13 Best Roguelike Games On iOS All Apple Users Need To Play Right Now

Recently, roguelike games have surged in popularity, captivating players with their challenging gameplay and endless replayability. Procedurally generated levels, permanent death and a steep learning curve make these titles stand out from the usual action-adventure titles. These games have made their way to pretty much every platform out there, hence, finding the best roguelike games on iOS can be a chore, given how many choices there are.

The key appeal of roguelike games comes from their unpredictability. Every single run is a fresh start and plays differently from the previous one. The popularity of these games is such that pretty much every platform has several roguelike titles to enjoy, including Android and iOS.  

While iOS fans have no shortage of video games that are ported straight from consoles, they also have no shortage of roguelike titles to pick from. Hence choosing the best roguelike games for iOS is a task.

To simplify things for iOS gamers, we have compiled this list of the best roguelike games on iOS. Just pick one of them and start playing.

13 best roguelike games for iOS users  

1. Crypt of the NecroDancer

Genre: Rhythm  

For those unaware, rhythm games incorporate music into every gameplay aspect, which means whatever players do in these titles creates music. Crypt of the NecroDancer plays with a top-down perspective; players control several characters as they explore various underground dungeons.  

Music plays a big part in the gameplay, as players have to sync their button presses to the music. Everything works through these synchronised inputs, movements, combat, etc. But your character’s death means starting from the beginning; it’s roguelike after all.

2. Hades

Genre: Hack and Slash, Action, RPG  

Play as Zagreus, son of Hades, the king of the underworld, who wants to escape his father’s domain to reach his mother Persephone. Hades is not happy about it, and he would do everything he can to stop his son. With fast-paced combat and incredibly awesome abilities, this game has no shortage of things to like.  

Every time you die, you start from the beginning, but the game never ceases to be fun and its combat never feels repetitive.  

3. Don’t Starve

Genre: Survival, Sandbox  

Explore an unknown world where you have been trapped by an evil genius. Build structures, hunt wildlife and craft useful items to help you survive this beautiful yet brutal realm. You get hungry after some time, keep eating, and your sanity goes down at night, so make sure you have light. Various monsters randomly attack your camps, so don’t forget to collect tools to fend them off.  

Various seasons pass and every season has its pros and cons. Make sure you are prepared for winter, though. This game will not shy away from taking all you have built and forcing you to start all over, so stay vigilant. It’s not a game for people who give up easily.

This is the only game on the best roguelike games on iOS list that has horror themes to it, so play it at your own risk.

4. Terraria

Genre: Survival, Sandbox  

You are on an unknown planet, and everything is pixelated yet beautiful to look at. You start digging; you collect bricks, dirt and some minerals, and eventually, you start building a settlement of sorts.  

People will start joining your settlement, and it will grow, and then all you must do is ensure everything is safe from monsters that eventually start showing up. There are even some bosses that visit now and then, so you make sure you have enough equipment to fight those, too.  

5. Dead Cells

Genre: Sidescroller, Action  

Fight using swords, wear powerful sandals, kick your enemies to their deaths, lay traps to dispose of them and do all you can, but don’t stop. Dead Cells puts you in the shoes of a prisoner who has spent a long time captive and is now hell-bent on escaping.  

From defeating massive bosses to discovering new mysterious locations, do all you can in a single playthrough, because once you die, you are starting all over again.  

6. Slay the Spire

Genre: Deckbuilding  

In Slay the Spire, your goal is to climb a spire by overcoming the various hurdles in front of you. Monsters, weird creatures and more will try to take you down and stop your progress. Build a deck of cards to fight these foes and ensure no one comes between you and your goal, the top.  

Its deep strategic mechanics, mixed with card building, give you a fresh experience on every playthrough.  

7. Rogue Legacy

Genre: Platformer  

Explore a randomly generated dungeon. Your goal is to defeat four bosses, each of whom resides in a unique environment of said dungeon. You can jump and use your sword to defeat the enemies you face.  

While you lose everything once you die, what happens next makes this game unique: the control is transferred to one of the three randomly generated heirs of your character. Upon every death, you choose a descendant to carry your character’s legacy. Each descendant even has some unique abilities. Some would be colour-blind, others would have dwarfism, etc. The gold earned during each run can be used to improve the character’s equipment; these things are passed on to your heir.

Play this game for its fun gameplay and unique concept.  

8. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

Genre: Shooter  

Isaac is just a small child trying to escape his crazy mother. As she approaches to sacrifice him, he finds an escape into the basement of their house, which turns out to be a massive dungeon full of creepy creatures. Isaac fights these creatures, hoping he will be able to find a way out.  

It plays as an overhead twin-stick shooter. Isaac’s abilities and health can be upgraded; he can even pick up power-ups like a shield and bombs. Exploring dungeons and defeating grotesque bosses in The Binding of Isaac is fun. You will never leave this game no matter how many times you are defeated.  

9. Dungeon of the Endless

Genre: Tower Defence  

Dungeon of the Endless is a roguelike tower defence game that features procedurally generated levels. Players are tasked with guiding the survivors of a crash-landed spacecraft through several levels to escape from the planet.  

You will have to choose your teammates and then build defences against various hostile forces on the planet. Be mindful of every strategic decision you take, as your defeat means restarting from scratch.  

10. Tallowmere 2: Curse of the Kittens

Genre: Action, Platformer  

Play as Lady Tallowmere as she explores a vast maze of dungeons. With each new room, you go deeper and find new, harder enemies to fight. You would unlock various new weapons, and your character would level up.  

With each death, the dungeons are reset and rebuilt, which means you will never see the same dungeon again.  

11. Downwell

Genre: Vertical Platformer  

Jump down a well and use your machine gun-like ability to dispose of any unusual creature that crosses your way. Things can get a bit tricky when there are too many creatures on the screen, but that’s what makes this game so much fun.  

Also, keep an eye out for any shop or other location where you can gain some bonus items. A fast-paced, one-of-a-kind platformer that deserves to be on every smartphone out there, its simplicity and fun core gameplay loop make Downwell one of the best roguelike games on iOS. 

12. Brotato

Genre: Twin-Stick Shooter  

Customise your potato and cause havoc among your enemies, who will come at you from all the corners of the screen. As you get further into the game, you will unlock new abilities, weapons and customisation items.  

The character shoots by himself, but you control where he goes and aims. Keep in mind that it’s not as easy as it sounds; this game gets more challenging over time.  

13. Soul Knight

Genre: Twin-Stick Shooter  

This might be one of the most popular roguelike games on iOS. Inspired by Enter the Gungeon, an awesome roguelite, this title allows you to use various other types of weapons besides guns. Use swords, magic, and many other unique weapons to get rid of those annoying enemies.  

With numerous enemies to defeat and various bosses to best, this game will take a while for you to go through if you don’t die in it.

All the games in this list of the best roguelike games on iOS are a must-have for any roguelike fan with an iPhone. They will challenge you and tell you unique stories in their vibrant ways, so don’t miss out on any of them. If you are not a fan of roguelikes though, there are numerous other console-quality games available for iOS.

(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Brace Yourself Games, Supergiant Games)