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The best Switch roguelikes 2023

The Nintendo Switch is full of roguelikes. They are quick to pick up and take hours to master, so to help you along, here are the best Switch roguelikes.

Best Switch roguelike games: The Prisoner highlighted in Dead Cells key art

One of the major benefits of the Switch is how great it is for playing Indie games, and some of the most acclaimed indie titles of recent years are in the roguelike family. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of the best Switch roguelikes.

These games all play wonderfully on the Switch, with plenty of different genres to choose from like deck-builders, strategy, shooters, and more. And with simple controls and incredibly engaging gameplay, they’re all perfect games to play whether you’re in your living room or sat on the train. They’re so good, in fact, that some of them even top our best Nintendo Switch games list.

The best Nintendo Switch roguelikes are: 

  • Hades
  • Dead Cells
  • Slay the Spire
  • The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
  • Darkest Dungeon
  • Rogue Legacy 2
  • Enter the Gungeon
  • Loop Hero
  • Into the Breach
  • Nuclear Throne

Best Switch roguelike games: Zagreus holds a red sword on his shoulders while he stands in front of a temple in Hades

1. Hades

Hades is a game that’s worth playing on any platform, but with a simple yet effective control scheme, as well as runs that don’t take as long as many other roguelikes, it’s a game that suits the Switch down to a tee.

Hades is the perfect game for roguelike newbies and veterans alike, and whether you’re playing it docked at home or on the go, you’re guaranteed to love its fun gameplay, unique characters, and enthralling story.

It’s also, hands down, the best roguelike game out there right now.

Best Switch roguelike games: A Dead Cells character stands look over the water at a castle

2. Dead Cells

Dead Cells is one of those games that is deceptively simple, but fiendishly hard to master. With rapid, fluid combat, a Metroidvania-style map to explore, and soulslike-style bosses to fight, it’s satisfying to play, and with some brutally challenging enemies, it’s even more satisfying to play well.

The controls are simple, and built for a controller, and with all of the game’s DLC being available on Switch too, it’s a great way to experience one of the most critically acclaimed roguelikes around.

Best Switch roguelike games: Slay the Spire character with a staff starts doing magic

3. Slay the Spire

When it comes to roguelikes, Slay the Spire is the essential deck-builder. With four playable characters, each with unique cards and abilities, the game has players take on enemies in individual battles, adding cards to your deck and developing new strategies on the go.

Runs can be saved and returned to at any time, making Slay the Spire the perfect game to play on the go, with an easy-to-pick-up combat system, it’s a game that will definitely keep you hooked.

Best Switch roguelike games: Several monsters surround you in The Binding of Isaac

4. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

With exploration based on the original Legend of Zelda, it’s perhaps no surprise that The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a great choice for Switch. Although a bit old by modern roguelike standards, it’s one of the standard bearers for the genre, and easily holds its own alongside some of its more contemporary adversaries.

With challenging combat, mysterious items, and a selection of fun and interesting characters, it’s a must-play for any roguelike fan.

Best Switch roguelike games: several characters with armour and weapons like up in Darkest Dungeon

5. Darkest Dungeon

Darkest Dungeon is an interesting game, in that players control an expedition of characters rather than just one, adding a lot of complexity to an otherwise simple game. Beyond its turn-based combat, players will manage items, upgrades, and the stress-based Affliction system as they venture through the eponymous dungeons.

With 17 characters, and some deeply complex mechanics to manage, it’s the perfect game to really sink your teeth into on a long journey.

Best Switch roguelike games: A knight lifts his sword up into the air in celebration in Rogue Legacy 2

6. Rogue Legacy 2

The sequel to the fan-favorite roguelike Rogue Legacy manages to improve on perfection. With a new character after every death, players take on various levels with the goal of defeating the final boss. Bosses remain dead after each kill, and with permanent upgrades available to buy between runs, it’s a roguelike where you really feel the progress you make over time.

Its combat is simple but challenging and features some well-designed levels and fun platforming challenges. Rogue Legacy 2 is a great game for someone looking for a game to drop back into every now and again.

Best Switch roguelike games: A boy with a quiff in his gair fights enemies with a gun in Enter the Gungeon

7. Enter the Gungeon

The Switch almost seems like it was built for twin-stick shooters and Enter the Gungeon is the perfect example of that. With its over-the-top gun-focused gameplay, players will face challenging bullet-hell combat with some comically silly guns like a banana that fires exploding bananas.

You’ll die a lot, but you’ll do it with a smile on your face.

Gungeon is a game that was born to be on the Switch, and no matter where you play it you can guarantee that you’ll have fun. It’s no surprise that it’s such a fan-favorite.

Best Switch roguelike games: a knight with a sword readies himsefl to cross the land towards a castle in Loop Hero

8. Loop Hero

Loop Hero is a truly unique experience, and its passive, almost laid-back gameplay makes it a great fit for the Switch. Focused on collecting cards to restore the world of the game’s hero, providing them with upgrades along the way, Loop Hero’s combat is automatic, which means whether you’re on the couch or on a train, you can sit back and watch the loop progress.

It’s a game that requires patience and some time investment, so it’s certainly another game that is perfect for any long journeys you take your Switch on.

Best Switch roguelike games: A mech stands overlooking a city rubble in Into the Breach

9. Into the Breach

Into the Breach is a fiendishly complex game that requires careful planning and deep strategy. Players deploy robotic mechs onto small isometric grids to take on hostile creatures on a series of islands, all while protecting cities and infrastructure. Players can upgrade their pilots and unlock new classes of mechs as they progress through the islands, making a highly complex game even more so.

Into the Breach is no cakewalk, and you will die a lot. But if you love a deeply strategic challenge, it’s a game that will put you through your paces and is deeply satisfying when it all finally clicks.

Best Switch roguelike games: Three creatures, one a near skeletoin, one a mudkip, another a wood block, sit around a fire in Nuclear Throne

10. Nuclear Throne

Despite its simple appearance, this top-down twin-stick shooter is a game with a surprisingly fun and challenging combat system. Players take control of one of several mutants, blasting their way through various levels and defeating bosses along the way, picking up unique weapons and upgrading them to suit your playstyle. And these upgrades are essential because Nuclear Throne is a game where you’ll need to be at your best if you don’t want to be dying every five minutes.

Its controls and mechanics are simple to understand, but fun and varied weapons combined with a challenging gameplay loop means that while you’ll die a lot, you won’t be able to stop yourself from coming back for another run.

And there you have it – the best roguelikes available on Nintendo Switch. Whether you’re playing them at home or out and about, every one of these games is guaranteed to keep you invested and sinking in the hours like any good roguelike should. For more recommendations, check out the best Switch exclusives for great games you can only play on the Nintendo’s unique device.