10 Best Roguelikes on Switch in 2025: Death Is Just a Warm-Up

The best roguelikes on Switch prove that you don’t need a high-end PC to get sucked into endless dungeons, brutal bosses, and that sweet loop of risk and reward.

I’ve gone through the heavy hitters, cult gems, and several strong Switch ports to build a list that covers every flavor of roguelike – from pixel-perfect throwbacks to slick modern takes.

My final list is all about replay value, clever design, and games that keep you saying “just one more run.” Let’s dive into the Switch roguelikes that actually deserve your time.

Our Top Picks for Roguelikes on Switch

When it comes to roguelikes, the Switch library is stacked. But after countless runs, retries, and late-night controller clutches, three games stood out as the ones I keep coming back to. These made me lose track of time, curse at the screen, and immediately queue up another run.

1. Hades (2020) – No roguelike nails combat, style, and story like Hades. Every death feeds into character growth, narrative, and more reasons to dive back into hell. It’s slick, sharp, and makes “just one more run” feel inevitable.
2. Rogue Legacy 2 (2022) – The beauty here is lineage. Every death passes the torch to your heir, complete with bizarre traits and goofy twists that change the way you play. It’s progression-heavy but still brutal enough to remind you it’s a roguelike.
3. Into the Breach (2018) – Not all roguelikes are about swinging swords. This one is pure tactical brilliance, where every move feels like life or death for your tiny squad of mechs. Compact maps, perfect design, and endless replayability keep it fresh years later.

I picked these three because they bring the full package: tight gameplay loops, smart design that rewards skill and persistence, and enough variety to keep runs from ever feeling stale. If you’re looking for the best roguelikes on Switch, these are the ones worth locking in.

10 Best Roguelikes on Switch That’ll Keep You Grinding Forever 

You’ve seen the shortlist, now it’s time to dig in. I’ll break down what sets these games apart – mechanics, replay value, fun factor, you name it. By the end, you’ll know exactly why I picked these titles as the best roguelikes on Switch.

1. Hades [Overall Best Roguelike on Switch]

Hades first launched in early access, and that period shaped it into the polished, content-rich game that landed on Switch. It throws you into the underworld as Zagreus, son of Hades, desperate to escape his father’s realm. The combat is razor-sharp, but I also loved the way every run pushes the narrative forward. Fail, and the story adapts. Succeed, and the game doubles down with new dialogue, challenges, and weapons.

The action is fluid, with boons from the Olympian gods reshaping your playstyle every time. One run, you’re dashing across the screen, spamming lightning bolts, the next, you’re stacking poison with bow shots. It’s endlessly fresh, brutally addictive, and one of the best Nintendo Switch games. I loved Hades when I first played it, and I still love it today.

What really floored me was how personal the underworld felt. The characters remember your wins, your losses, and even your relationships with them. Combine that with Darren Korb’s soundtrack and Jen Zee’s art, and you’ve got a game that feels alive in every corner.

My Verdict: Hades isn’t just one of the best roguelikes on Switch – it’s one of the best games on the console, period. Perfect combat, an evolving story, and replayability that never wears thin make it a must-play.

2. Rogue Legacy 2 [Best Switch Roguelike for Long-Term Progression]

Rogue Legacy 2 takes the family tree concept from the first game and dials it up. Every time you die, your heir takes over – complete with random classes and traits that can range from hilarious to brutal. Colorblind knight? Vertigo archer? Flatulence mage? It’s unpredictable, but that’s the fun.

Every run pays off. Even when you die, your gold bankrolls castle upgrades, new classes, and better gear. It’s one of the rare roguelikes where each attempt genuinely feels like you’ve moved forward, even when the bosses send you packing. And if you like jumping and dashing around, you’ll be happy to know this is one of the best platformer games out there. 

Combat is tight and weighty, with a big roster of classes that all feel different. Pair that with evolving biomes, hidden secrets, and Cellar Door’s humor woven into every corner, and you’ve got a roguelike that feels equal parts punishing and generous.

My Verdict: Rogue Legacy 2 is a fantastic game that rewards stubbornness. Its heir system and permanent upgrades make it perfect for players who want the grind to matter as much as the skill. One of the most rewarding picks on Switch for anyone who loves seeing progress over an extended period.

