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The best roguelike game in 2026 is Hades II, Supergiant’s sequel to the genre-defining original, while Balatro is the phenomenon — a poker-deckbuilder that won Game of the Year 2024 and has sold more than five million copies. If you want the most acclaimed all-rounder, the original Hades still holds a Metascore of 93. This ranks the roguelikes and roguelites worth your time right now, judged on acclaim, sales and replay value.
Roguelikes are built on procedurally generated runs, permanent death and meta-progression, so the “best” is really about how good each loop feels the hundredth time. Scores and sales figures below are current as of August 2026, drawn from Metacritic, developer announcements and Steam data.
The best roguelike games in 2026
Sixteen of the finest roguelikes and roguelites you can play today, from deckbuilders to bullet-heavens. The list blends critical darlings with the biggest sellers. A dash means no single headline figure, so the game earns its spot on acclaim and influence.
| Rank | Game | Developer | Subtype | Year | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hades II | Supergiant Games | Action roguelike | 2025 | Best action roguelike of the decade |
| 2 | Balatro | LocalThunk | Deckbuilder | 2024 | GOTY 2024, 5M+ sold |
| 3 | Hades | Supergiant Games | Action roguelike | 2020 | Metascore 93 |
| 4 | Slay the Spire | Mega Crit | Deckbuilder | 2019 | The deckbuilder benchmark |
| 5 | Vampire Survivors | poncle | Bullet-heaven | 2022 | ~6M sold, from £3.99 |
| 6 | Dead Cells | Motion Twin | Roguevania | 2018 | 10M+ sold |
| 7 | Risk of Rain 2 | Hopoo / Gearbox | 3D action | 2020 | Co-op scaling chaos |
| 8 | The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth | Nicalis | Twin-stick | 2014 | Genre pillar, endless items |
| 9 | Enter the Gungeon | Dodge Roll | Bullet-hell | 2016 | — |
| 10 | Returnal | Housemarque | AAA shooter | 2021 | The blockbuster roguelike |
| 11 | Rogue Legacy 2 | Cellar Door | Roguevania | 2022 | — |
| 12 | Cult of the Lamb | Massive Monster | Roguelike + sim | 2022 | Combat plus base-building |
| 13 | Slay the Spire 2 | Mega Crit | Deckbuilder | 2025 | Early access sequel |
| 14 | FTL: Faster Than Light | Subset Games | Strategy | 2012 | The classic that started the boom |
| 15 | Spelunky 2 | Mossmouth | Platformer | 2020 | — |
| 16 | Darkest Dungeon II | Red Hook | RPG roguelike | 2023 | Stress and party management |
The top five roguelikes in detail
Best overall
Best value
All-rounder
Deckbuilder
Most addictive
Hades II takes the perfect run-based combat of the original and makes it bigger, with a new witch protagonist, dual weapons and a sprawling underworld — the rare sequel that outdoes a genre-defining game. Balatro is the breakout hit of the decade: a poker-based deckbuilder that found new ground everyone thought was mined out, winning Game of the Year 2024 and passing five million copies at just £11.99. Hades, the 2020 original, still sits at a Metascore of 93 and is the ideal entry point for anyone new to the genre.
Slay the Spire is the deckbuilder every rival is measured against, pairing card synergies with relic hunting across four distinct characters, and its 2025 sequel is already in early access. Vampire Survivors is the most moreish of the lot — a bullet-heaven where you barely press a button while the screen fills with enemies, and at under £4 it has sold around six million copies. For the wider picture of where these indies sit commercially, see our roundup of the best-selling video games of all time.
Best roguelike by subtype
The genre splinters into very different play styles. Pick by the loop you want to sink hours into.
| Subtype | Best picks | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Deckbuilder | Balatro, Slay the Spire, Slay the Spire 2 | Build a card engine, chase synergies, think in odds |
| Action / roguelite | Hades II, Hades, Dead Cells, Returnal | Fast combat with permanent upgrades between runs |
| Bullet-heaven / auto | Vampire Survivors, Risk of Rain 2 | Survive escalating swarms, minimal inputs, huge payoff |
| Hardcore / pure | FTL, Spelunky 2, The Binding of Isaac | Full resets and brutal difficulty for veterans |
Many of these dominate the indie charts on PC — our look at the most played Steam games of 2026 shows how roguelikes hold their own against the big multiplayer titles.
Best roguelikes for beginners
Never played one? Start where the barrier is lowest. Vampire Survivors is almost impossible to bounce off — it costs under £4 and plays itself while you make upgrade choices. Balatro needs no reflexes at all, just a willingness to chase big poker hands. Hades is the gentlest action roguelike, because its meta-progression means every death makes you permanently stronger, so you always feel like you are advancing.
