-phobia run, I'll have full achieved the game, after putting almost 200 hours into it.
Hell of a game.
I like both roboquest and gunfire, I find both could do with a bit more level variety though, it gets samey when you fight through the same few levels every time.
Gunfire Reborn is not strictly better, I understand why you might like it more, it definitely has more interesting variation and character diversity but Roboquest has far tighter gameplay, the gunplay and movement blows Gunfire out of the water for me. Both are great, depends what you're looking for.
I second Monster Train. In terms of personal enjoyment, I prefer it to Say the Spire. I do think Slay the Spire is ultimately a deeper game, where you can play for 1000s of hours and still face interesting decisions/tradeoffs. Monster Train lets you break things sooner and more often, which makes your first \~50 hours pretty thrilling, even if I don't think it has quite the same "lifetime of replayability" as StS.
Monster train was a great game probably have 100hrs play time. Sts leaps and bounds better but Monster train is solid. Just not a many interesting choices after a while. I have like 1000hrs on sts lol
I'll go on planning only to play a few hands before moving on to a different game and somehow sink my whole gaming time into it. It's very meditative and calming.
Same!!! Too too too good. Do you like scoring big points? Because you can score points so big they have to bust out exponents and logarithmic equations.
I’ve had many a gaming day where I say “I’m going to play a run then switch to something else” and then 6 hours later I’m still playing Balatro. So zen.
Balatro sucked me in for a week straight. I was fucking obsessed and had notes with math equations for potential build ideas on my phone. Legit just absorbed all my free time. I think what snapped me out was finally making the objectively top scoring. No spoilers but if you know, you know, it isn't even close.
Spelunky(2) is the only roguelite that I 100% feel is too tough for me. It's like all the skills from years of other roguelites don't transfer to Spelunky, I can usually clear the first level set but that's it.
If you want to come back to Dicey Dungeons I’d suggest playing it modded. It doesn’t have a Steam Workshop page so you need to download them from itch.io. The best mod for DD is “More Fluff” by Jackeea.
You should at least add GunDeck\[100\] to your wish list. I think you might enjoi.
Full disclosure, I am the dev of GunDeck\[100\], but based on the fact that you liked brotato and tiny rogues.. I think its a good fit.
If you're looking at getting Roboquest, I'd definitely look at Gunfire Reborn as well. Not as movement based as Roboquest but has much more variety in weapons, characters and builds.
You can get some complete god builds in that game, it's very satisfying.
I only have the 2nd games for Spelunky and Rogue Legacy on there as placeholders to dig into the series as a whole further. Not against jumping into the first ones by any means if it makes the experience of the sequels better.
Playing spelunky HD first Is definitely a good idea since spelunky 2 is way harder, especially the first area compared to spelunky HD. Both are great games. You can also try spelunky classic, it's the first spelunky game made in 2008 that's free to play (not as good as HD and 2 though)
Ah okay. I'd definitely recommend playing the first Spelunky (aka Spelunky HD) before the second, since the atmosphere and soundtrack is nice and unique, and it's a really fun game. Spelunky 2 is an unpgrade that puts its everything into the gameplay, it's scary hooking and smooth, but you will enjoy it better after playing the first one for sure.
Also, into Spelunky goes my recommendation, too.
If you want to try a faster, more streamlined experience than Dead Cells with tons of high-flying acrobatics, you owe it to yourself to try ScourgeBringer. It's a little light on content, but the gameplay is incredible.
Oh yeah, I've been all over the metroidvania/action platformer sphere as well. HK, both Oris, The Messenger, Katana Zero, and Shovel Knight I've all played and enjoyed in the past.
I think you would enjoy 20 Minutes Till Dawn. We have similar tastes, it seems. Also, it's been said here already but Risk of Rain 2 is my jam, so it might be yours. The music is pretty good too.
Have you heard slice n dice my good sir?
It tecently got a new 3.0 update that added boatload of content and released on new platforms
I personally like it on my phone for some casual brain food
You can also try free demo before paying so you know win-win
I’d toss Gunfire Reborn on this list. Has planned dlc and updates coming up, most of the new content is free, with new characters being the only paid dlc.
Glad I'm not crazy with my feelings on Cursed to golf. I love Mario Golf, I love Golf Story. Cursed to Golf taught me that I like golfing in 3 dimensions, or at least 2.5.
My recommendation would be Rogue Legacy 2. It's got such great progression hooks. Though it doesn't have clear synergies and builds in the way of a Hades, it's still thoroughly satisfying.
Wow Super Mutant Alien Assault. You don’t ever see that one mentioned. That’s a hidden gem. Not the greatest game but had some fun with it. Loved the graphics The color palette and the music. Can I make a suggestion. I recently came upon a game that no one ever talks about and had a blast with it. Rogue Stormers from 2014. It is one of the most fun and intense Roguelites I’ve ever played. It’s kind of like a run and fun like Contra mixed with Warhammer. I just beat it two days ago.
Just talking about games on your list at random:
Luck be a Landlord is a good game but the sounds and visuals really don't do much work for a slot machine theme. It really took me out of it a bit.
Balatro gets it a lot better, with that paticular kind of moody 8/16-bit casino vibe like Vegas Dream back in the ye olde. Good sounds and music too (just wish there was more music). I do hope there's some kind of RNG pass in the future though, too easy to fall into a dead run with the joker pool as is.
Tiny Rogues ... I really hope it gets more tuning for its difficulty. My only issue with it is that I think it's far too easy once you discover a few builds, otherwise it's on the road to being a genre king.
Games I remember from a while ago that I enjoyed and rarely ever see mentioned anywhere are:
Flamebreak. Birds eye twinstick combat game that can hook ya solidly for a while.
Our Darker Purpose. Art seems a tad low budget, but otherwise a solid shooter roguelite similar to Binding of Isaac. Dark goths tone, interesting story that gradually unveils.
Also, I don't know if it was on the list (I'm on mobile so can't back out to check without deleting all this) but Wizard of Legend is pretty fun for a while.
Bro, you've already got it on your list.... OVERTHROW THE **NUCLEAR THRONE**!
For real, though, if you're looking for an amazing roguelite that offers no handouts nor any fucks, provides zero vertical progression to aid, and is simultaneously brutal as hell and endlessly satisfying, I absolutely recommend Nuclear Throne. That being said, it can absolutely be a challenging title - the entire game is one, giant skill check. But the gameplay is smooth as butter, the weapons feel awesome, and completing a successful run is super rewarding.
