Ranking The Best DESIGNED Roguelikes (Part 2)

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Welcome to the LARGEST roguelike tier list to date!

Today, we continue to meticulously rank and evaluate beloved (and infamous) roguelikes and roguelites. We will be adding Over 30 games to our extensive list (as well as a few re-rankings).

All aspects will be considered when objectively ranking each game including, risk vs. reward, diversity, synergies, level design, enemy design, charm and visuals, audio, and much more.

This is an open discussion! If you have any additional thoughts or disagreements, please feel free to comment below.

Missed Part 1? No problem, check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k_-k4X90ao&t=84s

=== GAMES SHOWCASED ===

0:00 – Intro
1:50 – Alina of the Arena (2022)
5:47 – Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles (2023)
12:02 – Atomicrops (2020)
19:03 – Balatro (2024)
25:42 – Barony (2015)     
32:08 – Below the Stone (2023)
36:00 – BlazBlue Entropy Effect (2024)
43:16 – Cavity Busters (2023)
49:29 – Cursorblade (2023)
52:10 – Death Must Die (2023)
1:00:08 – Deflector (2023)
1:06:49 – Despot’s Game: Dystopian Army Builder (2021)
1:10:49 – Dicey Dungeons (2019)
1:14:43 – Dreamscaper (2020)
1:18:09 – Ember Knights (2023)
1:22:14 – God of Weapons (2023)
1:26:00 – Goobies (2023)
1:29:37 – Into the Breach (2018)
1:33:00 – Necrosmith (2022)
1:36:48 – Necrosmith 2 (2024)
1:40:51 – Nordic Ashes (2022)
1:44:19 – Nova Drift (2019)
1:47:10 – Nuclear Throne (2015)
1:49:19 – Ravenswatch (2023)
1:55:37 – Risk of Rain Returns (2023)
2:01:02 – Roboquest (2023)
2:05:58 – Slime 3K (2023)
2:09:31 – Space Gladiators (2021)
2:11:56 – SpellRogue (2024)
2:16:11 – Spiritfall (2024)
2:20:42 – Star of Providence (2017)
2:23:46 – Tales of Maj’Eyal (2012)
2:27:39 – The Void Rains Upon Her Heart (2018)
2:35:20 – Tiny Rogues (2022)
2:37:37 – Vault of the Void (2022)
2:39:45 – Wildfrost (2023)
2:45:55 – Wizard With a Gun (2023)
2:50:32 – Outro

=== MUSIC USED ===

Balatro – Main Theme
Barony – Title Screen
Cusorblade – Main Menu
Dicey Dungeons – Elimination Round
Ember Knights – Nexus Normal
Into the Breach – Blitzkrieg
Risk of Rain Returns – Tropic of Capricorn
Risk of Rain Returns – 25 3°N 91 7°E
Spiritfall – Main Menu
Spiritfall – The Viridian Trail
Wildfrost – Snowdwell
Wildfrost – Tundra Heart
Wildfrost – Spirit Call
Wildfrost – The Wooly Snail
Wizard with a Gun – The Snow and the Silence
Wizard with a Gun – The Space Between Stars
Wizard with a Gun – Mourn What is Lost, Mind What Remains

#Roguelike #Roguelite #TierList

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29 thoughts on “Ranking The Best DESIGNED Roguelikes (Part 2)”

  3. Disey Dungeons is one of my favorite games of all time. I don’t think the random nature of the dice is a real problem, since the entire game is based around taking chances and crossing your fingers. I think not knowing if you’re gonna die next turn leads to interresting strategic gameplay, where you need to decide if you wanna try your best to end the fight, or pray you don’t die.
    Also every character has an ability that charges when they take enough damage, and I think that’s a good counter to the whole enemy randomness argument, since all of the characters’ abilities could pretty much win you a fight instantly. (Jester especially)
    If you play your cards right (pun intended), and have the game knowledge needed, it’s pretty easy to completely rig a run. Like when I was doing a hard mode run as the thief and got a build where no matter what I rolled I could gain like 5 extra dice, turn them all into 3s and do 6 damage pr dice. Stuff like that.
    What I’m trying to say is, you should reconsider the Dicey Dungeons placement :))

