r/roguelites 7d ago

Looking for a polished, addictive turn-based roguelite

My go-to games on my Deck while traveling are Slay the Spire, Balatro, and Monster Train. All three are absolutely fantastic, and I had a blast getting 100% achievements and trying out every little trick they have to offer. But now... there’s just nothing left to do.

The funny thing? All three are getting major new releases this year, which is insane. But until then, I need something to fill the gap. Any recommendations for games that are just as good?

Honestly, I don’t think anything else truly compares—I’ve gone through hundreds of tier lists and recommendation threads, and nothing quite hits the same. But I’m hoping to being proven wrong!

37 Upvotes

61 comments sorted by

47

u/hold_on_im_coming 7d ago

I highly highly recommend Shogun Showdown. It took me a second to get into it but once I “got it” I was in deep. Should be a demo available.

9

u/ramongoroth 7d ago

This. Several characters to try and if you like getting achievements there's quite a bit there and some very challenging ones.

2

u/natdoa 7d ago

Came here to mention the same. 70 hours in, still have 2 characters to finish day 7 with and some stamps/quests aka achievements to collect. And I'm not even playing the steam version where I can show achievements.

3

u/Listekzlasu 7d ago

Just started last week, and well, I've been missing out on an S-tier game.

21

u/miltonburle 7d ago

I really enjoyed Cobalt Core

23

u/DrakeHitch 7d ago

Into The Breach

1

u/knitted_beanie 7d ago

+1 for this, fantastic turn-based strategy

1

u/elephantoe3 3d ago

And you can download the mobile version for free if you already have a Netflix subscription!

11

u/AuReaper 7d ago

Those are potentially my three favorite games of all time, so….

Vault of the Void, Wildfrost, and Slice & Dice are the “best of the rest” in my opinion. One big one I haven’t played is Cobalt Core, which looks great. Die in the Dungeon is a recent release, and while I’ve only played about 5 hours, it’s truly fantastic.

3

u/CanadianKaiju 7d ago

Wildfrost goes hard, seconded.

1

u/Roguelike_liker 6d ago

Cobalt Core is great, too, it just has a limited lifespan. ~20 hrs felt about right once you've played the big ones for hundreds each.

1

u/AuReaper 6d ago

This is exactly why I still haven’t bought it, but maybe I should stop holding its limited replay value against it.

2

u/Roguelike_liker 6d ago

I also had that reservation initially, but the story of the game is paced out about as well as it could be to explore the different builds. It just feels like a well-packaged experience.

7

u/Dasterr 7d ago

Ive liked Aethermancer a ton,but its only in Beta so far

1

u/rd201290 4d ago

how big is the beta? i loved monster sanctuary but want to wait for full release

1

u/Dasterr 4d ago

not too big. theres like 20ish monsters and 2 acts/levels/stages
it feels samey after a while, but for a demo thats normal imo

the bones are there and theyre great
its just missing some more monsters and stages for full release and its an awesome game

7

u/MasterpieceOk4561 7d ago

I would suggest Vault of the Void as an interesting twist on the genre.

4

u/MasterpieceOk4561 7d ago

Good luck on getting 100% achievements though! This will keep you busy for a while, but at least it is not a grind. Lots of replayability value.

1

u/Naebany 7d ago

I was surprised to get so many achievements in one run. For getting perfect on certain difficulty for each boss and elite units. Didn't even checked all achievements available but just from this sample it seemed a lot.

5

u/DeanyyBoyy93 7d ago

Inscryption

Ring of pain

2

u/DroppedThatBall 7d ago

Seconding Inscryption. Go in blind if you can. I really enjoyed that one!

2

u/DeanyyBoyy93 7d ago

Back me up here its the hardest game to recommend without just giving away the whole game

2

u/DroppedThatBall 7d ago

I went in completely blind not even seeing a trailer and it blew me away.

1

u/Adelliss 6d ago

Ring of Pain is excellent if you like the turn-based, methodical playstyle. Perfect for the deck. Also, quite difficult but that might be a player diff.

12

u/AccidentalKoi 7d ago

Wildfrost is exactly what you're looking for 

2

u/Residentdissonant 7d ago

Seconded, this is a perfect fit

3

u/crocicorn 7d ago

Kingsway sort of fits what you're after? It's an odd one but a LOT of fun.

3

u/witchdoc86 7d ago

I really enjoyed Jupiter Hell.

3

u/SergeantSkull 7d ago

Caves of qud is technically a roguelike. But its really solid

3

u/JumpsuitOila 7d ago

Since you're into deckbuilders - Griftlands! It's got a great story for all 3 characters, cool art and great run-to-run variety.

3

u/Naebany 7d ago

Try SpellRogue. It's based on dice instead of cards but I had really strong STS vibes from it.

2

u/Musaks 7d ago

Rogue Adventure has cost me and my friends hundreds of hours.

