In recent years, the roguelike genre has completely exploded. At one time it was a niche genre. Now though, roguelikes frequently dominate the top indie releases each year. The best roguelike games on Xbox Series X & S are some of the best titles on the platform as a whole.
Roguelikes aren’t limited to dungeon crawlers that punish any slip-up in intense fights with monsters. Well, some of the top roguelikes are exactly that but this is a diverse genre. The top Xbox roguelikes include card builders, flight simulators, and more.
With so many indies taking the roguelike genre in a different direction, it’s never been a better time for fans of the genre. There are more amazing games than ever that like to enforce players mastering mechanics before they make too much progress.
One unique benefit of playing roguelikes games on Xbox Series X & S is the sheer prevalence of the top titles on Games Pass. If you use the subscription service a good number of these best titles here are available on there. All of these games are available on Xbox though.
These are the best picks for Xbox roguelikes. We’ll go in reverse order, with the best recommendations at the bottom:
9. Moon Hunters
| Genre: | Action, Adventure, RPG |
| Developers: | Kitfox Games |
| Release Date: | July 18, 2017 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store |
| Multiplayer: | N/A |
| Average Playtime: | 1 hours |
Moon Hunters is a special type of roguelike game that adds a lot more whimsy and charm to this list! Rather than slashing your way through great evils and taking down monsters, it’s an RPG story about the balance of the world.Â
Moon Hunters is set in the fantasy land of Issaria. Here, the moon has ceased to rise. That’s a major problem in a world where the magic to keep monsters at bay is powered by the moon.
Without it there, monsters have taken over the land. Moon Hunters features a relatively strong traditional RPG-style story. You’re adventuring around a land, not just progressing through a series of levels.
A good portion of the game makes use of procedurally generated areas. Your goal is to try and put a stop to the Sun Cult and restore the moon. Along with the way you’ll fight monsters or maybe elope with one of them.
The combat and adventure in Moon Hunters can be a bit shallower than with a lot of other best roguelike games on Xbox Series X/S., However, it makes up for it elsewhere.
Each run is different, even the ending of your quest and the game’s story changes from one play through to another. Some of the endings get particularly creative. This is a roguelike that excels in player choice. It isn’t perfect. There are clear flaws like with parts of the combat but it’s different and adds variety to the genre.
8. Sky Rogue
| Genre: | Action, Dogfight, Flying, Simulation |
| Developers: | Fractal Phase |
| Release Date: | January 31, 2020 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store |
| Multiplayer: | N/A |
| Average Playtime: | 12 hours |
Sky Rogue has the unique distinction of being the only flight simulator on this list of the best Roguelike games on Xbox Series X/S. Normally this is a genre that isn’t associated with permanent death, but Sky Rogue makes a good case that maybe it should.
Sky Rogue is a flight simulator with similar gameplay to games like Starfox. You’re flying around endless islands, procedurally generated to give you a different experience every time. The graphics aren’t high-end like a flight simulator, but they have a certain charm.
Each island has different kinds of interactions. You can attempt to take out enemy ace pilots or even big guns like aircraft carriers. These are tricky to take down though. You’ll have to learn how to operate your aircraft with flare and skill to survive.
Sky Rogue’s permanent death feature adds real stakes to all of its fights. The flying mechanics can be hard to master, so adding a real punishment for falling behind helps to keep things interesting.
This isn’t the most expansive roguelike featured on Xbox, but it’s worth highlighting for doing something different.
7. Don’t Starve Together
| Genre: | Adventure, Survival |
| Developers: | Klei Entertainment / BlitWorks |
| Release Date: | September 12, 2017 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store and Amazon |
| Multiplayer: | Local co-op (2-6), Online co-op (2-6) |
| Average Playtime: | 35 hours |
Don’t Starve is a more unconventional Roguelike, putting a modern take on that style of gameplay. This is a survival game with difficult gameplay and some really unique art.Â
It takes place in a randomly generated world. You find yourself in an unknown land, with the sole goal of surviving for as long as possible. The longer you survive, the more XP you rack up and can unlock different characters and perks.
Gameplay is divided into night and day. During the day, you can explore and gather all of the resources you’ll need to defend yourself and survive.
At night, monsters will enter the game and that’s where things get tricky. You need to be able to fight off the monsters using combat and the weapons you’ve been able to build.
On top of the combat, there’s resource management at play here. You need to eat and stay safe. Nothing is too simple here, even food will eventually spoil.
