Hardest Roguelikes

Content Manager at RetroStyle Games | May 2, 2024

Roguelikes are a subgenre of role-playing video games characterized by dungeon crawl through procedurally generated levels, turn-based gameplay, tile-based graphics, and permanent death of the player character. The term ‘roguelike’ comes from the game Rogue, which popularized this gameplay style in the 1980s. It is one of the hardest game genres.

The layout and contents of each dungeon change every time you play. You must make strategic decisions on which weapons to use when to fight or run away, and how to manage your limited resources like health potions. The challenge comes from the unpredictable nature of the game and the high stakes – one wrong move can lead to disaster!

Understanding Difficulty in Roguelikes

Understanding the difficulty of the best action roguelike games requires an appreciation of the various factors that contribute to the challenge of these games.

1
Limited Resources
Players must manage what they have carefully. Each item, spell, or piece of equipment must be used thoughtfully, and wastefulness can quickly lead to a game over.
2
Complex Systems
Many roguelikes come with systems of spells, skills, combat tactics, and character development. Mastery of these systems is important.
3
Save Mechanics
The inability to save the game at any moment means that players must be committed to completing a run in a single sitting if they wish to succeed.

The "Hardest" Roguelikes Criteria

When discussing the “hardest” roguelikes, several criteria come into play that can influence the difficulty of these games. The challenge in roguelikes often stems from a combination of skill requirements, steep learning curves, and random elements. Here are key factors that define the difficulty in the hardest roguelikes:

Skill Requirements:

1
Strategic Planning
Players must be adept at planning, anticipating challenges, and making decisions that could have long-term consequences.
2
Adaptability
The ability to quickly change tactics in response to the unpredictable nature of the game's procedural generation.
3
Resource Management
Efficient use of limited resources such as health, ammunition, or spells is often critical for survival.
4
Patience and Persistence
The hardest roguelikes reward patience.

Learning Curve:

1
Game Mechanic Complexity
Roguelikes typically feature complex game mechanics that are not always fully explained, requiring players to spend time understanding them through gameplay.
2
No Hand Holding
These games often lack tutorials or any form of guidance, leaving players to their own devices to figure out how to progress.
3
Trial and Error
Players must be willing to fail and start over repeatedly, using each run as a learning experience to improve their understanding and performance.

Random Elements:

1
Procedural Generation
The layout of dungeons, placement of enemies, and loot are randomized, meaning players can’t predict what they’ll encounter next.
2
Permadeath
The permanent loss of a character upon death introduces high stakes, making every random encounter potentially lethal.
3
Variable Enemy Encounters
Facing different enemies with unique behaviors requires players to constantly adapt their approach and strategies.
4
RNG Dependency
A certain degree of dependency on random number generation means that sometimes success or failure can be a matter of luck, such as finding a powerful item early on or encountering a particularly challenging enemy.

Classic Roguelikes Known for Their Difficulty

These games test the player’s strategic thinking, adaptability, and patience. Here is a roguelike tier list with three classic roguelikes renowned for their difficulty:

Rogue

Origin of the term “roguelike”.
Released in 1980, it is the benchmark for the genre.
Features permadeath and procedurally generated dungeons.
Demands a high skill level and adaptability due to its variable challenges.
The first and most complex roguelike.

NetHack

Known for its ASCII art and stark color palette.
Debuted in 1987 and continues to be updated, with a stable release as recent as March 2020.
Maintains a dedicated community, showcasing its enduring appeal.
Its complexity has not waned despite decades of development.

Infra Arcana

Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s universe.
First released in 2011 and has since evolved significantly.
Tasks players with navigating cultist lairs and eldritch horrors.
Combines retro style with tough gameplay that’s reminiscent of earlier roguelikes, polished with modern updates.

Hardest Modern Roguelikes

The question of what is the hardest roguelike game can be answered differently from one player to another. But we collected the most acclaimed hardest modern roguelikes across forums and their lists.