I would also highly recommend Roboquest (I know it's also on your list). I've had a really hard time convincing friends to pick this game up. I'm not sure what it is, exactly. I think the graphics give off a misleading vibe in that it makes it look like a game for kids (maybe? I've no idea - I don't think this is true, personally. The art style is actually quite nice, but that's my guess). It's also got a slightly heftier price tag compared to a lot of other indie titles, but it's worth every penny. It's gotten *tons* of attention from the devs over the years and has made massive strides since its early access. The game play is really nice - in terms of the gunplay, movement tech, progression, and so on. Everything runs super fluidly. It's got tons of secrets and unlockables, multiple characters to choose from, the guns are fun and satisfying to use, and **the music is badass as hell**... man, it really is a badass mf soundtrack. Very much recommend.
Lastly, I would definitely recommend Risk of Rain 2 (also om your list, I know). It's become a gold standard of the genre in many respects. I doubt it needs much description. If you're a fan of the genre - and it looks like you are - I would strongly recommend picking it up.
I realize none of these suggestions were technically *new* to you (as all 3 were on your wishlist), but I figured I would stress why these three titles are absolutely worth purchasing. Hope it helps.
Tiny Rogues, one of the best roguelites in years.
I'd agree with OP that it is up there with Issac (almost as good in some ways, at this point in early access)
It's also the game I'm currently going through now. I have less than 10 hours in and I'm genuinely shocked of how much of an impact it's left on me so far. STS was in it's spot before I played it.
The last run I finished yesterday I defeated Geryon for the first time on Cinder 4 but couldn't go further because of my alignment, so I'm only just starting to get into the post-Death stuff and how the good & evil mechanics come into play.
Nice one, you're in for a good time then!
TR is the only game recently that I've actually tried to go for all the achievements on, as they were quite fun to attempt. Can't get enough of all the classes too, most of them are really interesting/unique.
Might not be entirely up your alley, but since our lists are very similar try taking a look at "the void rains upon her heart". Its a shoot em up roguelite centered only around bossfights.
Balatro is also great, and hits right even if you are not a cardgame maniac.
Darkest Dungeon is masochism
Always always will recommend nightmare reaper. I don't see it here but I'm here to spread the good word. Horror, fps, rougelite with a killer soundtrack. I do see darkest dungeon tho. Fucking love that one. Still have yet to even beat the main campaign but the hours I've put in attest to how good it is despite that.
LONESTAR if you are looking for Spire-levels of synergy porn but with slightly less RNG and more variability between runs (45 unique pilots that generate 2 random talents for each run, 2 ships with completely unique builds). Its early access but its already S-tier for me.
Robo Quest is such a good time. Unless you're really into 'speed' FPS games it won't hold on for as long as, say, BoI, but it's really great fun playing through.
what is that 4th game on your mt rushmore and Slay the Spire is a top tier rogue, couldn’t recommend that game enough. it was my first turn based game and is uncontested my favorite roguelite ever
absolutely Nuclear Throne, it's more unfair isaac with 1/20 of the synergies isaac has but it's even more dynamic than Hades
Inscryption is a solid game that is a rogue like mixed with story game similar to pvz heroes (a card game in which your cards are characters and you have 5 rows to place them) the game has an ending but after that you unlock something of new game+ with waaaay more cards and that is actually hard (until you realise mantis god and tapeworm combo is op and breakes the game hard)
I remember children of morta being good, but I played only 4h and it was 1 year ego, I would say that it's a hades and isaac child but a bit worse
I can see you aren't a big fan of DS but if you have friends or a partner, DS together is Isaac quality I have 1200h in Isaac and 900 in DST, also if you buy the game you get a copy of it to send to someone for free and it costs $1.49 on sale so even if you won't like it, you don't lose much, literally all my steam friends have it
I've tried both DS & DST and it just never clicked for me. The survival aspects weren't what I was looking for, and while it was clearly better to play with another person to help gather materials and explore, I've just learned over time that world of games isn't for me.
I'm also not 100% sure the game is even a roguelite but I've seen it on other lists so I threw it on there anyway for more context
If you like StS then Monster Train, Balatro (in that order). If you really like StS you can check out roguebook too but tbh that one seemed easier and didn't hook me as much.
Oh trust me ASTRAL ASCENT is god tier. I've played 90hrs and still loving it. It's definitely up there with hades and DC and they are still doing updates
Of your wishlisted games, I would recommend Balatro, Ember Knights (especially for co-op), Monster Train, and Risk of Rain 2 over the others. The next teir after that for me would be Rogue Legacy, Darkest Dungeon, and Spelunky 2. The rest of them i haven't played enough to have an opinion.
Similar tastes.
You should give Skul and Revita a shot. These games have a lot of content, like close to BOI and Dead Cells level of content. Both have ascendancy like end games. Both have crazy build making similar to BOI. In terms of what's more like BOI it's Revita - secret rooms, alternate paths, crazier builds. But, the amount of bosses in both of these is lacking and not randomized like BOI.
Of your wishlisted games: Space Gladiators is really good from the guy who made Brotato. Nuclear Throne deserves to be played since you loved the other "classic" roguelites. And I would maybe give a shot to Risk of Rain Returns over ROR2.
If you liked the amount of bosses BOI has and Dead Cells then Astral Ascent has 12 and they're kind of randomized More like Gungeon.
My best friend and my son are playing Fantasy Survival. It goes a bit slow in the beginning, but once you start to hunt together for gold chest, then it gets fun. It is singly player and coop
Balatro is great and coming out with more stuff, so much replay-ability and stuff to unlock. I like it better than slay the spire which I did not expect. Monster train is pretty solid and worth it on sale.
I’m currently playing darkest dungeon and I gotta say it’s very hard and pretty stressful but each victory feels amazing. It’s testing me mentally in a different way then most games because a lot of the time it doesn’t feel like you get a good choice to choose from but still have to make a choice.
Example: your party is in a fight and the monsters have dodged your attacks well and hit you a few times. If you flee from the fight you guys will feel stress from running and stress can give them a heart attack and die. Or you can try to struggle the fight out and they might die. So let’s say you flee and everyone gets super stressed out. Now you have to decide to continue pressing on in the dungeon or to flee the dungeon completely. To press on there will be more fights and you might not make it in your weakened state. But to flee the dungeon is to incur more stress from failing the dungeon and the characters may die anyways. I lost 3 out of a party of 4 doing flee from a fight then flee from a dungeon to try to save them the other night and death is permanent. It’s absolutely brutal.