3. Into the Breach [Tactical Brains Over Reflexes]

Into the Breach trades frantic action for pure tactical pressure. You command a squad of mechs, trying to defend cities from giant alien bugs on tight 8×8 grids. The catch? You can see enemy moves before they happen. Every turn is a puzzle where you’re not aiming to win but to minimize disaster. I’ve had an absolute blast during my playthroughs.

Runs are short, but the variety is massive. New mech squads force different playstyles, from brute-force damage to clever positioning tricks. Even failure has weight: saving just one district feels like a victory when the odds are stacked.

I loved the clean design without any filler or wasted mechanics. You have to make precise, brutal choices that punish sloppy thinking and reward calculated risks. It’s the rare roguelike where your brain, not your reflexes, is the resource that matters most.

My Verdict: Into the Breach proves roguelikes don’t have to be about speed or grind. It’s small in scope but endlessly replayable, with battles that feel tense and meaningful every time. Easily one of the smartest roguelikes on Switch.

4. Spelunky [Pure Dungeon-Crawling Chaos]

Spelunky is roguelike distilled to its rawest form. You drop into procedurally generated caves armed with nothing but a whip, a few bombs, and bad decisions waiting to happen. Every level feels like a puzzle box of traps, enemies, and loot. And every mistake snowballs fast.

After grinding so many roguelikes, I was impressed by how unpredictable it felt during my playthroughs. You can play safe and cautious, or push your luck chasing treasure, angering shopkeepers, or trying to pull off flashy plays. Nine times out of ten, greed is what kills you, and I love that.

The platforming is tight, the runs are short, and the deaths are often hilarious. One bad throw can set off a chain reaction that leaves you crushed, poisoned, or launched into a pit of spikes. It’s frustrating, yes, but rage goes hand-in-hand with great dungeon-crawler games.

My Verdict: Spelunky is the roguelike that thrives on chaos. It’s not forgiving, but it rewards creativity and punishes greed in the most entertaining ways. Perfect for players who want dungeon crawling at its purest. Deaths come fast, and most are ridiculous enough to laugh at. The chaos can be frustrating but also great fun when you learn to embrace it.

5. Enter the Gungeon [Best Roguelike for Bullet Hell Mayhem]

Enter the Gungeon doesn’t mess around. It throws you into a fortress built entirely around guns, bullets, and more bullets. Every enemy, trap, and boss fight is designed to flood the screen with projectiles, so every room is a dance of dodges and desperate shots.

The arsenal is the star here, like in all iconic bullet hell games. One run, you’re blasting with a shotgun that fires rainbows, the next, you’re wielding a bullet that shoots guns that shoot bullets. It’s absurd in the best way, backed by tight shooting mechanics and the all-important dodge roll that makes survival possible.

I loved the roguelike loop – unlockable characters, hidden secrets, and runs that can swing from brilliant to disastrous in seconds. It’s punishing, but the sheer variety of weapons and encounters keeps you chasing the next ridiculous discovery.

My Verdict: Enter the Gungeon is pure chaos wrapped in clever design. It’s frantic, funny, and endlessly replayable, making it one of the most entertaining roguelikes on Switch if you can handle the barrage.

6. Dead Cells [Best Roguelike Metroidvania]

Dead Cells drops you into a cursed island where death never sticks. An alchemy experiment keeps reviving you, and every escape attempt pulls you through shifting biomes packed with enemies, traps, and scraps of lore that hint at the world’s collapse. It’s all you’d expect from a cult Metroidvania game and more.

The combat feels precise and brutal. A heavy sword slows the pace but crushes anything in reach. Switch to twin daggers, and the fights turn fast and ruthless. Traps and bows change it again, forcing you to think about spacing instead of trading blows. 

I’ve had runs where a single blueprint shifted everything, pushed me into new zones, and forced me to adapt. The branching paths make sure no escape attempt feels routine.

Progression is smart. You’ll unlock blueprints, spend cells on permanent upgrades, and gradually open shortcuts into harder zones. It’s punishing, but it always feels like you’re carving forward, even when a bad run ends in minutes. The base game already offers a massive arsenal and shifting biomes, but the DLC piles on even more weapons, bosses, and areas.