    Also the soundtrack is absoloutely amazing, idk how you couldn’t comment on the soundtrack fkfkebejgi

    Reply

  4. Honestly the Star of Providence rating, as much as I understand that you didn't like the game, it feels like more of a skill issue and preference issue than an actual design issue. You expected something, didn't get what you expect and got something more unique that is well designed with the design choices it takes, and complained about it. Let's talk about all the complaints.
    "I play a lot of bullet hells." –> I know skills from one type of game should go to another, but there is a reason these are challenging and ruthless games that require you to learn new patterns of enemies. That is the DNA of the genre, and it is why this genre is hard in general.
    Small screen –> the entire feel of the game and the artstyle is based on this more arcadey feeling. Everything is also kinda balanced around the small space and quite quick movement speed. Again, this would be an issue if it wouldn't be such a vital part of the game's DNA.
    "If you don't know enemy movesets, you will take damage." –> This is the point of bullet hells. Understanding and knowing the patterns and how to adapt to them. You are supposed to die, go back into the dungeon, and learn what enemies/bosses do. The fact that you have to do that makes me think it is well designed.
    "Almost feels like try and error," –> Every roguelike is trial and error, since the progress comes from skill progression and not metaprogress.
    "You don't have time to react." –> You do, it is just more difficult. I understand the skill jump is higher than most modern roguelikes that have an ascension system that makes the game difficult and the base game is easy, but there is time to react, there is time to learn, and that is the point of the game and the genre. Both bullet hells and roguelikes.
    "Feels frustrating and unfair" –> All bosses and enemies from what I remember have one attack with a visual, or many visuals to signify attacks. It feels frustrating probably because you expected to do better as a bullet hell player – which is understandable, especially with your ranking of VRUHH – but the game is not unfair.
    "Dash doesn't make you invulnerable" –> I am sorry, again, I have to disagree. Dash giving you i-frames is such a boring ass move from bullet hells and makes more bullet hells a "when to dash" spamfest instead of an actual bullet hell. The lack of i-frames forces you to learn and understand the enemies and rooms, instead of clicking dash randomly and praying you will not get hit. It still gives you the speed and also changes your position dramatically, it is basically like a jump/sprint button almost. Most bullet hells do not have the dash i-frame mechanic, mostly EtG and games going from EtG (which are like very easy compared to VRUHH or Star of Providence) have this mechanic.
    "Too punishing," –> Again, imo, it is more of a issue of modern roguelikes being easy with ascension systems and being punishing in later stages instead of – as it was in the past – the game being punishing from the get-go. I am using this "past" argument since the game is originally from 2017.
    "Health is too hard to come by" –> Shops? Max HP upgrades? Maybe scrapping weapons that gives you health? There are simple ways to gain health back, the game just lets you discover that with time and with your skill/knowledge of the game growing.
    Some tips? Use bombs. Bombs are basically just clear the screen from bullets and they help a lot at the beginning. You can practice bosses in the mirror that is quite helpful. And just play the game more in general.
    To conclude, Star of Providence is not a badly designed game. Its skill ceiling is just of the normal roguelike in the past instead of the 2024 roguelikes. I am writing this not because I want to be like: "You had a skill issue and that is why low rating" but more of: "The game is hard, but it is not badly designed."

    Reply

  5. Second comment, I really do not vibe with many of the ratings since I think that a game that is for everyone is generally a bad game since it appeals to no one. Many games are put below or above others not because they are "worse designed" but because they are just "harder to get into" which is completely fine and actually good. This toxic relation that the best games are the ones that are the easiest to get into is… weird. Yes, obv games should try to explain their mechanics as best as possible, but there is a difference between: "a game lets you discover and learn on your own and it just requires more time because it wasn't made for a casual audience" and "the game is poorly designed with mechanics that do not make sense".