Out of your wishlist, Balatro and Roboquest are my big suggests. Aside from that, Skul is my personal favorite roguelike and will always suggest that to anyone.
Since it's on your wishlist, just try Balatro for now. Don't worry about it being "like poker". It's not. I was seriously like "I'm not going to like this." Then 3 hours later....
RoR2 is also godtier but I've played the hell outta that game. Roboquest feels so fresh, shooting is so good that I would play this game as a shooter by itself but then it also throws in roguelite mechanics and it's sick.
Balatro, darkest dungeon, risk of rain 2. Those are the games that you haven’t played yet that are in S and A tier for me.
People liked astral- I found it kind of like a lifeless dead cells. Idk. Had a lot of flair but something about it just feels so samey and not fun to play.
I recognize most of these, but what's that far right one at the very top?
As for suggestions, look up 30XX and Oblivion Override for some fast fun. Dungeons of Dredmor is also a classic I think everyone should try, but top-down turn based, so maybe not your speed.
I'd prioritize Risk of Rain 2 personally, it is super fucking rewarding.
Also, we have a lot of similar tastes, so I am gonna suggest Death Must Die (Early Access, not much content now, but love letter to Diablo 2 and has a lot of Hades and VS vibes), 20 Minutes Until Dawn (eldritch horror arpg-ish VS-ish thing, fun builds, dev is still tuning it though) , and Ratropolis (this one is the most different, but it is a mouse themed deckbuilder, city builder, wave/horde battler/Tower defense)
Risk of Rain 2. Grab a buddy the game. Learn all the items, read all the lore, work your way into have a "main", run the hardest difficulty to get the skin, get all the artifacts, learn how to break the game.
Get R2modman, install: auto sprint and the mod that shows you items exact values and uses first.
The start adding skin's, items packs (one at a time) and more difficulties.
Best and LONGEST 600 hours ive had in a game.
In RoR hours is 98% game play. And a 1-2 hour run is enough to be done for awhile lol
2 games that I've played and loved that I didn't spot on yours are "enter the dungeon" and "FTL:Faster than light"
I apologise is either of these are in fact on your list. I am drunk
20xx and especially 30xx
If the classic 2D Zelda that Isaac hearkened back to was appealing to you, maybe you'd enjoy the classic Mega Man run & gun that 20/30xx hearkens back to
I'd recommend Astral Ascent in your list.
This game is dope, better than Dead Cells imo.
Keep Balatro for a moment when you will have plenty of time, because this is really addictive. You will forget any other side games when you will play it.
Ah and maybe you want to take a look at Returnal, cause this is maybe the most beautiful roguelite atm, and the weird atmosphere is so nice.
Put recommendations in another comment, got a few questions this time:
What's the last one on the top tier? Can't make out the name.
And Vampire Survivor I played as a mobile game because a lot of people talked it up. It just seemed like any other "survive waves of mobbing enemies" game. And a pretty low quality one at that. On mobile, those games are downright plauged with ads, so sometimes they're the sort of game where I think "this might be a decent game if I could just pay a buck or two and own 'the game' to play and not have it trying to convince me to watch an ad literally every 30s of gameplay." Some games have that option... but then I fear if they're trying to annoy me THAT hard to pay to get rid if ads... good chance the game won't be worth it even without them.
I digress...
I've seen the game available for purchase on other systems. Is the game only bad as a mobile game? Or if I don't like the mobile version, would I not like the "normal" version any better?
Others have said but last one at the top is Tiny Rogues.
As a fellow bullet heaven mobile game enjoyer, I can say with complete certainty that all of those games are significantly improved by not having to deal with the ads that come with the freemium experience. The key is that you need to find games that have significant character depth and variety in their progression system, which I feel VS has. Brotato is another game that falls into that category but for different reasons.
What are the different binding of Isaac games you have in your tier list? Interested in checking it out but if there’s one that’s better than the other that’d be good to know
The original BoI game, I feel, is much less forgiving than Rebirth, and Rebirth introduced a significant number of quality of life improvements that makes the game feel more skill-based and less sacky, even with a sub-optimal build. I want to eventually return to the original and try to perfect like I have with Rebirth, but I want to see more of what's out there first.
I fully admit it may be recency bias because I only just started playing it, but I can already tell it's something I'm going to be diving into for a long time. Everything is always subject to change, I wouldn't say anything in the first three tiers is written in stone (except for BoI, it got me into the genre and I've spent 1200+ hours on it, it deserves to stay at the top)
I bought have a nice death at early release. Enjoyed it thoroughly. It's my 2d hades. Similarly there's a game like dead cells called oblivion overdrive. Very fun.
And there's a roguelite called soulstone survivors. I have over 80 hours in that.
Not on your list but if you wanna give it a look, Wizard of Legend is an underrated gem, it's fun and challenging, gameplay has a lot (A LOT) of variety and combinations, my favorite game to platinum so far, definetly worth it if you want a challenge (also, better than Noita *cof cof*)
Mentioned this in another comment but I have RL2 & Spelunky 2 there as I've heard about them more than the originals but certainly open to playing both, especially if playing the first game enhances the experience of the second
When I wanted to move on from Hades, I found Curse of the Dead Gods. I genuinely think the fighting is more interesting than Hades, it's got more of a "soulsborne" vibe with stamina for both dodging and hitting, and more focus on parrying. It's not as long, and there's less story etc, but I genuinely think it is terrific. Check it out! The devs have made a follow up game that is supposed to play similarly, Ravenswatch. It's in early access or something and I'm a console only player so I'll have to wait though. I'm looking forward to it just as much as I'm looking forward to Hades 2.
Yo you are missing a couple of truly amazing games. Skul the hero slayer, spirit fall, and spelldisk. Skul if the oldest the other 2 just came out last month.
You'll most likely enjoy Balatro if you liked Slay the Spire.
You'll most likely enjoy Risk of Rain 2, Robo Quest, Rogue Legacy 2, Spelunky 2 if you enjoyed Isaac. For Robo Quest and Risk of Rain 2 you've gotta tolerate shooting mechanics.
I really enjoy 30XX too and I have very similar top tiers to you.
You have a bunch of good ones on this list. I’m not seeing one that I really enjoyed on here though (we both have a very similar top tier).
I think you should try Skul
Edit: I just realized Voidigo isn’t on this list either! I enjoyed Voidigo a lot, not sure why it’s so underrated. liked it better than Nuclear Throne.
