Moonlighter (Switch)

If you want to play a top-down Legend of Zelda game as a rogue-lite while also taking shifts as a shopkeeper then, hey, Moonlighter is about to scratch a distinctive itch for you. It hits a sweet spot somewhere between satisfying swordplay and nitty-gritty economic sim, although some players may feel it gets ‘grindy’ after a while in its mechanics. Nonetheless, Digital Sun Games has produced a lush work it can be proud of; one that even touches on our humanity in an optimistic way.

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Fury Unleashed (Switch eShop)

Fury Unleashed takes the central gameplay loops of the likes of Dead Cells and Enter the Gungeon and infuses them with pulpy '90s action platforming resulting in one of the best roguelites available on Nintendo Switch. Awesome Games' effort has benefited massively from five years in development and an extended period of early access on PC that's seen its gameplay polished to near perfection with slick and responsive controls, a huge and satisfyingly meaty armoury of weapons, zippy traversal mechanics and procedurally generated levels crammed full of secrets, challenges and hard-hitting enemies waiting to stop you in your tracks time and time again. Some niggling framerate issues were reportedly addressed in a patch soon after launch, but this is a superbly addictive and hugely satisfying addition to the roguelike genre regardless of the odd dip.

GALAK-Z: The Void: Deluxe Edition (Switch eShop)

GALAK-Z isn’t a game for everyone: its rogue-lite nature, its high difficulty level and its punishing policy on death (even in its easier Arcade mode) will infuriate some players who are just expecting a quick blast of non-stop action. Treat it like the slower-paced exploration and survival game it’s supposed to be, and your patience will be rewarded with some genuinely satisfying space combat and a wide variety of customisable parts (not to mention its brilliant mech upgrade), all wrapped up in a fantastic ‘80s style aesthetic.

TumbleSeed (Switch eShop)

Described by its developer as a 'rolly roguelike', Tumbleseed is a game that divides opinion. The absurdly high difficulty demands that you put up or shut up; if you don't take the time to be patient and focus on improving your skills in controlling the seed, you will not find much enjoyment here. However, if you're willing to stick it out and put in the time required to 'git gud', you'll find a deeply rewarding game with nearly unlimited replayability between the daily challenges and the constant tease of getting a better score. If you consider yourself a skilled and patient gamer and missed this game around the time of the Switch's launch, give Tumbleseed a shot.

Colt Canyon (Switch eShop)

Colt Canyon is an excellent roguelike with razor-sharp gameplay that’s incredibly addictive. The rhythmic action is comparable to titles like Hotline Miami, and there’s a constant temptation to have ‘just one more go’. Some may not be too keen on the heavily-pixelated graphics, but it’s the gameplay that truly shines through here, and once you’ve conquered the steep difficulty curve you’ll find this to be a fine addition to the Switch’s growing selection of roguelikes.

Void Bastards (Switch eShop)

Void Bastards is a delightful roguelike romp through a wonderfully unique cel-shaded comic book world full of loud-mouthed enemies and smart-arsed robots. The core combat is straightforward stuff, but it's given plenty of extra bite through the fantastically evocative graphics and kept interesting with hackable turrets and a handful of other BioShock-esque elements that give your engagements with the many Screws, Juves, Tourists and Spooks you'll come across as you traverse the Sargasso Nebula a slightly strategic lift. Graphically it's a beautiful thing, has top-notch sound design and its combination of coarse British humour and oddball space horror give the whole endeavour a highly original flavour that's well worth checking out, even if the moment-to-moment action doesn't quite match the rest of the package.

Invisible, Inc. Nintendo Switch Edition (Switch eShop)

Invisible, Inc. is a brilliant little tactics game, right up there with Into the Breach and XCOM – if not even better. The bite-sized structure belies a deceptively complex and meaningful game, where all your decisions ultimately mean something significant for that final desperate attack. If you enjoy stealth or tactics games – or you're simply looking for a way into either genre – then Invisible, Inc. deserves your attention.

ScourgeBringer (Switch eShop)

ScourgeBringer is a wonderfully slick and addictive roguelite adventure that flings its players headlong into non-stop frenetic combat and never lets up. This is an unapologetically tough game and if you struggle with the constant repetition and death inherent in the genre you may find it all a little hard to put up with. However, if you're not put off by a challenge, or if you're a Celeste or Dead Cells fan who is craving more, what Flying Oak Games has conjured up with this one is sure to absolutely delight.

Crown Trick (Switch eShop)

Crown Trick is a stylish and strategic roguelike that slows the usually frenetic pace of its genre down and introduces some rhythmic turn-based battling to proceedings. Elle's ability to blink around arenas, combined with the plethora of powers she gains from the many weapons, relics and familiars she encounters along the way, also adds plenty of variety and flexibility to the runs you'll make here. There are some UI niggles that need addressing, the inherently random nature of the core gameplay can plague proceedings now and again and busy battles can become hard to read at times but, overall, this one's a very solid effort that genre fans should definitely check out.

Dungreed (Switch eShop)

Dungreed is a fairly typical roguelite game with a few well-chosen additions to the design that make it stand out as something special. It may not be genre-defining and it's certainly not game-changing, but it draws from other roguelite designs to come up with something that's polished, smart, and extremely satisfying.

Dicey Dungeons (Switch eShop)

Terry Cavanagh has done it again with Dicey Dungeons; this is easily one of the best roguelike titles you can play on Switch. Loads of gameplay variety, fantastic music, a high skill ceiling and friendly visuals make this a thoroughly gripping and fun experience you won’t want to miss out on. If you like roguelikes or card games, we’d highly recommend you pick this up as soon as you can – and even if you don’t, we’d still encourage you to check it out regardless.

Curse of the Dead Gods (Switch eShop)

A breezier, simpler game than its clear inspirations, what Curse of the Dead Gods lacks in narrative it makes up for in focused, crunchy gameplay. Combat is interesting, exploration is rewarding and the systems in play are sufficiently diverse to make this a winner. It won't consume you forever, but you'll feel far from short-changed by this game of meaningful, divergent dungeons.

UnderMine (Switch eShop)

UnderMine is a ridiculously easy game to recommend. If you are at all a fan of roguelite games, you owe it to yourself to pick this up at your earliest convenience. Developer Thorium Entertainment demonstrates clear mastery in overall design, controls, upgrade systems and presentation, which all come together here to make for a thoroughly engrossing experience. The one caveat is that those of you who are sick of roguelites won’t find anything to change your mind here; if you fall in that camp... well, for one thing, how have you got this far through a list of the best roguelikes?! Pass this up and you're essentially missing out on one of the best examples of the whole genre.

Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos (Switch eShop)

Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos is a delightful Zelda-inspired roguelite that's chock full of secrets, surprises, and some top-notch dungeon crawling action. There's an excellent central hub area to evolve and expand here, lots of fun little side quests to indulge in, and a well-designed overworld that takes full advantage of your hero's ever-growing armoury of weapons, skills, and gadgets. There are perhaps a few too many skill trees and upgrade mechanics for our liking and the story is entirely forgettable, but overall this one comes highly recommended for co-op and solo adventurers alike.