    With other issues like calling Ravenswatch a "roguelike diablo" or not mentioning that you can get max 7 spells in spellrogue and that you can sell and get more spells if you want to, I can't really say that you are talking about the design factor of these games. The fact that this video was clearly recorded at least 3 weeks ago (as you mention your deckbuilding roguelike video which released 3 weeks ago here not being made yet) and some of the games already fixing the issues you are talking about here, like death must die or spellrogue, I am just quite disappointed? I do not know why someone in good faith would post a video like this and not edit in the fact that the games have improved. Yes, you put text that you have to pause to read that flashes by that is "updated" but I just don't understand why you couldn't rerecord the sections if your mind has changed.

    Also, the tier-list seems to be more about what you have enjoyed, and many games you put below the good ranking is not because they were badly designed, but because you expected a different game.

    Maybe because of the fact that I just have been playing roguelikes pre-Hades and pre-VS (so before everything became a fucking roguelite grindfest that just boosted ur stats so that you could beat the game), but all of your complaints to many of the games are just things that I expect roguelikes to do and things I love about roguelikes. Difficulty, high skill gap, skill as progression, etc.

    I wouldn't be so analytical against a video like this but this is supposed to talk about design issues of games and not opinions, I just feel like many of these games' issues are just listed, and then we go to the next game. Which is fine, but not with the title you gave to this series. Many of the solutions that you propose are just things that would take away the core of the game and would not fix the game or are just: "add roguelite elements".

    Reply

  7. As someone who also loves The Void Rains Upon Her Heart as much as you seem to, I implore you to keep playing Star of Providence!

    I do agree, TVRUHH does ease you in more, but it also has a different progression. Once you become more familiar with the game and the size of the screen, it becomes very intuitive! Movement feels very precise, and once you adjust to the fact that your dodge generally isn’t invincible, you’ll start improving in no time.

    The game is more focused on the action and self-improvement more than the meta progression, and yet there are plenty of secrets and a big update on the horizon!

    Meet the gsme where it’s at—a true SHMUP bullet-hell—and you’ll have a good time.

    Reply

  9. Thanks for your videos,i started playing revita and oh boy this is immersive and various game,but i feel kinda crappy that you missed "slice and dice" game,its really has interesting concept and challenging gameplay,btw keep going,you have very interesting videos im gonna sub.
    P.S hope you get popular)

    Reply

  11. Wow – you've hit almost every Rogue like/lite I can think of in these videos, with actual commentary. The Flame in the Flood is one you might not have played – traveling down a river choosing stops along the way. Absolutely killer soundtrack.

    Reply

  13. It's an awesome video, I share many of your POV :). You should take a look at Lonestar : not very difficult to get into, FTL vibes (only aesthetically), simple yet not simplisitic.

    Dicefolk is also very nice, however easy it may be ! You pick a team of 3 monsters, you play your dice and those of the enemy : if you are used to these kind of games, you will undoubtedly like it !

    Reply

  18. You need to play a game called "Isle of Arrows"
    It's pretty much a better version of the Rogue Tower game that you talked about in the first video, and it's kind of exactly the game you were describing when you were talking about what you wanted out of Rogue Tower.

    Reply

  22. I love how you explain each roguelike in this list, your descriptions are so good at summarizing the key points of each game on the list. Found a new game to obsess over thanks to you! (Atomicrops, holy crap this game is amazing)

    Reply

  23. A few roguelikes that I've really enjoyed but don't think you've gone over are Steredenn, Neon Sundown, Cobalt Core, and Spirit Hunters. There's more I remembered while I was checking my Steam library, but these were on the top of my mind after watching the video

    Reply

  24. I think what would have been cool is to absorb the old tier list first, and then added these to it. This only creates more questions about how the A and up games compare to the older rated ones. Like would the S-tiers even be S if they were on the other tier list with some of the all time GOATs. Etc.

    Reply

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