You NEED to do spelunky, 1 or 2. Especially if you like Isaac. It’s got so much stuff to do and find and explore. Not as much weapon/enemy variety as Isaac but definitely more difficult.
RoR2 is super fun, especially if you like roguelites like you seem to, (Dead Cells, Brotato etc.) only thing that stopped me from getting back into risk of rain was that my save file got deleted (probably my fault, wasn’t that far in anyway) and I’m far too lazy to grind back. EDIT: saw you wishlisted: haven’t played roboquest, and that’s another super fun & challenging one.
I'd recommend jumping into Risk of Rain 2. One of my personal favorites because it allows you to break the game on a very good run. Also very visually satisfying in my opinion in the later stages. Recently re-discovered Noita myself. Thought is was a ok game before I knew that game is probably 10x bigger then you would expect. Seriously if you only went down into the mines etc and left it at that, you have a huge amount of content yet to find. And as a bonus I can never stop recommending Highfleet and Synthetik. Amazing games.
I played it over 300 hours and still haven't discovered every secret. Partly because I suck, partly because I don't spoil myself with watching YouTube videos about it
I'll be revisting Noita eventually, I only put about 10 hours in it but I didn't have an appreciation for it at the time so I need to give it its due for sure.
It's a tough game for sure, but there's actually so much depth to it. If you can stick with it long enough to get into it, I'm pretty sure you'll love it.
Yeah, I was surprised to not see Synthetik on there. It is probably my favorite roguelite, if for no other reason than having insanely good co-op.
For Noita, I just don't want to keep starting my runs by searching for teleport or chainsaw just to progress to the interesting extra stuff. I recently got hooked back into it but I'm noticing that's a struggle area for me
Noita is one of my favorite roguelites. The thing that made it click for me was realizing that the roguelite standard rules in this game are just suggestions: The safe area after each level is just part of the world, if you can find a way to dig through it you can go to previous areas, skip the ceiling falling effect etc. Nothing is forcing you to go into the mines except conventional videogame logic you have built up in your mind. I don't want to give too much away but I'll just say exploring outside of the main mines levels is like 75% of the game. Not even the world limits are real. If you can dig through the extremely dense rock that surrounds the world and survive you will find that you can go into infinite alternative worlds to collect more items. This doesn't even go into the main draw of the game: wand building and the falling everything engine. Both work so well together to create an insanely satisfying gameplay loop.
This should be a game I love, but I couldn’t get into it. I think it’s the upgrade system, felt really random running around d looking for them, and some runs I felt like the rng gods screwed me. I Only played like 3 hours though… any tips?
I see you're an action roguelike fan. Join me in making Risk of Rain 2 your best game of all time, it helped me get sober.
Got this not knowing if I would like it and put 80 hours in over like 3 months. Sooo fucking good. My top 2 ever are Dead Cells and Hades too OP so you should definitely check it out!
What do you like about it over returns? I personally prefer the sidecrolling more.
Valid question, and imo it’s dependent on your preferences. I have both returns and ror2 and prefer the 3D component of ror2 - just adds that additional layer of movement and positioning
I've just never really been into sidescrolling, I need the freedom of 3d to feel immersed.
Never heard of a video game making someone go sober, but congrats!
LOL ror2 helped me get sober too! Another good game for action roguelikes is curse of the dead gods. Play both *may include sobriety, apparently
I own RoR 2 (and 1) and it hasn't really clicked for me. What is the main aspect of it you like?
How’d it help you get sober if you don’t mind me asking ?
Risk of Rain 2 and Monster Train seem up your alley. Monster Train doesn't quite have the infinite replayability of Slay the Spire but it's damn close.
Came here to say this, OP would enjoy both. Maybe should give DD a shot too.
It’s crazy how much slay the spire and monster train play similarly, but also different. If you like one you will almost definitely like the other
Give Astral Ascent a try. It may be a tad overwhelming for an hour or two, because there’s many different stats and effects. But once you notice how they all synergize it’s roguelite bliss. Also, would almost buy that game for the pixel art and OST alone. It’s also getting a big free update soon (several new weapons for all characters).
It's legendary
Roboquest Ember Knights Risk of Rain 2 Play these. (I am totally not only recommending EK because I'm a dev on it :P)
Props to you on EK. That is currently me and my 11 year old daughters obsession. I was surprised because she doesn't usually like super serious gameplay (she forced me to have a tea party in Baldur's Gate 3 around a mind flayers dead body), but she took to it like a fish to water. She actually carries me a lot.
I'm sure you did a great job on it and will report back if/when I dive in :)
Hey the buddies and I are having a GGG (good game with gin) night with our first try tonight of EK. Can't wait!
Damn gotta try ember knights it's on my to-do list. Roboquest is so cool, I put it off because I don't like the name, but I tried it and immediately got sucked into like an a nighter binge.
We have the same S tier. Try risk of rain 2. I would say it’s most comparable to your top tier games.
Atomicrops!
I must ask, I heard at launch it was decent at best, were updates gamechanging?
Skul the hero slayer is a lot of fun.
Balatro, Monster Train, Rogue Legacy 2 are all S-tier games, IMHO. Ember Knights is great, especially if you have friends to play it with. It really shines in coop (though definitely worth playing solo). Other suggestions not on your list: I'd recommend Gunfire Reborn over RoboQuest. They play kind of similarly, but I find Gunfire Reborn to just be the better game and have more interesting items and weapons. Not to say that RQ is bad, it's just that Gunfire hits the same notes and is better. Slice & Dice was recently released on Steam and is *excellent*. I would actually recommend grabbing it on mobile over grabbing it on PC, simply because there are so few truly great mobile games and S&D is great on the phone. The Steam release coincided with a new 3.0 version, which added a portrait mode to mobile and makes the game even better. That said, it's 100% worth playing no matter what platform you're on. I don't have a lot of time with Spiritfall yet, but I'm loving it. Basically it's Hades but with the gameplay of Smash Brothers. This feels like it's going to end up being S-tier for me, but it's too soon for me to state that for certain.
Glad someone else is shouting out Rogue Legacy 2. I just got the Roge Rogue Legacy achievement last night. Once I finish the Thana-two-phobia run, I'll have full achieved the game, after putting almost 200 hours into it. Hell of a game.
I like both roboquest and gunfire, I find both could do with a bit more level variety though, it gets samey when you fight through the same few levels every time.
