With a blink of an eye, we’re already into February and looking forward to more roguish goodness planned for the weeks ahead.
Whilst January saw a slow but strong start to the year with the launch of Cult of the Lamb’s Woolhaven DLC, February is absolutely stacked, with almost as many standout releases as there are days in the month. From roguelike spin-offs in beloved franchises to smaller indie releases that are shaping up to be sleeper hits, there’s a little something for everyone.
As usual, I’ll be following our typical guidelines of avoiding all the AI-heavy projects, demos, and anything that looks too derivative.
Let’s get right to it then, with our first pick: Skewer Squad…
Skewer Squad | Fake Owls | Feb 2 | PC (Win)
Sometimes the most straightforward concepts in gaming are also the most charming, and Skewer Squad understands that perfectly. This cute and chaotic tower defense roguelite takes place on a BBQ grid and tasks players with defending their delicious skewers from an army of hungry mice. Mike recently previewed the demo and described it as a blend of table foosball, Breakout, and Brotato.
Following Woolhaven in January, another high-profile roguelite that is getting a paid expansion this year is Monster Train 2.
The biggest addition in Destiny of the Railforged is the brand-new Soul Survivor mode, which lets players battle bosses in any order they choose. Along the way, you can gain new curses, unlock rewards, and even equip the souls of fallen bosses to your cards. Outside of this mode, the DLC also adds a new clan, fresh artefacts, and challenging new enemies to face.
Rogue Factory| curried_functor, ecaroh | Feb 3 | PC (Win)
Billed as the AUTOMATION bullet hell, Rogue Factory has manufactured one hell of a killer identity for itself, one conveyor belt at a time. As hordes approach, you’ll need to construct your own custom spellcasting factory completely from scratch. The game features over 80 Spell Recipes to master and more than 100 Animal Totems to create unique synergies.
Master of Piece | I M GAME, I M FINE | Feb 4 | PC (Mac, Win)
This chess-inspired roguelike deckbuilder is making its move to Early Access on February 4th. Set in a dark, gothic medieval world, the game sees players command mercenary pieces on a tactical grid, combining traits, relics, and positioning to build powerful synergies and overcome brutal encounters.
This cute little typing roguelike has already made its mark on Mike (you’ll be reading his take on it soon). The game lets you become a true keyboard warrior, unleashing devastating attacks and absurd effects through the words you type. You can also choose from four playable classes, each with its own quirks and abilities that bend the rules of the game.
Anthem #9 | koeda | Feb 4 | PC (Win)
Described as a strategic gem-match roguelite, Anthem #9 brings a visual flair that fans of the Persona series will immediately recognise. By matching colored gems, you activate skills and unleash devastating combos on your foes. The game also appears to have a pretty fleshed-out story, following a secret organisation dedicated to maintaining global stability through balance and harmony.
Menace | Overhype Studios | Feb 5 | PC (Win)
Whilst not strictly a roguelike, we wanted to give a nod to Menance, due to its permadeath and procedurally generation mechanics. This tactical RPG sees players lead a strike force of marines, mercenaries, and criminals against an alien threat. With procedurally generated multi-mission operations and battle maps, alongside a big selection of characters and countless equipment options, every run is said to be different from the last.
The catalogue of rogues on the Switch 2 has steadily grown since launch, and one of the newest additions is Magic Rune Stone. This action roguelite lets you create your own unique character by matching different skills and equipment, and then choosing exclusive skills. It also promises double the fun via a bonus Survivors Mode.
Carmageddon: Rogue Shift | 34BigThings srl | Feb 6 | PC (Win), PlayStation, Switch 2, Xbox
After a ten-year hiatus, the Carmageddon series is back, shifting gears with its new roguelike spin-off, Rogue Shift. Set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, this brutal racer lets players compete in races and elite challenges to upgrade and customise their vehicles. There looks to be plenty to experiment with, too, with 15 unique vehicle classes that you can kit out with 13 weapon classes and 18+ perks.
Underboard | Headless | Feb 6 | PC (Win)
Our first tactical roguelike of the month, Underboard, really caught my attention with its team-building mechanics. Each member of your squad has its own randomised traits, and by matching them between characters, you can get further bonuses for your team. The game promises countless combinations of characters, traits, items, spells, and hundreds of unique stats to experiment with.
Mewgenics | Edmund McMillen, Tyler Glaiel | Feb 10 | PC (Win)
Easily my most anticipated release in February is Mewgenics. This cat-breeding roguelike from the creative minds behind The End is Nigh and The Binding of Isaac looks absolutely insane, and we’re all here for it. Players breed a feline army and take them into XCOM-like battles to earn rewards, such as money and food, and then grow their home base. Ahead of the release of this one, be sure to check out our exclusive interview with the game’s co-creator, Tyler Glaiel.
