Gamers are one of the most fitting modern-day representations of the mythical Sisyphus. They all love to toil and labor digitally only to start over again eventually, usually in other games. Some love to take it to hardcore levels and do this with just one game, and that's why the roguelike genre exists.
Roguelike games love to torture their players' by resetting progress after death, just as how Sisyphus keeps pushing the boulder up a mountain only for it to roll down at the bottom. Still, one must imagine Sisyphus as happy, and, for that matter, fans of roguelike games, as well. So, if that's the kind of punishment you're looking for, indulge those masochistic tendencies with these 10 games.
10 The Binding Of Isaac (Metascore 84)
The usual trend with roguelike games is how they tend to adopt a cute theme in order to make themselves seem less intimidating. The Binding of Isaac is one good example of this with the rather adorable art style to complement the serious difficulty... if you don't look that closely, of course.
In The Binding of Isaac, players play as a bald naked child who must fight poop monsters and other supposedly hideous and stinky monstrosities. If they die, they lose everything, but the redeeming value is that they get to discover new things the game has to offer thanks to randomization every time they restart.
9 Risk of Rain (Metascore 85)
Risk of Rain 2 is even better than the original and is one of the most unique games here; it's a third-person shooter/action game in addition to being a roguelike. The premise is that players must escape the alien planet they're stranded on.
They can do this either solo or with up to three other friends, making the survival runs more fun and dynamic. Loot plays a big factor here, as it can be combined to create new toys. With a bit of luck, players can make their characters' nigh-invincible, though the game will always find ways to slam them down back into the cold, hard ground.
8 Rogue Legacy (Metascore 85)
Rogue Legacy is another wacky roguelike game which is more lenient with its players, often putting it in the "rogue-lite" sub-category, which is a midway point. Still, that doesn't make it easy, as it assumes the spirit of old and similar roguelike sidescroller games.
The art style also takes its inspiration from The Binding of Isaac and other roguelike titles. What sets Rogue Legacy apart, however, is that, every time a character dies, the new character takes over is a descendant of the deceased character. Much like genetic descendants in real-life, the characters in Rogue Legacy have different traits and even hereditary diseases such as gigantism, color-blindness, and more to make gameplay varied.
7 Darkest Dungeon (Metascore 85)
By far one of the most "hardcore" roguelike games out there, Darkest Dungeon is all about making the most out of a negative situation. It just so happens that every four-man dungeon run is a negative situation, as the party members can easily succumb to stress and tend to go insane most of the time.
Additionally, dead party members are forever gone once they die, no matter how valued they are. Coupled with the fact that it's a turn-based RPG sprinkled with overwhelming Lovecraftian storytelling elements, it's easy to see how players end up succumbing to defeat in most Darkest Dungeons sessions.
6 Enter The Gungeon (Metascore 87)
For a roguelike game with a lighter atmosphere, Enter the Gungeon is something that should keep players coming back, even if they keep dying over and over again. It's a bullet-hell top-down shooter game that rewards fast reflexes and split-second decision making as well as muscle memory.
The real star of Enter the Gungeon, however, is its guns. There are tons of guns and all of them are unique. They have guns that shoot lasers, guns that shoot exploding bullets, and bullets that fire guns, if you're looking for something really wacky. Pretty soon, the players will forget the frustration of dying due to how crazy this game can get.
5 FTL: Faster Than Light (Metascore 88)
For sci-fi fans out there, FTL: Faster Than Light ought to be a bittersweet delight. It's a miniature space opera game that takes place in a starship where players must manage the crew and the whole ship's operations during disasters and battles.
If players ever wanted to experience the stress that Spock or Kirk or any other starship captain felt, then this might be a good simulator. Of course, it's also a roguelike game, and players will have to start all over again if they run their ship to the ground.
4 Spelunky (Metascore 90)
Here's a classic that got its contemporary remake just last decade, Spelunky. It's a game about exploring the depths of underground cave systems and living out your Indiana Jones fantasies.
Death looms in every corner in Spelunky, however, and, just like its old predecessors such as Spelunker, Spelunky punts the players back to the start if they make a mistake. Hey, that treasure more than makes up for it, though.
3 Dead Cells (Metascore 91)
Combining elements of roguelike, platformer, and Metroidvania games, Dead Cells succeeds in creating its own brutal and beautiful levels where players can't help but keep replaying even after many deaths. It got tons of awards and received so much praise that it's undoubtedly one of the top roguelike games at the moment.
Each level is procedurally-generated. That means no two runs in Dead Cells are the same. Enemy placements change, as well as platforming layouts. As always, it's the players' death and failure that will make them see just how deep and vast this game can be.
2 Crypt Of The Necrodancer (Metascore 92)
Novelty has always been one of the strongest points of roguelike games, and each new one is more unique than the other. Crypt of the Necrodancer takes the cake in that regard, as it's a roguelike music combat game where the players fight through undead-infested dungeons with rhythmic notes and dancing.
So, when they're not pulling their hairs out from dying and starting over again in Crypt of the Necrodancer, the players are usually jamming to the sick beats. Everything in Crypt of the Necrodancer must be done by dancing to the music, from attacking enemies to simply walking into the dungeon rooms—don't be a killjoy, now.
1 Hades - 95
Last, but not least, the latest roguelike game to be released, Hades. It's made by a highly-reputable developer who was also responsible for dark horse masterpieces such as Bastion and Transistor. This time around, they made a roguelike which was so well-received that it might just grab the roguelike crown from Dead Cells.
Hades is about the journey of Zagreus, son of the God of the Underworld in Greek mythology. Zagreus has always been trapped in his dad's realm from the moment he was born, so it's up to the players to reunite him with his warmer Olympian relatives. The catch is that it's a herculean effort, and Zagreus will die many times. What Hades does differently is how the story progresses with each death, making each run more meaningful than the last so players actually have better reasons to push that boulder up the mountain once again.