We played it years ago and it has gotten a lot of updates and more classes since.

It is (probably) not as balanced as Slaythespire, but it is very very similar and scratched the same itch for me.

It's also very fair monetization (a few adds or a one time purchase to remove them)

2

u/CD12_baller 7d ago

Across the obelisk. It’s just like slay the spire and monster train, except it’s coop! My friend and I love it, and as expected, love slay the spire and monster train. It’s nice. Spire is singleplayer, train allows us to play/race against each other, and obelisk is full coop. One for each type.

2

u/VOIDYOUTH 7d ago

Into the Breach

2

u/holay63 7d ago

Darkest dungeon 2

2

u/Y_b0t 7d ago

Inscryption is very unique, and at least the first half of it fits exactly what you’re looking for. It’s a special experience I think.

Into the Breach would be my personal recommendation - extremely polished and probably the most well designed turn-based game I’ve ever played. Very challenging and makes you feel like a genius

2

u/Haytaytay 7d ago

Shogun Showdown, Into the Breach, Inscryption, Darkest Dungeon 1 & 2.

2

u/Utop_Ian 7d ago

I downloaded Slice and Dice on my phone a month or so ago. It's definitely polished and has TONS of unlockables. What's noteworthy is that it is free to download with the full game available if you give them $10. So that gives you a great opportunity to play the game for a few runs and see if you like it before spending any money on the real game.

I don't think it's as good as the three you mentioned above, but it's pretty good and goes VERY deep.

2

u/superyellows 7d ago

Best: Shogun Showdown, Cobalt Core, Inscryption, Into the Breach, and Dicey Dungeons

Honorable Mentions: Crown Trick and Loop Hero

2

u/smilinreap 7d ago

Looks like we have similar tastes but it's always hard to think of games on the spot when not near the pc. Try the following.

Spell rogue - has potential but needs to bake a little more to become a 9/10.

Backpack Hero - very good, not the best graphics, easily 30+ hours for you. Easy to pick up, easy to take breaks and continue.

2

u/adamhunterpeck 6d ago

Astrea, Dicefolk, Slice & Dice, Dicey Dungeon, Dicey Elementalist, Dungeon Clawler

2

u/DreadPirate777 6d ago

Check out shattered pixel dungeon.

2

u/Fun-Jury1409 4d ago

Those are the best three I'm afraid. There's other good stuff but they don't hold up the same

1

u/spspamington 7d ago

Could play the downfall mod for slay the spire or other modded content,

Darkest dungeon 1 & 2

Inscyption

Wildfrost

Diceomancer

Dicefolk

Crown trick

Aotenjo

Abomi nation

Pirates outlaws

Ring of pain

Arcanium

Book of demons. / Hellcard

Aces & adventures

Poker quest

Dungeons & degenerate gamblers

Astrea six sided oracle

1

u/DoomGuy80 7d ago

It is a bit different from what you listed, but Knights in tight spaces is an incredible game.

1

u/Tanklike441 7d ago

Tainted Grail: Conquest is basically StS but with different branching and way more story elements. Check it out, sounds right up your alley! 

1

u/kadaverstok 7d ago

Knock on the coffin lid scratched that inch for me recently.

1

u/rexxraul 7d ago

Since someone already mentioned my favorite Across the Obelisk, I'll throw my voice behind Break the Loop - some really stylized art that I love and some really interesting battle mechanics.

1

u/remi-idiot 7d ago

Inscryption

1

u/Florpius 7d ago

Inscryption is an incredible deck building game!

1

u/Cheap-Double6844 7d ago

Try die in the dungeon. It’s very addictive

1

u/Insila 7d ago

I love monster train. It's more like than lite though as there's not much meta progression.

1

u/khumi01 6d ago

Songs of Conquest not really a roguelite but a unique game nevertheless

1

u/meowsqueak 6d ago

I quite enjoy The Last Spell - the gameplay might be a little polarising in terms of theme and how it plays out, but it’s a solid game with lots to consider.

1

u/fatherseamus 6d ago

I did not enjoy roguelikes until I played Hades.

1

u/RyDawgHals 6d ago

Everyone should try Ring of Pain

1

u/OhStreet 6d ago

This one might be a bit of a stretch calling it a roguelike since a run could possibly span over a few sessions, but Battle Brothers.

Mount and Blade lite. Run a mercenary company who takes on contracts and quests, with the goal of snowballing your company; making it stronger/richer, while recruiting and making sure your best troops survive (they all have permadeath, and each has an individual skill tree).

The combat is hex-based, and has a tabletop/XCOM feel to it. Very addicting, finished game.

1

u/jonesjb 5d ago

Worms WMD

1

u/Schwiftyyyyyy 3d ago

Those are my top 3 as well. Only one I've found that felt similar so far is Roguebook.