CiniCross | Hydrobates | Feb 11 | PC (Win)
Damn, the music for this one slaps! Seriously, stick on the trailer and turn those speakers up. We’ve seen roguelikes borrow mechanics from poker and chess before, and CiniCross hopes to do the same with nonogram puzzles. As you descend deeper into the game’s cursed dungeons, the puzzles grow more complex, and the rewards more enticing. It promises a slower, more thoughtful take on the genre, which I can appreciate.
With Dead Cells and ICEY collaborations arriving on day one, the BlazBlue series is finally hitting consoles with a bang. This expanded version of the previously PC and mobile title adds new story content, characters, and gameplay enhancements to make for a more well-rounded package. As you can see, this is shaping up to be a pretty solid month for Mike, as he was pretty fond of the original game and its slick beat ’em up combat.
Lost Flame | Bartosz Bojarowski | Feb 17 | PC (Lin, Win)
After seven long years, the solo-developed Lost Flame is finally exiting Early Access later this month. Hard as nails and with a minimalist art style, this turn-based roguelike looks heavily inspired by the grandaddy of the genre, Rogue. It’s also said to boast 100 hours of content, giving players plenty to sink their teeth into, provided they’ve got the skills.
Storm Bridge | YYZ Studio| Feb 16 | PC (Win)
Now this is a game I’ll bet on being a real sleeper hit. True to its title, Storm Bridge lets players build their own bridge settlement while outrunning a deadly, fast-approaching storm. It promises a rollercoaster of emotions, combining cosy city-building gameplay with the tension of fending off blizzards and fiery tornadoes.
Hold the Mine | Hookaria Games| Feb 17 | PC (Win)
I can’t be the only one who couldn’t resist belting out that ridiculously catchy Toto song when reading the title of this next game! Hold the Mine has a similar loop to Storm Bridge, as you’re tasked with exploring a long-forgotten mine by day and defending yourself from monsters at night. The two styles look to mesh together well too, as you’ll use the materials gathered from digging to construct powerful defences.
FUR Squadron Phoenix | Raptor Claw | Feb 18 | PC (Win),Switch
Are you craving another entry in the Star Fox franchise following what has felt like an endless drought? Well, FUR Squadron Phoenix might be the roguelite for you. A sequel to 2023’s FUR Squadron, the game is an action-packed on-rails space shooter fronted by a cast of anthropomorphic animals. It features a roguelite campaign where every run reshuffles the levels, keeping the action fresh and unpredictable.
Ever dreamed of a game where you manipulate the stock market like you’re in The Wolf of Wall Street? No? Same here. Still, Insider Trading makes the idea work better than you’d expect and Mike seems really up for it. Each run has you play as a trader with a unique strategy and use a deck of market-altering cards to move prices and control how the market reacts. The game even features unpredictable factors, such as recessions, that can disrupt entire runs.
Further proof of how mainstream roguelikes and roguelite-adjacent games have become, Across the Unknown is a strategy game set in the Star Trek: Voyager universe. Inspired by genre staples like FTL Faster Than Light, it promises a fun blend of exploration, ship and resource management, and roguish progression. Nintendo fans will also be pleased to see that this one is coming day one to the Switch 2 alongside other platforms.
Death Howl | The Outer Zone | Feb 19 | PS5, Switch, Xbox Series
As a huge fan of both soulslikes and roguelikes, it warms my black little heart that Death Howl is finally heading to consoles later this month. Featuring an ominous atmosphere, this deckbuilder carries many staples of the soulslike genre, including formidable boss fights, a punishing combat system, and enemies that reset after you rest. It’s already made a splash on Steam, and we’ll cover this one some more if we can.
Another roguelite heading to consoles on February 19th is Soulslinger: Envoy of Death. This fast-paced, story-driven FPS puts you in the boots of a gunslinger waging a gritty war against The Cartel while trapped in Limbo. The action involves Wild West-style guns, but you can also wield magic powers to obliterate your foes.
Having been wishlisted more than 200,000 times, SealChain: Call of Blood has clearly struck a chord with players following its limited-time demo. This anime-inspired roguelike lets players link together items to create powerful chain reactions. If modding is your thing, it even allows you to create mods for items, monsters, characters, and events, no programming required.
Konfronto| Flaming Fowl Studios | Feb 23 | PC (Win)
This colourful sci-fi roguelike auto-battler from Gloomhaven devs Flaming Fowl Studios is exiting Early Access on February 23rd. In Konfronto, players build their own powerful intergalactic starship and put it to the test against creations from the community.
Last Mage | Weird Jonny Studios | Feb 24 | PC (Mac, Lin, Win)
Survivor-likes are everywhere these days, but Last Mage looks set to do something a little different. Wrapped in a striking comic book visual style, the game features unique backpack management and spellcaster mechanics. It’s heading to Early Access at the end of the month and is expected to remain there for at least a year.