Darkest Dungeon

Game	Darkest Dungeon
Platforms	PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, PS Vita
Developer	Red Hook Studios
Genres	Roguelike, Role-Playing, Turn-Based, Indie

Darkest Dungeon is one of the hardest roguelike games, it is a critically acclaimed roguelike role-playing game developed and published by Red Hook Studios. The game is set in a dark and gothic world where players inherit an estate overrun by eldritch forces. As the heir, players must recruit and manage a team of flawed heroes, leading them into the depths of twisted forests, forgotten warrens, ruined crypts, and beyond. The core gameplay involves turn-based combat and exploration with a distinctive twist: the heroes are not just battling monsters but also their own mounting stress, fear, and paranoia.

The hardest game difficulty is the stress mechanic, which adds psychological elements to the typical dungeon-crawling experience. Heroes can become afflicted by stress during their journey, resulting in a variety of mental illnesses that can either get worse or, in rare instances, unexpectedly aid them in their quest. The game’s difficulty is further accentuated by the permanent consequences of death and disease that heroes can suffer, creating a challenging experience that forces players to weigh every decision heavily. The engine we selected is optimized for 2D and 3D games, ensuring smooth performance across a variety of locations, so you can enjoy the views and be a part of this story without any bugs or crashes.

Crypt of the NecroDancer

Game	Crypt of the NecroDancer
Platforms	PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
Developer	Brace Yourself Games
Genres	Roguelike, Rhythm, Indie, Dungeon Crawler

Are 2D games still popular? Of course! Crypt of the NecroDancer is a unique roguelike, one of the hardest roguelikes on Xbox. It’s a rhythm game developed by Brace Yourself Games. It ingeniously blends classic dungeon crawling with rhythm-based movement and combat, setting it apart from traditional entries in the genre. Players must run through randomly generated dungeons, with their movement and attacks tied to the beat of an energizing soundtrack composed by Danny Baranowsky.

The game’s core mechanics require players to move and fight in time with the music. Success in Crypt of the NecroDancer is predicated on the player’s ability to match the rhythm, which governs everything from movement to combat. Each beat missed can mean a missed attack or taking damage, and mastering the rhythm is key to both surviving and delivering critical hits.

Ocean Keeper

Game	Ocean Keeper
Platforms	PC, Steamdeck, Mobile, Nintendo Switch
Developer	RetroStyle Games
Genres	Roguelike, Rhythm, Indie, Rogue-like, Rogue-lite, Action, Indie, Simulator

Ocean Keeper is one of the roguelikes with the most content. Like in any roguelike, the difficulty is key to player satisfaction, combining the unpredictability of random events (like random weapon drops, enemies, and power-ups) with strategic resource management found in the mines. Success depends on how well players distribute these resources to create a unique build of upgrades. It’s a rare thing – to find a roguelike character customization game. Here it’s not just about luck and randomness, but also about thoughtful strategy and resource management. In Ocean Keeper, you have a home base, known as the HUB, where you can customize your mechs and manage upgrades, allowing you to tailor your equipment and skills to your play style. Each session challenges you to upgrade your team and survive as long as possible.

Ocean Keeper’s roguelike stands out by allowing players to manually control the main weapon for targeted attacks on enemies, alongside automatic turrets that cover your flanks while you focus on bosses. There’s a countdown to prepare before enemy waves attack, during which you can explore and collect resources. These resources are essential—they improve your robot’s abilities, weapons, and chances of survival. Ocean Keeper is a part of gun customization games, where players can choose to enhance their primary weapon, relying on their own aiming and movement skills, or lean on automated turrets to handle combat while concentrating on maneuvering.

If we’re talking about the design, Ocean Keeper is an isometric underwater game, obviously, the style and design spin around a marine theme with scary deep sea creatures and ocean equipment. For those who don’t know what is an isometric game, feel welcome to visit our page explaining it. The game is intended to be accessible and engaging, letting you feel like an explorer of the ocean’s mysterious depths.

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Challenging Aspects of Hardest Roguelikes

The hardest roguelikes are infamous for their punishing gameplay and the myriad of challenging aspects they throw at players. Here are some elements that contribute to their difficulty:

Environments:

From traps to environmental effects like darkness or poisonous swamps, these elements can weaken the player or directly cause damage.
Limited availability of healing items, equipment, and other essential resources forces players to make strategic decisions about when and how to use them.

