One of the best roguelikes that broke the mold and made the genre more popular wasRogue Legacy. That game was released in 2013 and ever since then, the genre has exploded. It added a lot of rewards to the loops, giving players a reason to move on from increasing HP to unlocking new character types.
Meeting new charactersvia class systemswas great, but for some that may be too involved. They may get attached to their character and don’t want to migrate progress. That’s why a lot of games have unlockable weapons instead which help keep things fresh. Here is a good list of examples of roguelikes with weapon-based rewards.
Dave the Diveris one of the most chill roguelikes out there and it’s split between two gameplay segments too. The titular Dave will dive into the sea during the day to hunt for fish. At first, players will be armed with a knife and a rather slow harpoon gun to hunt fish with. Players can make money at night in their sushi restaurant to get upgrades inDave the Diverincluding weaponsand new air tanks to let the titular Dave dive deeper.
Unlocking a pistol, for example, will speed up the fish-catching process. The gameplay loop is as addictive as it is relaxing thanks to the nice ocean scenery. It’s also received a lot of fun updates like one including a tie-in toGodzillabelieve it or not.
Unlike the rest of the entries,Dead Cellsdoes not allow players to pick their exact desired weaponbefore beginning a run. There are dozens in the game including swords, daggers, whips, spears, grenades, crossbows, and so much more. Unlocking them requires materials and blueprints and once developed, these weapons will appear during a run. It’s typically how a lot of roguelikes work with unlockables.
That said,Dead Cellsis unique in that players will be given a small pool of weapons to choose from. There are skills in the game that allow players to essentially re-roll their choices as well, giving them a bit more control. It’s a random system to be sure but all of the weapons are distinct in both negative and positive ways to make this weapon lottery exciting.
Ember Knightsis a bit more obscure but it’s a game that nevertheless needs more attention. It’s a top-down action roguelike with vibrant pixel art. Players are an eternal flame sworn to protect their realm from invasion, leading to lots of enemies, loot, and death.
Permanent upgrades can be acquired in-between runs to unlock stat boosts andweapons inEmber Knights. Players will begin with a sword but will soon be able to unlock weapons like a bow or a magic staff. One of the coolest weapons, a scythe, is a late-game unlock.Ember Knightslooks great, the weapon variety is solid albeit small, and best of all there is multiplayer in both online and local co-op for up to four players.
Hadesis one of the most popular roguelikes in the past few years. It was big enough to get the developer, Supergiant Games, on board for a direct sequel whereas all of their other games up to this point were one-offs. In both games, players start with one weapon but then get currency to unlock more in their HUB Worlds.
For example, in the firstHades, players begin with a swordbut they can unlock a handful of other weapons like a shield. All of these weapons can be modded so that they double or even triple as different weapon types. For example, one form of the shield is very protective while another is more offensive. The small selection will have players experiment more just like inEmber Knightswhereas the pool inDead Cellscan perhaps be a bit too overwhelming for some players.
Moonlighteris another great action roguelike with a small bunch of weapons that can be upgraded into different forms. Players will begin with a sword and shield as they dive into a nearby dungeon. The hero, Will,is a shopkeeperand he needs things to sell at the store, so it’s not just about gathering materials for upgrades.
Players will have to find a unique balance between selling their materials and using them to get new gear or weapons. Some other weapon examples include a bow and giant gauntlets made for punching. The upgrade tree will have players mining the depths of these dungeons for days while getting equally invested in the shopkeeping mini-game too similar to the sushi shop inDave the Diver.
1Oblivion Override
The Mega Man Of Roguelikes
Oblivion Overridelaunched into its full 1.0 status in 2024, so it still feels like a fresh and somewhat under-hyped roguelike. It’s framed arounda robotic societythat has fallen thanks to war and other robots seizing power. Throughout their runs, players can unlock chips that they can use to unlock different heroes.
Different currencies will unlock a variety of weapons too that can be chosen initially at home base or offered in chests randomly in a run. There are the usual video game weapon offerings from spears to fists, but then there are unique ones too like a baseball bat that can launch bouncing baseballs in an arena. It’s a cool visual style for a roguelike and it offers players two big things to unlock: characters that behave differently and new weapons with alternate powers.