The Archives!
January 2026: The year kicked off strongly, with Cult of the Lamb’s first paid expansion, Woolhaven, headlining the month. It might have been the most high profile release of the month by far, but we still saw the release of a few hidden gems including Lort, Hungry Horrors, and Blightstone.
December 2025: Reflecting on the final month of 2025, it was The Rogue Prince of Persia landing on Nintendo’s consoles that was my personal highlight. Some other fun additions included the mobile version of CloverPit as well as the soulslike deckbuilder, Death Howl.
November 2025: Scanning back through this article reveals a great line-up of games, including Forestrike and a winning DLC for Risk of Rain 2. I’m going with Dog Witch as my personal pick for the spotlight, though, as I found this quirky little deckbuilder to be most enjoyable.
October 2025: When we look back it’ll probably be Ball X Pit that we remember as the standout game of October, but the new beat ’em up, Absolum, was also really good. In fact, there were loads of fun games out this month, so hit the link and find something awesome to play.
September 2025: Thanks to the release of two massive indie games, September was one of the busiest imaginable. Silksong dominated the headlines in the first half of the month, but it was Hades II that had my attention for most of September. On top of that there’s Towa, Moros Protocol, Ratatan, CloverPit, MegaBonk and Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor – truly one of the best months ever for roguelike enthusiasts!
August 2025: I’m mentioning it here because Jupiter Hell Classic isn’t actually in the August round-up – it dropped late in the month. However, it’s bloody great and I wanted it to get a mention here one way or t’other.
July 2025: An eclectic month by any measure, with the standout games including co-op platformer Neon Abyss 2, the well-received action-roguelite Hell Clock, strategy games like He is Coming and Lost in Prayer, and even a Pac-Man inspired survivors-like (Maze Mice).
June 2025: There were several big announcements this month due to Summer Game Fest and all that, but one or two great rogues slipped out at the same time, including Lost in Random: The Eternal Die, Battle Train, and Soulstone Survivors. The port of Against the Storm for consoles also proved quite popular, at least based on the activity I saw here on the site.
May 2025: May was an absolute belter of a month, with more games than we could reasonably keep up with. Hit the link for all the latest on a month that ended with Elden Ring: Nightreign and started with Maze Mice, with a stop off at Monster Train 2 and Into the Restless Ruins along the way.
April 2025: I didn’t expect Blue Prince to deliver such an astonishing single-player experience; I finally got to check out the roguelite mode in The Last of Us: Part II after the remaster hit PC; I was surprised when Lonestar left Early Access, but very pleasantly so; Soulslinger and Kiborg both delivered decent mid-budget roguelite actioners; Approaching Infinity made an appearance before the month’s end!
March 2025: This March there was a dizzying array of promising roguelike releases. Highlights included Knights in Tight Spaces, Rogue: Genesia, Schism, Metal Bringer, Voids Vigil, 33 Immortals, Reignbreaker and Nordhold. Phew (and there’s more that I could have included, so hit the link for a healthy selection of new games).
February 2025: With highlights including Die in the Dungeon and Sworn, this February is very respectable with a diverse selection of rogues to choose from. I think my favourite game this month, however, is Rift Wizard 2, a hard-as-nails turn-based roguelike about growing a spell book capable of taking on all sorts of gnarly monsters.
January 2025: The year has kicked off with a decent selection of games, so hit the link for highlights that include a gritty shooter called Cruel, bullet heavens such as Jotunnslayer and Pinball Storm: Lokanta (both very different games), and OMG Words, a fun little word rogue that have quite enjoyed. There is also the not-so-small matter of the new campaign mode for Darkest Dungeon II, Kingdoms, which also released in January along with new DLC.
November and December 2024: This double bill of archived articles is crammed full of excellent games. The standout game is undoubtedly Caves of Qud, which is finally ready after years in Early Access. However, there’s more going on than just that, with Battle Shapers, Ballionaire, Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop, and Magicraft all launched, too.
October 2024: This was a really solid month thanks to the release of [REDACTED], the Early Access launch of Windblown, and a surprising little gem by the name of DICEOMANCER. Lots of caps lock in October, and there’s even some roguish robots in disguise.
September 2024: What an excellent month for new roguelike games, with the highlights including deckbuilders Shogun Showdown and Pyrene, the FPS blaster otherwise known as Wild Bastards, and there was the mobile release of Balatro. Rogue Waters delivered pirate-themed turn-based tactics, and I also really enjoyed both Realm of Ink and Halls of Torment (the first of which landed in Early Access and the second of which just left it).
August 2024: The August archive boasts highlights including the blackjack-themed deckbuilder Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers, a co-op update for Cult of the Lamb, plus excellent games including Peglin, Terminus: Zombie Survivors, Knock on the Coffin Lid, and Nova Drift all left Early Access. Plot twist: Risk of Rain 2’s latest DLC launched to very mixed reviews.