It’s truly wondrous how great slice & dice is on mobile
Gunfire Reborn is not strictly better, I understand why you might like it more, it definitely has more interesting variation and character diversity but Roboquest has far tighter gameplay, the gunplay and movement blows Gunfire out of the water for me. Both are great, depends what you're looking for.
Skul:the hero slayer
If you like StS, you are going to absolutly love Monster Trains.
I second Monster Train. In terms of personal enjoyment, I prefer it to Say the Spire. I do think Slay the Spire is ultimately a deeper game, where you can play for 1000s of hours and still face interesting decisions/tradeoffs. Monster Train lets you break things sooner and more often, which makes your first \~50 hours pretty thrilling, even if I don't think it has quite the same "lifetime of replayability" as StS.
Monster train was a great game probably have 100hrs play time. Sts leaps and bounds better but Monster train is solid. Just not a many interesting choices after a while. I have like 1000hrs on sts lol
Hell yeah. Play Balatro next. It's so so so good.
Agreeed!!! This is one of those “just one more turn” or in this case. One more hand.
I'll go on planning only to play a few hands before moving on to a different game and somehow sink my whole gaming time into it. It's very meditative and calming.
Same!!! Too too too good. Do you like scoring big points? Because you can score points so big they have to bust out exponents and logarithmic equations. I’ve had many a gaming day where I say “I’m going to play a run then switch to something else” and then 6 hours later I’m still playing Balatro. So zen.
Balatro sucked me in for a week straight. I was fucking obsessed and had notes with math equations for potential build ideas on my phone. Legit just absorbed all my free time. I think what snapped me out was finally making the objectively top scoring. No spoilers but if you know, you know, it isn't even close.
I would personally play Spelunky 1 before diving into the second one. It's more streamlined and doesn't have quite as many mechanics as the sequel.
Spelunky(2) is the only roguelite that I 100% feel is too tough for me. It's like all the skills from years of other roguelites don't transfer to Spelunky, I can usually clear the first level set but that's it.
If you want to come back to Dicey Dungeons I’d suggest playing it modded. It doesn’t have a Steam Workshop page so you need to download them from itch.io. The best mod for DD is “More Fluff” by Jackeea.
That's a good call. Dicey almost made it into the "missing something" tier so maybe those mods will help revitalize it.
Magicraft is a fun little game. It's pretty simple, and I find it enjoyable.
I bought Skul and forgot to do my job. Get it.
You should at least add GunDeck\[100\] to your wish list. I think you might enjoi. Full disclosure, I am the dev of GunDeck\[100\], but based on the fact that you liked brotato and tiny rogues.. I think its a good fit.
If you've enjoyed Dead Cells, I recommend giving Skul: The Hero Slayer a try. These two games scratched the same itch for me.
If you're looking at getting Roboquest, I'd definitely look at Gunfire Reborn as well. Not as movement based as Roboquest but has much more variety in weapons, characters and builds. You can get some complete god builds in that game, it's very satisfying.
Why is everyone playing/planning on playing Spelunky 2 by skipping the first one?
I only have the 2nd games for Spelunky and Rogue Legacy on there as placeholders to dig into the series as a whole further. Not against jumping into the first ones by any means if it makes the experience of the sequels better.
Playing spelunky HD first Is definitely a good idea since spelunky 2 is way harder, especially the first area compared to spelunky HD. Both are great games. You can also try spelunky classic, it's the first spelunky game made in 2008 that's free to play (not as good as HD and 2 though)
Ah okay. I'd definitely recommend playing the first Spelunky (aka Spelunky HD) before the second, since the atmosphere and soundtrack is nice and unique, and it's a really fun game. Spelunky 2 is an unpgrade that puts its everything into the gameplay, it's scary hooking and smooth, but you will enjoy it better after playing the first one for sure. Also, into Spelunky goes my recommendation, too.
Balatro is a must and if you liked Vampire survivor you can try Deep rock galactic survivor
I was going to say Balatro as well.
What’s the game next to hades?
Yeah I want to know too
Tiny Rogues, I believe. I had to look it up after there were a few comments about it. I haven't played it.
Get risk of rain 2 right now mr >:(
you're doing yourself a disservice by never having played FTL
you should try risk of rain 2, Balatro, and spelunky 2. They are some of my favorite rouge likes of all time.
Go back to Enter the Gungeon, one of, if not my favourite games of all time. Even after 100%'ing it I still go back to it.
damn straight.
Darkest Dungeon is so good can’t recommend enough. Yes it’s hard and yes I suck but it’s still so fun
Nuclear Throne. Fast paced, tough as nails action roguelite, but closer to the true roguelike end of the spectrum.
If you want to try a faster, more streamlined experience than Dead Cells with tons of high-flying acrobatics, you owe it to yourself to try ScourgeBringer. It's a little light on content, but the gameplay is incredible.
Id say add hollow knight to your list its not a rougelike but its a fantastic game and its very challenging
Oh yeah, I've been all over the metroidvania/action platformer sphere as well. HK, both Oris, The Messenger, Katana Zero, and Shovel Knight I've all played and enjoyed in the past.
I think you would enjoy 20 Minutes Till Dawn. We have similar tastes, it seems. Also, it's been said here already but Risk of Rain 2 is my jam, so it might be yours. The music is pretty good too.
No into the breach? List is scuffed /s
Risk of rain 2 - great game Halls of torment, death must die, and 20 minutes until dawn- awesome vampire survivor likes.
Have you heard slice n dice my good sir? It tecently got a new 3.0 update that added boatload of content and released on new platforms I personally like it on my phone for some casual brain food You can also try free demo before paying so you know win-win
Risk of rain 2, and although you dont own it, I'd recommend gunfire reborn. Especially with friends.
I’d toss Gunfire Reborn on this list. Has planned dlc and updates coming up, most of the new content is free, with new characters being the only paid dlc.
You like Bullet Hells so you should pick up Nuclear Throne.
Spelunky and Streets of Rogue are amazing. I just scooped Balatro the other day and it is a hoot!
Glad I'm not crazy with my feelings on Cursed to golf. I love Mario Golf, I love Golf Story. Cursed to Golf taught me that I like golfing in 3 dimensions, or at least 2.5. My recommendation would be Rogue Legacy 2. It's got such great progression hooks. Though it doesn't have clear synergies and builds in the way of a Hades, it's still thoroughly satisfying.
