Have you just finished playing tens of hours of Vampire Survivors or are just in the market for something similar? Well, there’s a lot of other roguelike games like it, and this list contains five titles that will surely satisfy that itch!
[Updated in 11/14/2024] – A few games replaced with titles that are still getting major updates and added bits of information about new patches/expansion packs for untouched entries. Roguelike fans are eating good this year!
#1. Death Must Die
Possibly one of my favorite roguelikes at the moment, Death Must Die is such a fun and feature-rich game that has so much to offer despite being in early access. It’s been getting updated regularly since it first came out in early access in 2023, and their roadmap teases some more major additions down the line.
It borrows elements from some of the best games of its ilk to craft its own distinct take on the Vampire Survivors formula. Its various meta-progression and gear systems reminiscent of Halls of Torment combined with in-run upgrades granted by fully voice acted characters just like in Hades make it an absolute treat for any fan of the genre.
Keep an eye out for this one, as the developers are cooking up more stuff in preparation for its eventual full 1.0 release, whenever that may be. Right now, though, it’s already well worth adding to your library!
#2. Soulstone Survivors
Soulstone Survivors is a fast-paced and chaotic game where you play the role of a Void Hunter, who faces an endless torrent of monsters that grow stronger over time. It’s insanely fun to play, and the only complaint I have with it is that the particle effects get too epic that you have to turn down the settings for better visibility.
There are a lot of other mechanics outside of a run that can enhance your capabilities, as well as more than a dozen characters to unlock. Players can grind materials across the varying maps, and these can be used to upgrade your stats or craft new weapons.
If you’re looking for something to play long-term, this title will have you covered, as there is also a very long list of achievements to complete.
Soulstone Survivors just got yet another major update in November 2024, and it features a new pirate-themed character. The developers consistently roll out quality of life changes alongside these patches too!
#3. Heretic’s Fork
Heretic’s Fork takes the typical Vampire Survivors formula and twists it around a bit to form a deckbuilding tower defense-like game set in hell. If that sound like a lot, the game’s actually really easy to learn, and it’s a bullet heaven enjoyer’s dream with all of the overpowered screen-filling builds you can create.
Its high-octane synthwave soundtrack alone will keep you hooked. Alongside that are bits of hilarious side content and an unlockable game mode with ramping difficulty, ensuring that the overall experience can stay fresh and challenging for quite a long time.
Each run, you get to pick a demon employee to work with you. They each have varying abilities that drastically change how you approach the RNG-filled deckbuilding aspect of the game, and unlockable skins for these demons grant even more build diversity as those can have unique effects too.
It’s been out on Steam for a while now, but it will also be released on all major console platforms (PS, Xbox, and Switch) in November 2024. Depending on when you’re reading this, it’s likely already available on consoles right now!
#4. Brotato
I’ve actually covered Brotato in a separate review, but including it in a list like this just felt right. The basic premise is that you get to choose one of many classes to fight up to 20 waves of aliens. Each character plays wildly different from one another, and because of this, it has near endless hours worth of replay value.
It also features an endless mode for those who want to challenge themselves and push the limits of how much firepower it can offer to you. It’s available on both PC and mobile, with the latter version being free but featuring microtransactions for characters.
In late 2024, the game is still going strong and has just gotten a huge local co-op update and an affordable expansion. Even now, this continues to be a mainstay in my library both on mobile and Steam because it’s so easy to just pick up and play for a quick run or two.
#5. Necrosmith
This one’s a little different, as it blends elements of strategy and reverse bullet hell gameplay. Rather than controlling a single character, Necrosmith, as the name implies, has players creating units out of body parts gathered all around the map.
Although you have the ability to manually control your undead warriors, the ideal thing to do is to keep making more of them to cover as much ground as you possibly can. Enemies will eventually start swarming your tower, which you must defend at all costs, and they’ll get much stronger over time.
Because of this, you need multiple armies of skeletons, zombies, or other strange abominations both defending your base and gathering resources out in the wild. It’s a nice change of pace from the usual single hero-based gameplay, and fans of real-time strategy games will find themselves at home with this one!
A sequel for it was released in early 2024 too, though I highly recommend checking out this one first before you hop right into the next.
