A phrase that’s been getting bandied about quite a bit in recent years is “history doesn’t repeat, but it often rhymes.” It’s mostly used in reference to the interesting times the world has been going through, but it works well when applied to games too. The first video games were found in arcades, all offering playersjust one runto progress as far as they could.
10 Games To Play If You Love Darkest Dungeon 2
Games for the rugged dungeon crawler!
Arcades are long since dead, but their essence has been preserved and even advanced thanks to the mountain of roguelikes made over the past decade. What’s better, just about all the genre’s best representatives are available on PlayStation 5.
10Moonlighter
Where do you think RPG shopkeepers got their items from?
While items carried by shops in RPGs usually don’t compare with end-game gear, the items they do have tend to be good for the most part. Where does that gear come from though? In Moonlighter,players can find out for themselves.
As a new shopkeeper in a growing hamlet, players must split their time between stocking their store with items and artifacts plundered from the local dungeon and selling them to other adventurers. Acquiring better wares requires delving ever-deeper into the dungeon itself, so successful entrepreneurs will have to decide what to keep for themselves, not to mention keeping others from sneaking five-finger discounts between runs.
9Loot River
What is a dungeon run if not a puzzle?
Loot River is an ambitious roguelike cross between slide puzzles and soulslike combat. It’s every bit as punishing of poor play as a souls game is, but players can, for the most part, find success so long as they actually work the puzzle elements into their gameplan. Failing that, well, there’s always next time.
As theyslide their way through Loot River’s dungeons,players gather currency and slowly gather power to help them make it further each time. That only goes so far, though. One absolutely must look at each encounter as a puzzle to be solved. Limiting engagements to one enemy at a time is vital, and that’s usually only doable by manipulating the dungeon’s platforms just right.
8Darkest Dungeon II
The end of the world is about as dark as it gets, right?
Where most fantasy-styled games have players fighting to preserve a world that’s still beautiful and largely pristine, Darkest Dungeon II tasks them with merely trying to prevent the final deathblow. Their party is perhaps the last one that will ever be formed, and if they fail, then that’s that.
These higher stakes are reflected in Darkest Dungeon II,featuring more frequent fights and fewer opportunitiesfor players to prepare for what lies ahead. Managing stress and party relationships is much more important now too, as is choosing upgrades and boons correctly. It’s a faster, more condensed experience compared to the original and thus is likely just the game for genre veterans.
7Spelunky 2
New adventure, same shenaningans.
While the first Spelunky taught us not to underestimate games with cute art styles,Spelunky 2 taught everyonethe price of overconfidence. On its surface, Spelunky 2 looks more like an expansion to the original than a proper sequel, which can lead one to think that their mastery will transfer over.
In reality, Spelunky 2 greatly expands just about every aspect of the game. Levels have several layers to them; there are even more traps with new interactions and even new biomes that even old Spelunky hands will have to take time to adjust to. Don’t worry, though, Spelunky 2 punishes mistakes just as harshly, perhaps even more so. Seriously, caution is key here.
6Enter the Gungeon
A whole different kind of bullet hell.
Enter the Gungeon is another entry wherein skill reigns supreme above all else. There, of course, are all-manner of crazy, powerful (and crazy-powerful) guns to find and use as one fights their way through each floor, but it still all comes down to how well one can master its mechanics.
Much like Returnal,Enter the Gungeon is as much a bullet-hell shooteras it’s a dungeon-crawling roguelike. Screens can, and often do, get filled with projectiles, and learning to dodge and manage them is key to a successful run. Killing enemies before they can shoot is the most effective strategy, though. So those wanting to reach the highest levels will, unfortunately, need RNG on their side too.
5Risk of Rain 2
The best way to deal with terror is to become terrifying.
One of the more compelling aspects of roguelikes is the process of discovery. Be it new locations, characters or tactics, discovering new things (and then mastering them) is vital to completing roguelike games. Risk of Rain 2offers all of the above and even more,to the point that beating the final boss is only the beginning.
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In Risk of Rain 2, blue Lunar items are powerful, but have a downside, and this list shows the best Lunars in the game.
Players can unlock new characters through experimenting with objects found in the world and then must master those characters, finding the best combinations of items to help them shoot their way through even Monsoon difficulty! There are all sorts of layers to peel back here, one just has to be willing to try.
What’s it like to be trapped in a truly endless loop?
Like Risk of Rain 2, Returnal takes the roguelike structure and stuffs a third-person shooter into it. Where the former game is all about discovering new passives and building for success, however,Returnal focuses entirely on pure mastery.There are items to obtain and a variety of weapons to use, but there are few permanent increases to power.
As Selene, players must attempt to fight their way through an ever-changing alien landscape, one that’s so hostile that one has no choice but to learn everything the hard way. Once the lessons are learned, though, Returnal shines thanks to supremely tight controls and weapons that feel fantastic to use.
Customizable your character, customize the world!
Dead Cells describes itself as a kind of procedurally-generated metroidvania, with biomes in lieu of levels and a highly adaptable character instead of one that slowly gains power by unlocking upgrades. This, however, only scratches the surface of what players can do from run to run.
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A Dead Cells run starts with upgrading stats and collecting better weapons, but then advances to finding new exits to different paths, acquiring mutations and even reshaping how the game works eventually through Boss Cells. These can change boss behaviors, spawn tougher enemies earlier and turn off healing fountains, among other things. For those who wanta real deep dive of a game,it doesn’t get much better than this.
2Rogue Legacy 2
More opportunities for the next generation.
Just like its in-game heroes, Rogue Legacy 2 takes what its predecessor started and carries on from there. There are more classes to enjoy, a new double-jump ability to improve exploration, new biomes and a new system of permanent upgrades to help players enjoy the adventure to the fullest.
The simple-yet-fun combat of the first game also returnsin an expanded form,allowing players to perform acrobatic feats like chaining jumps into dashes into spin-kicks off of enemies and projectiles. This new degree of agility combined with new class abilities and customization options makes for an experience that both experienced and inexperienced alike can have trouble putting down.
Kratos isn’t the only one who’s fought his way out of the underworld.
In a word,Hades is something special.From the very first look one gets at its beautiful artwork to the final revelation of its surprisingly compelling story, Hades is an enthralling experience. Its music, characters and voice work are all fantastic, but it really is the gameplay that elevates it to the next level.
Compared to other games on this list, Hades’ systems are relatively simple. Weapons and passives are upgraded in Zagreus’ room with money and rare resources, while Zag himself just collects blessings during each run. That’s all that’s needed though, as players can mix, match and combine them to find more power, fun and special effects. The possibilities aren’t endless, but then they really don’t need to be, since what’s here is already plenty.
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From triple-A games to indies, Steam has a ton of RPGs, and this list compiles the best of the best to play on the Steam Deck.