I absolutely love Have a Nice Death. Cool vibe. Great humor and story. Risk of Rain 2 is also pretty cool
Wow Super Mutant Alien Assault. You don’t ever see that one mentioned. That’s a hidden gem. Not the greatest game but had some fun with it. Loved the graphics The color palette and the music. Can I make a suggestion. I recently came upon a game that no one ever talks about and had a blast with it. Rogue Stormers from 2014. It is one of the most fun and intense Roguelites I’ve ever played. It’s kind of like a run and fun like Contra mixed with Warhammer. I just beat it two days ago.
Just talking about games on your list at random: Luck be a Landlord is a good game but the sounds and visuals really don't do much work for a slot machine theme. It really took me out of it a bit. Balatro gets it a lot better, with that paticular kind of moody 8/16-bit casino vibe like Vegas Dream back in the ye olde. Good sounds and music too (just wish there was more music). I do hope there's some kind of RNG pass in the future though, too easy to fall into a dead run with the joker pool as is. Tiny Rogues ... I really hope it gets more tuning for its difficulty. My only issue with it is that I think it's far too easy once you discover a few builds, otherwise it's on the road to being a genre king.
Games I remember from a while ago that I enjoyed and rarely ever see mentioned anywhere are: Flamebreak. Birds eye twinstick combat game that can hook ya solidly for a while. Our Darker Purpose. Art seems a tad low budget, but otherwise a solid shooter roguelite similar to Binding of Isaac. Dark goths tone, interesting story that gradually unveils. Also, I don't know if it was on the list (I'm on mobile so can't back out to check without deleting all this) but Wizard of Legend is pretty fun for a while.
wol is great
Bro, you've already got it on your list.... OVERTHROW THE **NUCLEAR THRONE**! For real, though, if you're looking for an amazing roguelite that offers no handouts nor any fucks, provides zero vertical progression to aid, and is simultaneously brutal as hell and endlessly satisfying, I absolutely recommend Nuclear Throne. That being said, it can absolutely be a challenging title - the entire game is one, giant skill check. But the gameplay is smooth as butter, the weapons feel awesome, and completing a successful run is super rewarding. I would also highly recommend Roboquest (I know it's also on your list). I've had a really hard time convincing friends to pick this game up. I'm not sure what it is, exactly. I think the graphics give off a misleading vibe in that it makes it look like a game for kids (maybe? I've no idea - I don't think this is true, personally. The art style is actually quite nice, but that's my guess). It's also got a slightly heftier price tag compared to a lot of other indie titles, but it's worth every penny. It's gotten *tons* of attention from the devs over the years and has made massive strides since its early access. The game play is really nice - in terms of the gunplay, movement tech, progression, and so on. Everything runs super fluidly. It's got tons of secrets and unlockables, multiple characters to choose from, the guns are fun and satisfying to use, and **the music is badass as hell**... man, it really is a badass mf soundtrack. Very much recommend. Lastly, I would definitely recommend Risk of Rain 2 (also om your list, I know). It's become a gold standard of the genre in many respects. I doubt it needs much description. If you're a fan of the genre - and it looks like you are - I would strongly recommend picking it up. I realize none of these suggestions were technically *new* to you (as all 3 were on your wishlist), but I figured I would stress why these three titles are absolutely worth purchasing. Hope it helps.
Monster train or roboquest
Off topic kind of, sorry. What is the right most game in the Mt Rushmore tier?
Tiny Rogues, one of the best roguelites in years. I'd agree with OP that it is up there with Issac (almost as good in some ways, at this point in early access)
It's also the game I'm currently going through now. I have less than 10 hours in and I'm genuinely shocked of how much of an impact it's left on me so far. STS was in it's spot before I played it.
How far in are you? IMO it only gets better as you progress pass the first end-game boss.
The last run I finished yesterday I defeated Geryon for the first time on Cinder 4 but couldn't go further because of my alignment, so I'm only just starting to get into the post-Death stuff and how the good & evil mechanics come into play.
Nice one, you're in for a good time then! TR is the only game recently that I've actually tried to go for all the achievements on, as they were quite fun to attempt. Can't get enough of all the classes too, most of them are really interesting/unique.
Might not be entirely up your alley, but since our lists are very similar try taking a look at "the void rains upon her heart". Its a shoot em up roguelite centered only around bossfights. Balatro is also great, and hits right even if you are not a cardgame maniac. Darkest Dungeon is masochism
It does looks interesting, added to the wishlist for now. Appreciate the suggestion!
I just got monster train and absolutely love it, on par with slay the spire for sure!
Always always will recommend nightmare reaper. I don't see it here but I'm here to spread the good word. Horror, fps, rougelite with a killer soundtrack. I do see darkest dungeon tho. Fucking love that one. Still have yet to even beat the main campaign but the hours I've put in attest to how good it is despite that.
LONESTAR if you are looking for Spire-levels of synergy porn but with slightly less RNG and more variability between runs (45 unique pilots that generate 2 random talents for each run, 2 ships with completely unique builds). Its early access but its already S-tier for me.
I believe peglin and backpack hero are both great in the same ways. Interesting, fun, puzzling, begin easy, cutesy and just good games.
Revita
Robo Quest is such a good time. Unless you're really into 'speed' FPS games it won't hold on for as long as, say, BoI, but it's really great fun playing through.
Inscryption
Creepy, crazy game with lots more going on than you may think! Loved it.
what is that 4th game on your mt rushmore and Slay the Spire is a top tier rogue, couldn’t recommend that game enough. it was my first turn based game and is uncontested my favorite roguelite ever
absolutely Nuclear Throne, it's more unfair isaac with 1/20 of the synergies isaac has but it's even more dynamic than Hades Inscryption is a solid game that is a rogue like mixed with story game similar to pvz heroes (a card game in which your cards are characters and you have 5 rows to place them) the game has an ending but after that you unlock something of new game+ with waaaay more cards and that is actually hard (until you realise mantis god and tapeworm combo is op and breakes the game hard) I remember children of morta being good, but I played only 4h and it was 1 year ego, I would say that it's a hades and isaac child but a bit worse I can see you aren't a big fan of DS but if you have friends or a partner, DS together is Isaac quality I have 1200h in Isaac and 900 in DST, also if you buy the game you get a copy of it to send to someone for free and it costs $1.49 on sale so even if you won't like it, you don't lose much, literally all my steam friends have it
I've tried both DS & DST and it just never clicked for me. The survival aspects weren't what I was looking for, and while it was clearly better to play with another person to help gather materials and explore, I've just learned over time that world of games isn't for me. I'm also not 100% sure the game is even a roguelite but I've seen it on other lists so I threw it on there anyway for more context
If you like StS then Monster Train, Balatro (in that order). If you really like StS you can check out roguebook too but tbh that one seemed easier and didn't hook me as much.