Don’t Starve Together is a multiplayer version. You can play with friends with local servers, online, and even random matchmaking. There are a few different modes but playing with friends adds a whole new element to the title.
One of Don’t Starve’s most appealing features is its art. Everything is made up of hand-drawn cutouts. Each character and monster seem to have a Tim Burton vibe to them.
Don’t Starve is a title that isn’t the most traditional on this list. It’s worth checking out if you’re looking for that roguelike difficulty in a survival game though.
6. Enter the Gungeon
| Genre: | Action, Bullet Hell, Rogue-like |
| Developers: | Dodge Roll |
| Release Date: | April 5, 2017 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store |
| Multiplayer: | N/A |
| Average Playtime: | 22 hours |
Enter the Gungeon is a bullet hell-based roguelike, it’s one of the highlights in the genre in recent years. The title has a gameplay cycle that is rewarding and addictive. This is both a great roguelike and one of the best bullet hell games on Xbox.
Gameplay here starts with crawling your way through the gungeon, a dungeon themed around guns. You can move gradually through the procedurally generated dungeon trying to clear out all of the enemies in there.
Players have access to different weapons, but you can also dodge roll, and flip tables to make them into cover. The gungeon is infested with living bullets, making the bullet hell descriptor weirdly literal.
You’ll have to budget your resources like blanks that can clear bigger rooms, along with finding the guns and items you need to finish your run. There are more than 300 guns and items on offer, so a lot of space for innovating over multiple runs.
The game features some of the tensest boss fights around. You’ll have to take out everything from a bird-headed monster to a dragon made of guns.
The game is pretty highly replayable. However, if you master everything and want a bigger test there’s Challenge mode. This lets you add modifiers to make the game more difficult every time.
Enter the Gungeon features co-op play. More than one player can jump in to try and clear the gungeon. This definitely makes it stand out on any list of the best Roguelike games on Xbox Series X/S.
5. Binding of Isaac Rebirth
| Genre: | Action, RPG, Rogue-like, Shooter |
| Developers: | Nicalis, Inc. |
| Release Date: | July 23, 2015 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store |
| Multiplayer: | Local multiplayer (2-4) |
| Average Playtime: | 5 hours |
The Binding of Isaac is a gory roguelike that combines dungeon crawling with twin-stick shooter elements. The core gameplay is some of the most engrossing you’ll find. However, Isaac has a few more features to offer roguelike players than just its raw mechanics.
The Binding of Isaac takes inspiration from the biblical story of the same name, but with a modern setting. Isaac’s mother hears a message from god demanding she sacrifices Isaac. To escape, he tries to fight his way out of the basement.
The cute yet disturbing art and design of everything in this game is very memorable. It’s a distinctive style and approach to the game’s world that’s sure to leave a mark.
Good visuals are nothing without solid gameplay though. Isaac has a gameplay cycle that will keep you coming back for more. You crawl through procedurally generation dungeon rooms.
The main combat is done as a twin-stick shooter from a top-down perspective. However, along the way, there are plenty of items and other abilities for you to find. With these, you can adapt gameplay to how you want to play.
Binding of Isaac Rebirth has some really unique mechanics. One fun one is triggered when you grab three of some particular items and you can even transform Isaac. You can turn into a cat or other creations. This is just the start of all the different ways to play through.
The Binding of Isaac manages to create a lovable interesting world out of some of the most grotesque characters and themes. It’s one of the best roguelike games on Xbox Series X/S and one with the most personality.
4. UnderMine
| Genre: | Action, Adventure, Rogue-like |
| Developers: | Thorium Entertainment |
| Release Date: | August 6, 2020 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store |
| Multiplayer: | N/A |
| Average Playtime: | 22 hours |
UnderMine is a roguelike game that combines elements of dungeons crawlers, RPGs, and even mining games! This is an adventure that is completely different every time you play. It’s one of the top Xbox rogue likes along with being one of the best roguelike games on Switch and other platforms.
Gameplay in UnderMine is a mix of quite a few things. You’re largely mining and exploring, trying to find better gear with all the different items available. You’re also progressing through a dungeon, with random elements that let you get a different adventure every time.
UnderMine isn’t just a game that sees you progress through a dungeon though. There are some stronger RPG elements at play here too. There are various NPCs and even some friendly ones with mysteries for you to figure out.