Enemies and bosses:

Enemies in these games often have complex behaviors, requiring players to learn and adapt to varied attack patterns and strategies.
Boss encounters typically present a significant spike in difficulty, often requiring specific strategies and perfect execution to defeat.

Character progression:

Learning and mastering a deep skill system is essential, often without the ability to undo choices.
Certain games impose long-lasting debuffs or curses that can alter the way a character must be played.

Game mechanics:

Some roguelikes include mechanics like hunger or curses that get worse over time, pushing players to move quickly through dangerous areas.
Not knowing the full effects of items, enemies, or environmental features until they’re encountered adds a layer of unpredictability.

Strategic complexity:

Players must constantly evaluate whether the potential gain of an action is worth the significant risk it might carry.
With limited inventory space, deciding what to keep, what to use, and what to leave behind can be critical.

Psychological factors:

Games like Darkest Dungeon introduce a stress mechanic that affects character performance and requires additional management.
The combination of permadeath and long playthroughs means that the loss of a character can be a significant emotional setback.

Understanding Game Mechanics of Hard Roguelikes

Understanding the game mechanics of hard roguelikes is crucial for players who aim to conquer these notoriously difficult games. These mechanics often create a unique blend of strategic depth and unpredictability that requires players to be adaptable, patient, and persistent. Here are some key aspects that define the mechanics of hard roguelikes:

Roguelikes typically offer deep systems for character progression, including various stats, skills, and abilities that can be upgraded or learned. Choosing the right path for character development is essential for surviving tougher challenges.
Hard roguelikes are filled with high-risk, high-reward scenarios. Players must weigh the potential benefits of exploring a dangerous area or engaging a powerful enemy against the possibility of a catastrophic failure.
The game environment can be just as deadly as the enemies. Traps, curses, darkness, and environmental puzzles add layers of complexity and danger.
Unlike many other game genres, retreat and avoidance can be a viable and often necessary strategy in roguelikes. Knowing when to fight and when to flee is a crucial skill.
Understanding the overarching systems of the game, such as spawn rates, item effectiveness, or enemy weaknesses, can provide an advantage. This knowledge is typically gained through repeated playthroughs and community sharing.

Many studios turn to gamedev outsource companies to speed up their development timeline without sacrificing quality. For players to master hard roguelikes, they need to not only understand these mechanics but also develop the ability to anticipate and react to the situations they present.

Impact of Difficulty on Player Experience

The impact of difficulty on player experience in gaming, particularly in the context of roguelikes, is a multifaceted subject. Difficulty can affect various aspects of the player’s interaction with the game, emotional response, and overall satisfaction. Here’s a look at some of these impacts:

Hard games force players to improve their skills. Players may learn to anticipate and react to different patterns, manage resources more efficiently, and strategize effectively.
Difficult games often foster a sense of community, as players share tips, strategies, and experiences. This can lead to a communal learning environment and camaraderie among players.
While some players thrive on challenge, others may experience frustration. This can lead to burnout, where the game stops being fun and starts feeling like a chore.
Difficulty affects the pace at which players progress through a game. Harder games might have a slower pace, as players repeat areas or encounters until they succeed.
Players may develop an appreciation for nuanced game design when they engage with difficult games. Seeing how game mechanics work together to challenge them can lead to a deeper appreciation for the artistry involved in game development.

Our team has developed a game style guide to ensure consistent aesthetics and themes throughout our game's design.

Understanding Difficulty in Roguelikes

Limited Resources

Complex Systems

Save Mechanics

The "Hardest" Roguelikes Criteria

Skill Requirements:

Strategic Planning

Adaptability

Resource Management

Patience and Persistence

Learning Curve:

Game Mechanic Complexity

No Hand Holding

Trial and Error

Random Elements:

Procedural Generation

Permadeath

Variable Enemy Encounters

RNG Dependency

Classic Roguelikes Known for Their Difficulty

Hardest Modern Roguelikes

Darkest Dungeon

Crypt of the NecroDancer

Ocean Keeper

Challenging Aspects of Hardest Roguelikes

Understanding Game Mechanics of Hard Roguelikes

Impact of Difficulty on Player Experience