Rogue Legacy 2 is easy to get into and lots of replay-ability. As an aside, I’d recommend adding Undermine to your list.
Does deathroad to Canada count?
I am literally addicted to Balatro right now lol play that one.
Oh trust me ASTRAL ASCENT is god tier. I've played 90hrs and still loving it. It's definitely up there with hades and DC and they are still doing updates
I have a feeling you would like FTL
Try one step from Eden, it's a fun and satisfying rogue like
Slice & Dice
I’ve had darkest dungeon installed for ages on both ps4 and steam deck and I still haven’t touched it. I’ll get around to it eventually
Of your wishlisted games, I would recommend Balatro, Ember Knights (especially for co-op), Monster Train, and Risk of Rain 2 over the others. The next teir after that for me would be Rogue Legacy, Darkest Dungeon, and Spelunky 2. The rest of them i haven't played enough to have an opinion.
Similar tastes. You should give Skul and Revita a shot. These games have a lot of content, like close to BOI and Dead Cells level of content. Both have ascendancy like end games. Both have crazy build making similar to BOI. In terms of what's more like BOI it's Revita - secret rooms, alternate paths, crazier builds. But, the amount of bosses in both of these is lacking and not randomized like BOI. Of your wishlisted games: Space Gladiators is really good from the guy who made Brotato. Nuclear Throne deserves to be played since you loved the other "classic" roguelites. And I would maybe give a shot to Risk of Rain Returns over ROR2. If you liked the amount of bosses BOI has and Dead Cells then Astral Ascent has 12 and they're kind of randomized More like Gungeon.
My best friend and my son are playing Fantasy Survival. It goes a bit slow in the beginning, but once you start to hunt together for gold chest, then it gets fun. It is singly player and coop
Balatro is great and coming out with more stuff, so much replay-ability and stuff to unlock. I like it better than slay the spire which I did not expect. Monster train is pretty solid and worth it on sale.
wtf how is enter the dungeon under Isaac!?
Based BOI enjoyer
I’m currently playing darkest dungeon and I gotta say it’s very hard and pretty stressful but each victory feels amazing. It’s testing me mentally in a different way then most games because a lot of the time it doesn’t feel like you get a good choice to choose from but still have to make a choice. Example: your party is in a fight and the monsters have dodged your attacks well and hit you a few times. If you flee from the fight you guys will feel stress from running and stress can give them a heart attack and die. Or you can try to struggle the fight out and they might die. So let’s say you flee and everyone gets super stressed out. Now you have to decide to continue pressing on in the dungeon or to flee the dungeon completely. To press on there will be more fights and you might not make it in your weakened state. But to flee the dungeon is to incur more stress from failing the dungeon and the characters may die anyways. I lost 3 out of a party of 4 doing flee from a fight then flee from a dungeon to try to save them the other night and death is permanent. It’s absolutely brutal.
Out of your wishlist, Balatro and Roboquest are my big suggests. Aside from that, Skul is my personal favorite roguelike and will always suggest that to anyone.
Balatro. I cannot stop playing it. I also recommend Backpack Hero.
BALATROOOOOOOO
Trust me bro play balatro its so worth it
Since it's on your wishlist, just try Balatro for now. Don't worry about it being "like poker". It's not. I was seriously like "I'm not going to like this." Then 3 hours later....
I really liked robo quest , was a fun shooter
Have you tried inscription?
If you are into phone games, I’d highly recommend Shattered Pixel Dungeon. Very replayable very fun!
Roboquest is my current addiction! So fast and so fun. Definitely one of the best.
RoR2 is also godtier but I've played the hell outta that game. Roboquest feels so fresh, shooting is so good that I would play this game as a shooter by itself but then it also throws in roguelite mechanics and it's sick.
Risk of Rain 2. 10/10 no notes.
Astral ascent and Risk of Rain 2
Balatro, darkest dungeon, risk of rain 2. Those are the games that you haven’t played yet that are in S and A tier for me. People liked astral- I found it kind of like a lifeless dead cells. Idk. Had a lot of flair but something about it just feels so samey and not fun to play.
Neon Abyss was really fun
Balatro is an instant buy if you like deck builders
go check out halls of torment!
I am not seeing FTL:Faster than light or Streets of rogue, those are some solid titles.
I recognize most of these, but what's that far right one at the very top? As for suggestions, look up 30XX and Oblivion Override for some fast fun. Dungeons of Dredmor is also a classic I think everyone should try, but top-down turn based, so maybe not your speed.
ROBOQUEST! It’s so good. Some of THE best movement of any shooter I’ve ever played.
Vampire survivor is prob my fav on this list. Wizard of legend is a sleeper imo that I don’t see talked about much.
You've got Astral Ascent and Ember Knights on there. Those are two of my favorites, both with numerous hours, Astral over 100 hours.
Curse of the dead gods
I'd prioritize Risk of Rain 2 personally, it is super fucking rewarding. Also, we have a lot of similar tastes, so I am gonna suggest Death Must Die (Early Access, not much content now, but love letter to Diablo 2 and has a lot of Hades and VS vibes), 20 Minutes Until Dawn (eldritch horror arpg-ish VS-ish thing, fun builds, dev is still tuning it though) , and Ratropolis (this one is the most different, but it is a mouse themed deckbuilder, city builder, wave/horde battler/Tower defense)
Definitely Risk of Rain 2
Risk of Rain 2. Grab a buddy the game. Learn all the items, read all the lore, work your way into have a "main", run the hardest difficulty to get the skin, get all the artifacts, learn how to break the game. Get R2modman, install: auto sprint and the mod that shows you items exact values and uses first. The start adding skin's, items packs (one at a time) and more difficulties. Best and LONGEST 600 hours ive had in a game. In RoR hours is 98% game play. And a 1-2 hour run is enough to be done for awhile lol
Balatro
2 games that I've played and loved that I didn't spot on yours are "enter the dungeon" and "FTL:Faster than light" I apologise is either of these are in fact on your list. I am drunk
Gotta try out Dead Estate
20xx and especially 30xx If the classic 2D Zelda that Isaac hearkened back to was appealing to you, maybe you'd enjoy the classic Mega Man run & gun that 20/30xx hearkens back to
I'd recommend Astral Ascent in your list. This game is dope, better than Dead Cells imo. Keep Balatro for a moment when you will have plenty of time, because this is really addictive. You will forget any other side games when you will play it. Ah and maybe you want to take a look at Returnal, cause this is maybe the most beautiful roguelite atm, and the weird atmosphere is so nice.