The game has you start again outside of some elements every time that you die. There are also random elements with all the different items and builds that you can make use of. This all helps to keep it easy to replay
Undermine is a fantastic blend of a lot of different types of gameplay. There are the combat and dungeon exploring mechanics at work here. However, there are also more RPG elements thrown in and treasure hunting thrown in.
The variety makes Undermine one of the most varied games here. Out of the best roguelike games on Xbox Series X/S, it’s a bit different from most.
3. Slay the Spire
| Genre: | Card Game, Rogue-like, RPG |
| Developers: | MegaCrit |
| Release Date: | August 13, 2019 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store and Amazon |
| Multiplayer: | N/A |
| Average Playtime: | 11 hours |
Slay the Spire is another roguelike that takes a different genre and adds permadeath and other hard mechanics. This is a game where you climb through a dungeon but you’re not fighting with weapons you collect. This is a deck-building and card-based roguelike.
Gameplay in Slay the Spire starts off traditional enough for a roguelike. The player is heading through a dungeon level after level, making it to the top of the spire. However, survival is fought through a card game with decks you collect on the way.
The player will have to collect their cards and build a great deck that can deal with the opposition and propels them to the top of the tower. You’ll have to master the strategies at play in this turn-based card game and try to master building a better deck
That game definitely made big progress for the deck-building roguelike. There are games like Monster Train that continue this, but Slay the Spire is the most iconic in the genre still.
Slay the Spire is definitely a different type of roguelike. If you’re specifically looking for one that lets you play card games, then this is the best pick for roguelike games on Xbox Series X Here.
2. Hades
| Genre: | Action, Adventure, Rogue-like, RPG |
| Developers: | Supergiant Games |
| Release Date: | August 13, 2021 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store and Amazon |
| Multiplayer: | N/A |
| Average Playtime: | 22 hours |
Hades is one of the most acclaimed roguelikes ever made, and it plays great on Xbox. This is a game that has the difficulty you expect from the best Roguelike games on Xbox Series X/S. It goes past just being mechanically rewarding though.
This game also has amazing art, a well-written story with lively characters, and a soundtrack with voice acting that evokes real emotion.
Gameplay in Hades is based around four main dungeons, each is a different region of the underworld. It is an isometric dungeon crawler where you progress from chamber to chamber trying to climb all the way back up.
Combat is hack and slash but you have a lot of choices between weapons and other abilities. Over the course of each run, you will have to specialize with the gifts you’re offered. This helps to keep every run feeling fresh.
If you’re looking for a roguelike with something more than just gameplay, Hades might be the best pick for you. This is a title that features an engrossing story. You’re playing as the song of the Underworld, attempting to physically climb back out of hell.
Along the way, you’re going to meet various other Olympians. Zagreus is on a quest to escape from his father and reunite with his mother, he’ll need their gifts to defy his dad though.
Hades isn’t quite as difficult as some of the roguelikes on here off of the shelf. However, once you’ve mastered combat you can begin to add extra difficulty by adding conditions to your runs. This really opens the game up to a lot more replayability.
Hades is basically the whole package. It’s one of the best experiences on the console as well as being one of the best roguelike games on Xbox Series X/S.
1. Dead Cells
| Genre: | Action, Adventure, 2D Platformer |
| Developers: | Motion Twin |
| Release Date: | August 6, 2018 |
| Find at: | Microsoft Store |
| Multiplayer: | N/A |
| Average Playtime: | 14 hours |
Dead Cells is another indie game to make this list. This one features Hack and slash gameplay, but with branching paths through and a difficulty curve that can be very rewarding.
The player is attempting to escape from an island prison, but they’ll have to take down all of the diseased inhabitants along the way. Combat is done through either melee weapons or projectiles. There are loads of different options for weapons that you’ll need to unlock and then loot throughout your runs.
Combat in Dead Cells starts small but gets increasingly complex. You’ll need to master dodges, parries, and the attack cycles of many different enemies and bosses. All this needs to be second nature if you want to clear the game.
Dead Cells offers great replayability due to how different each run can feel. There are numerous paths through the game, with different exits on each level allowing you to mix things up.
There are also specific doors with extra loot for clearing a level without taking a hit or under a time limit. These little goals keep you focused even on the levels that you’ve mastered. It’s one of those rare roguelikes that finds a way to keep the early levels interesting even once you’ve nailed all of the core mechanics.
Dead Cells is near infinitely replayable. It’s one of the best roguelike games on Xbox Series X/S and a title that you’ll find yourself coming back to long after you’ve cleared the higher difficulty runs.
