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10 best roguelike dungeon crawlers for Android
Roguelike (or rogue-like) dungeon crawlers are some fairly intense games. Players go diving into caves and dungeons in search of adventure and loot. However, the dungeons are randomly generated in my roguelikes, and player deaths are permanent. Thus, a twinge of anxiety gives the game a more intense feeling than most RPGs. It’s a niche genre, for sure. However, the fan base is loyal. Roguelikes are unlike most other games we play. Here are the best roguelike dungeon crawlers for Android.
The best roguelike dungeon crawlers for Android
- Caves
- Dead Cells
- Endurance (and Ailment)
- Hoplite
- OneBit Adventure
Caves
Price: Free / Up to $4.99
Caves is one of the most popular roguelike dungeon crawlers on mobile. It adheres to the definition fairly well. Players crawl through randomly generated dungeons, collect various loot and gear, defeat hordes of bad guys, and more. Like most, the graphics are retro, but the controls are good, and the game is relatively fun and difficult. Players also get a main base with a cloning station. This one isn’t easy, and it’s relatively inexpensive.
Dead Cells
Price: $8.99
Dead Cells is a newer Roguevania-style game, and it’s quite good. It features a large interconnected world (hence the Vania part), 2D platformer and action mechanics, nonlinear progression, and more. Plus, you get hardware controller support, multiple software controller options, and an auto-hit mode if you want to focus more on exploration. The game is quite big, and the playable character is cool. Unfortunately, this version is a little bit behind the PC iteration, so some needed balancing isn’t done for this version of the game. Enjoy the difficulty because it’s a hard game. It also runs for $8.99 with no in-app purchases or ads. It’s also free through Google Play Pass if you have it.
Endurance (and Ailment)
Price: Free / $0.49-$16.99
Endurance is a rogue-like dungeon crawler from the same developer as Ailment (Google Play link). It’s a top-down-style shooter with tons of bad guys, plenty of stuff to collect, and a real storyline. You explore the Endurance to figure out why everyone is going insane. It’s the prequel to Ailment, another great game in this genre. You can go with either one, but for maximum effect story-wise, you should try Ailment first. Both games are free, with a permanent premium version available as in-app purchases.
Hoplite
Price: Free / $3.99
Hoplite is another older and more popular dungeon crawler. It uses turn-based movement and attacking for a slightly more strategic gameplay experience. Otherwise, it’s a classic roguelike title. There are randomly generated dungeons, leaderboards, Google Play Games achievements, simple controls, and plenty of challenges. The base game has a little over two dozen levels, but there are a ton of special missions and other things to keep you busy. It’s also relatively inexpensive if you spring for the premium version. This one is also available for free to Google Play Pass members.
OneBit Adventure
Price: Free to play
OneBit Adventure is a casual roguelike, so it may not appeal to the more hardcore players. The game lets you choose between warrior, wizard, necromancer, archer, thief, and other classes. Additionally, it uses turn-based combat with simple enough controls that you can easily play one-handed. There is gear to find to give you a better shot at winning, along with active and passive skills to unlock as you level up. The game also boasts infinite level generation, leaderboards, boss battles, and more. It has its ups and downs, but there are more ups than downs.
Pathos
Price: Free
Pathos is another older game in the genre. Its graphics are below average, even compared to other roguelikes, and its controls are slightly more complex than normal. The rest of the game is quite good, though. It uses a similar set of gameplay mechanics to Nethack, the classic ASCII roguelike game from the early 1980s. Players descend into the dungeons to defeat the big bad guy and escape before dying. We like this one because it’s entirely free and has no advertising. Complaining too much about its flaws is difficult since you’re not paying to play it.
ReversEstory
Price: Free to play
ReversEstory is a rogue-like shooter with action and bullet-hell elements. The 2D platformer mechanics are surprisingly fun as you shoot through various parts of the game. The boss fights are challenging but fun, and the game is cute and entertaining. There is also plenty of gear to obtain, and you can fly around on a whim. Including the bullet-hell elements makes the game even more intense than the usual rogue-like. It’s a good game overall. Plus, it’s free to play with Google Play Pass if you have it, but the other in-app purchases are still there.
ScourgeBringer
Price: $6.99
ScourgeBringer is a newer roguelike game, and it’s already one of the good ones. It’s similar in presentation to Dead Cells and similar games. You explore the depths of a constantly changing dungeon while hacking and slashing through various bad guys and bosses. There’s also a skill tree to unlock various abilities to help you get through everything. It’s as fun to play as any great roguelike on this list, and its premium price tag means there are no in-app purchases to mess things up.
Soul Knight
Price: Free to play
Void Tyrant
Price: Free / Up to $4.99
Void Tyrant is one of the newer roguelike dungeon crawlers on the list. However, it’s already one of the most popular. It merges the idea of card collecting with the standard roguelike experience. Players collect cards, build decks, and play cards to escape trouble. There are three classes in the free version and four in the premium version. You pick your character, build your deck, and go on adventures. It’s a bit more card collection than roguelike, but it’s still a decent overall game. Another very similar game is Rogue Adventure.
Bonus: Pixel Dungeon games
Price: Free / Varies
Pixel Dungeon is an open-source roguelike that hasn’t been in active development on Google Play since 2015. However, because it is open source, many other developers have forked the code and made their versions. Some popular variants include Shattered Pixel Dungeon (linked at the button below), Skillful Pixel Dungeon, Yet Another Pixel Dungeon, and Remixed Dungeon: Pixel Rogue.
These games have the same base mechanics with some customizations built on top. It’s a roguelike dungeon crawler where you explore floors, kill bad guys, and avoid death. It has pixel graphics and relatively simple mechanics. If you want to try out one of the Pixel Dungeon games, search for it on the Play Store, and you’ll find them.
If we missed any great roguelike dungeon crawlers for Android, tell us about them in the comments. You can also click here to check out our latest Android app and game lists.