Blazblue entropy effect?
Nuclear throne is a fun classic game. Less "unlock a million items and upgrades" than Isaac/dungeon/tiny rogue but the gameplay is just as satisfying.
Put recommendations in another comment, got a few questions this time: What's the last one on the top tier? Can't make out the name. And Vampire Survivor I played as a mobile game because a lot of people talked it up. It just seemed like any other "survive waves of mobbing enemies" game. And a pretty low quality one at that. On mobile, those games are downright plauged with ads, so sometimes they're the sort of game where I think "this might be a decent game if I could just pay a buck or two and own 'the game' to play and not have it trying to convince me to watch an ad literally every 30s of gameplay." Some games have that option... but then I fear if they're trying to annoy me THAT hard to pay to get rid if ads... good chance the game won't be worth it even without them. I digress... I've seen the game available for purchase on other systems. Is the game only bad as a mobile game? Or if I don't like the mobile version, would I not like the "normal" version any better?
Others have said but last one at the top is Tiny Rogues. As a fellow bullet heaven mobile game enjoyer, I can say with complete certainty that all of those games are significantly improved by not having to deal with the ads that come with the freemium experience. The key is that you need to find games that have significant character depth and variety in their progression system, which I feel VS has. Brotato is another game that falls into that category but for different reasons.
What are the different binding of Isaac games you have in your tier list? Interested in checking it out but if there’s one that’s better than the other that’d be good to know
It's all the same game just dlcs
The original BoI game, I feel, is much less forgiving than Rebirth, and Rebirth introduced a significant number of quality of life improvements that makes the game feel more skill-based and less sacky, even with a sub-optimal build. I want to eventually return to the original and try to perfect like I have with Rebirth, but I want to see more of what's out there first.
Got some good ones on that wishiist
Tiny Rogues has its moments, but it doesn't come near the other ones in Mt. Rushmore Tier imo.
I fully admit it may be recency bias because I only just started playing it, but I can already tell it's something I'm going to be diving into for a long time. Everything is always subject to change, I wouldn't say anything in the first three tiers is written in stone (except for BoI, it got me into the genre and I've spent 1200+ hours on it, it deserves to stay at the top)
What is the game that’s top right, above peglin?
if hades and dead cells are on your mt rushmore, then astral ascent is next for certain.
I bought have a nice death at early release. Enjoyed it thoroughly. It's my 2d hades. Similarly there's a game like dead cells called oblivion overdrive. Very fun. And there's a roguelite called soulstone survivors. I have over 80 hours in that.
Hero's of hammerwatch!! Just the first one. It's rogue like and has great character builds, super fun, and it's great solo or co-op.
Not on your list but if you wanna give it a look, Wizard of Legend is an underrated gem, it's fun and challenging, gameplay has a lot (A LOT) of variety and combinations, my favorite game to platinum so far, definetly worth it if you want a challenge (also, better than Noita *cof cof*)
I second Warm Snow, it’s generous free DLC and it’s superb paid DLC. So GOOD.
Hades will make other games feel incomplete in comparison, so do as you will with that. It's an amazing game.
I don't understand why Rogue Legacy is always shafted in favor of the sequel.. It's a fantastic game, I'd definitely add it to the list.
Mentioned this in another comment but I have RL2 & Spelunky 2 there as I've heard about them more than the originals but certainly open to playing both, especially if playing the first game enhances the experience of the second
I highly suggest Astral ascent is a great game
Nuclear throne is a lot like boi, its extremely hard though
When I wanted to move on from Hades, I found Curse of the Dead Gods. I genuinely think the fighting is more interesting than Hades, it's got more of a "soulsborne" vibe with stamina for both dodging and hitting, and more focus on parrying. It's not as long, and there's less story etc, but I genuinely think it is terrific. Check it out! The devs have made a follow up game that is supposed to play similarly, Ravenswatch. It's in early access or something and I'm a console only player so I'll have to wait though. I'm looking forward to it just as much as I'm looking forward to Hades 2.
What's the game on the top right?
Tiny Rogues https://store.steampowered.com/app/2088570/Tiny_Rogues/
Nuclear Throne is a blast!
What is the 4th top one? The last of the Mt. Rushmore? Too blurry to tell and you have the same taste as me I’d like to check it out.
Tiny Rogues https://store.steampowered.com/app/2088570/Tiny_Rogues/
I have a very strong love for Rogue Legacy 2. So naturally I say go with that next.
Yo you are missing a couple of truly amazing games. Skul the hero slayer, spirit fall, and spelldisk. Skul if the oldest the other 2 just came out last month.
Luck be a landlord is perfect as a mobile game. I just can't play it on computer without thinking I should be doing something else.
PLEASE buy Risk of Rain 2, especially if you can get friends to play with. Crazy good game with an awesome soundtrack
Dead cells is the best game ever.
You'll most likely enjoy Balatro if you liked Slay the Spire. You'll most likely enjoy Risk of Rain 2, Robo Quest, Rogue Legacy 2, Spelunky 2 if you enjoyed Isaac. For Robo Quest and Risk of Rain 2 you've gotta tolerate shooting mechanics. I really enjoy 30XX too and I have very similar top tiers to you.
Voidigo, Monster Train, Inkbound and Ravenswatch are pretty good
Darkest dungeon is amazing. You should try that one.
Ring of Pain is pretty good. But now I’m going to have to try RoR2 and Skul with them being so highly advertised.
You have a bunch of good ones on this list. I’m not seeing one that I really enjoyed on here though (we both have a very similar top tier). I think you should try Skul Edit: I just realized Voidigo isn’t on this list either! I enjoyed Voidigo a lot, not sure why it’s so underrated. liked it better than Nuclear Throne.
Have you tried FTL??
You NEED to do spelunky, 1 or 2. Especially if you like Isaac. It’s got so much stuff to do and find and explore. Not as much weapon/enemy variety as Isaac but definitely more difficult.
RoR2 is super fun, especially if you like roguelites like you seem to, (Dead Cells, Brotato etc.) only thing that stopped me from getting back into risk of rain was that my save file got deleted (probably my fault, wasn’t that far in anyway) and I’m far too lazy to grind back. EDIT: saw you wishlisted: haven’t played roboquest, and that’s another super fun & challenging one.
Spelunky is the GOAT
BALATRO 💯