Roguelikes are continuously becoming the go-to genre for the indie gaming space and sometimes into the AAA landscape as well. These randomly generated, challenging, and creative experiences typically offer a good narrative intertwined with robust and meaty game gameplay challenges. By nature, roguelikes want you to replay certain areas of scenarios over and over again in hopes of getting a bit stronger and progressing a bit further.
Due to the popularity of the genre, many developers are choosing to use the roguelike genre to their advantage, adding in their own flair and flourish. If you are someone that wants to enjoy the challenge of a good roguelike but also love all things sci-fi, then you are in luck. There are ample opportunities to play roguelikes that happen to feature sci-fi aesthetics. Here are some of the very best ones.
7 Neon Abyss
Neon Abyss is an incredibly fast, fluid, and kinetic roguelike that mixes in a healthy dose of platforming goodness. In Neon Abyss, you play as one of the members of the Grim Squad. Your role in this squad means you always have the firepower to take on the new gods.
Neon Abyss offers procedurally generated stages, a special gameplay system where you synergize a host of items, and nonstop shooting action, all set in a vibrant sci-fi and cyberpunk world. Come for the fun roguelike action but stay for the incredible aesthetics.
6 Returnal
Returnal is the only AAA roguelike on the entirety of this list and also happens to be a PlayStation console exclusive. Returnal comes from the legendary developer, Housemarque, a team known for frenetic bullet-hell style games. Returnal, apart from being a roguelike, also has those bullet-hell tendencies.
You play as a heroine who ventures across harrowing planets where each death brings new strength and knowledge. These hostile alien worlds are brimming with detail and horror in equal measures. Staying light on your toes is the key to survival, and, of course, using the countless guns against your foes.
5 The Persistence
The Persistence as well as its Enhanced version are essentially what you would get if you took Dead Space and turned it into a first-person horror roguelike set in the dark recesses of space. In The Persistence, you play as various clones of fallen crewmates with each new clone having a specific skill or ability.
This game is all about stealth, crafting, and sheer survival in a terrifying world that happens to be located right near a massive black hole. Your goal is to explore the areas of the derelict spaceship, defeating the zombie-like creatures, and getting a bit stronger with each new run.
4 Risk Of Rain 2
Risk of Rain 2 as well as its predecessor are great examples of accessible yet challenging sci-fi roguelikes. This looter roguelike can be played solo, however, it's encouraged to hop onto the alien planets with a friend in tow. If you want to survive against the menacing monsters and aliens, you will need to think quickly.
Risk of Rain 2 features around ten survivors who you can freely switch between. Each survivor has their own unique abilities, weapons, and items, and you are meant to combine various loot to create new strategies. Plus, Risk of Rain 2 has one heck of a great art style.
3 Into The Breach
Into the Breach is one of the most unique and interesting roguelike titles on this list, mostly because it plays out as a randomly generated tactical strategy game. It's not often you find a strategy game that also throws in nuggets of roguelike goodness but Into the Breach does just that.
The game's story centers around hulking creatures that live below the earth's surface. These creatures are now emerging and it's up to you and your team to put a stop to them in order to save the cities and the civilization as a whole. Each gameplay loss simply means you get to try again with fresh recruits.
2 One Step From Eden
One Step From Eden is a fantastic roguelike but doesn't seem to be discussed much in the genre discourse. Combining elements of roguelikes, deck-building, and strategic gameplay, One Step From Eden provides a thrilling sci-fi adventure.
The main selling point of this game is the strategic deck-building where you are encouraged to constantly swap out new cards in order to find the right deck for the right situation. If you find yourself overwhelmed, simply enjoy the game in local co-op in order to share the burden. There are even a plethora of fun costumes to unlock for your characters.
1 Griftlands
Griftlands takes place in a rundown, ramshackle sci-fi world with light cyberpunk elements. This deck-building roguelike game provides countless hours of resource management, deck customization, and punishing battles.
Interestingly, Griftlands has a focus on brutal boss battles where you must either build up a strong team or purchase a capable one to take into battle. You can even make decisions that will ultimately shape the outcomes of the narrative and the various characters you encounter.
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