July 2024: Headline acts this July included the console release of Darkest Dungeon II, and Lost Castle 2 releasing into Early Access. The original Epyx version of Rogue has finally been ported to Nintendo Switch, with one or two improvements that no doubt explain the delay. Finally, shout outs to Arc Seed, because I do love a giant mecha battle, and Wastelander, because I’m a sucker for sci-fi strategy games.
June 2024: This month got better as it went on. June closed out with a tetromino-powered tower defense roguelite by the name of Emberward, a turn-based western rogue called Guncho (wanted dead or alive, apparently), the quirky auto-battler otherwise known as Million Monster Militia, and the early access exit of Champion Shift. All of them landed in the back nine of the month, so keep on scrolling.
May 2024: Hit this link for some of the very best launches of the year, including the Early Access release of Hades II, the wonderful turn-based roguelike Path of Achra, and a big crossover as Contra comes to Vampire Survivors. Plus stellar shooters Robobeat and Mullet MadJack both dropped in May, and there’s a certain Prince from Persia who arrived before the end of the month, too. Phew.
April 2024: One of my favourites in April was peaceful puzzler Planetiles, which certainly contrasts the grimy first-person horror of Buckshot Roulette. Traditionalists will note the release of Story Mode in Dwarf Fortress as a milestone, while console owners finally got to savour the delights of Dave the Diver. Finally, I want to highlight Against Great Darkness and Inkbound; two indie gems out this month.
March 2024: Mortal Glory 2 dropped in March and it’s an excellent tactical turn-based roguelite about fantasy gladiators. The always brilliant Crypt of the NecroDancer got a big multiplayer update by the name of Synchrony. Two very different magic games were released into Early Access this month, with third-person actioner Vellum landing alongside turn-based spell-simulator Rift Wizard 2. Finally, the wonderful dice roller Slice & Dice made an appearance on Steam.
February 2024: An earlier iteration of this format – February’s round-up is a bit of a mess. Nevertheless, it was a good month for games with the release of Balatro on PC and console, which has been my most-played game of the year by far, and Shiren 6 finally arrived on Nintendo Switch. Other highlights include the full release of Inkulinati, and the Early Access launch of Deep Rock Galactic: Survivors.
January 2024: The first month of the year is usually pretty quiet across the industry (except for at Capcom for some reason) but we did get some good rogues, too. Lonestar is my personal pick, but Go Mecha Ball landed on PC and console, and the unofficial Indiana Jones parkour simulator otherwise known as Phantom Abyss left Early Access. Finally, BlazBlue Entropy Effect also left EA.
November and December 2023: It was still early days for Rogueliker and the formatting is all over the place, but if you want even more games, I’ve got a few from late 2023 to tell you about. Picayune Dreams is one of the highlights, as is Against the Storm, two of the year’s best games, in fact. Other top-tier titles to drop before the end of the year include Cobalt
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In an effort to tempt you into clicking deeper into our web of rogues, moving forward, we’re going to try something a little different, and after the upcoming advert for NordVPN, you’ll find a new feature: Rogueliker’s Hall of Fame. But first, here are a load of mega awesome roguelikes and roguelites, almost 40 of them, in fact.
Still with us? Ok, the Hall of Fame below highlights arguably the best game from each sub-category in the article linked directly above; however, each of these standout games is reinforced with another article about even more titles, whether they be turn-based roguelikes or first-person shooters.
Finally, if you’d prefer everything split into individual platforms, we’ve got you covered, too, although be warned, those lists don’t go into as much detail:
First, let’s establish the parameters for inclusion. We can answer the question of “what is a roguelike?” by telling you about the game that started this whole party. Rogue is a turn-based RPG with procedurally-generated content and permadeath. The genre has exploded in a hundred different directions since then, but all of the games on this list retain one or two core features that first appeared in Rogue back in 1980.
The best turn-based roguelikes: Caves of Qud | There are some seriously incredible turn-based roguelikes out there. Of all the modern games, these are the closest to the original Rogue.
Awesome first-person rogues: Gunfire Reborn | We almost went with Blue Prince for this spot, but most people checking out first-person rogues probably want to wield a gun, you know?!
Cool roguelike deckbuilders: Balatro | Sorry, Slay the Spire fans, but this poker-solitaire deckbuilder has stolen Mike’s heart and won’t give it back.
Exciting roguelike platformers: Spelunky | Now, don’t get us wrong, Dead Cells is an incredible game, especially with all the DLC switched on. But when it comes to impact, you just can’t beat Spelunky.
Amazing action-roguelites: Hades 2 | And finally, let’s wrap things up with our favourite of them all, There’s no beating the original Hades, although Hades 2 comes pretty close!