The world of Roguelites is a very dense place with players that absolutely love to complete the nearly-insurmountable tasks of beating them. For experienced players in the world of Roguelites, a new game is just another place to apply their talents. For newbies though, these can be an exercise in tedium that can truly test the patience of those looking to learn how they each work. As a rather new player to the Roguelite sub-genre, I know how you feel. Luckily for you, we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 best Roguelites for beginners.
What’s the Difference?: Roguelite vs Roguelike
For those who may have seen both terms used online; Roguelite and Roguelike, the key difference comes down to how gameplay is handled between the two. The biggest difference is that while Roguelite titles give players a sense of progression through weapons or abilities that can be carried over even after death, a Roguelike is less forgiving and doesn’t usually offer all that much in way of constellation prizes for losing.
Top 5 Best Roguelites for Beginners
As a newbie to the sub-genre, there have been some really great games that I’ve played and some really difficult ones, beyond my realm of expertise. These are the top 5 that have been crucial and worked for me in my formative moments as a Roguelite player. Let’s jump into the list!
Hades
Perhaps the most well-known title on this list; Hades is a fantastic top-down Roguelite that has some truly amazing dungeons to crawl. With its vast cabinet of weapons and very well-done story beats, this title actually makes you feel like you’re making progress even if you’ve died dozens of times and have barely made it past the first set of dungeons. This one has been a success amongst critics and players for a reason, it is utter awesomeness.
Dead Cell
Another favorite amongst players and critics has been Dead Cells, and for good reason. This title’s platforming sections are perfect for those who have a love for puzzle platformers and Metroidvania type of games. This title also features some really fun combat with a few different playstyles to choose from and combine over time. This one is great because while it can be difficult, it’s a familiar-feeling experience overall.
MOTHERGUNSHIP
What sets this game apart from the rest is that not only is it an FPS title, there are some great customization options to choose from when it comes to your guns. The FORGE version on VR is especially fantastic because you actually get to be put into the game and operate its mechanics manually. If you’re an FPS player and are looking to get into Roguelites, this is the best place to start. This game feels more like one of those arcade FPS titles, so this isn’t difficult to get the hang of.
Neon Abyss
The first Roguelite that I ever played was Neon Abyss, and wow, did it get the better of me. Until I actually started playing it differently from how I played other platformers, I didn’t understand the draw. Once I did, this game delivers one of the purest Roguelite experiences out there, one that carries just about every mechanic that the sub-genre holds so dear.
Don’t Starve
An oldie but a goodie, most players that aren’t all that familiar with Roguelites wouldn’t really know that Don’t Starve is actually a part of the sub-genre. This game’s main draw is fantastic for Minecraft players as crafting in its brutal survival world is crucial to success. This one is fun if you want to up the ante a bit as you become more comfortable with the mechanics of it all.
That’s our full list of the top 5 best Roguelites for beginners. Though there are a lot of games out there in this realm of games, these are going to be your best to get started with in order to tackle some of the bigger, more difficult ones.
Related: Best Builds to Beat Hades