My Verdict: Dead Cells nails the balance between challenge and reward. It’s fast, unforgiving, and one of the best roguelikes on Switch if you want sharp combat and exploration.

7. Cult of the Lamb [Best Dark Humor and Community Building]

Cult of the Lamb casts you as a possessed lamb saved from sacrifice by an ancient god. In return, you build a cult in the god’s name. You’re juggling dungeon fights, sermons, farming, rituals, and a whole bunch of needy followers who can turn on you if you slip. It’s the closest you’ll get to a solid sim game in a roguelike.

The combat hits fast. Weapons and curses define how each dungeon feels, from slow axes to frantic daggers or explosive spells. Bosses stand out – giant demonic beasts that demand quick reflexes and punish sloppy play. I’ve had dungeon runs where I barely survived, only to return home to a cult on the brink of collapse because someone starved or spread dissent.

That push and pull between bloody dungeon crawling and cult management is what makes it so sharp. You’re not just fighting for loot but trying to keep your little flock alive, devoted, and under control. The tone balances horror with absurd comedy, and somehow makes both work.

My Verdict: Cult of the Lamb nails a blend most roguelikes don’t even attempt. The dungeons hit hard, the cult management adds real stakes, and the dark humor ties it all together. Easily one of the most unique roguelikes on Switch.

8. Vampire Survivors [Pure Survival Madness]

Vampire Survivors drops you into fields swarming with monsters and dares you to last half an hour. There’s no story to chase, only survival. You start weak, but each level-up adds new weapons and passives that spiral into outrageous combinations. What begins with a whip or a magic wand ends in storms of holy beams, fire, and garlic clouds that shred everything in sight. Nothing is instantly accessible – you have to work for it.

The design is deceptively simple. You don’t aim or attack since the game does it for you. Your only job is to move, dodge, and pick upgrades that shape the chaos around you. That stripped-down focus turns every choice into tension: do you evolve your knives into a boss killer, or grab defenses to keep the hordes off?

Runs feel short, but the unlocks pile up. New characters, weapons, and stages keep the cycle alive. I’ve lost hours chasing the perfect build, laughing as the screen filled with enemies that melted under my ridiculous arsenal.

My Verdict: Vampire Survivors is chaotic, brilliant, and impossible to put down. It strips roguelikes to their core and replaces depth with pure, addictive survival. One of the best roguelikes on Switch if you want chaos that never slows down.

9. Dicey Dungeons [Clever Dice-Driven Strategy]

Dicey Dungeons turns roguelike runs into a twisted game show. You play as unlucky contestants turned into giant dice, forced to battle their way through dungeons for the amusement of Lady Luck. Each character changes the rules – the Warrior thrives on rerolls, the Robot pushes its CPU without overheating, the Witch rewrites the board mid-battle. At times, it felt like a solid Nintendo Switch RPG, even though that’s not its main niche.

The combat feels simple at first, but the dice allocation system hides layers of strategy. You roll your pool, then figure out how best to slot those numbers into your gear. Do you burn a high roll for massive damage, or save it for a shield that keeps you alive? Every fight forces small but brutal decisions.

The style is light and playful, but the game still punishes sloppy planning. I’ve had runs crumble because I gambled on a risky roll, only to watch enemies exploit the gap. The clever episodes shake things further, remixing rules to keep you experimenting.

My Verdict: Dicey Dungeons is sharp, funny, and far more strategic than its cartoon look suggests. It turns randomness into a puzzle, which makes every fight a tense balance of risk and reward. A perfect pick for Switch players who want a roguelike that leans brains over reflexes.

10. Monster Train [Deckbuilding With a Twist]

Monster Train takes the deckbuilding formula and flips it vertically. You’re defending a train bound for hell, with enemies climbing through three separate floors to extinguish your Pyre. Each floor adds tactical decisions: stack damage up top, build defenses in the middle, or gamble on a last stand at the core.

The factions drive the variety. Hellhorned brute squads, Awoken plant guardians, Melting Remnant candle units – every clan changes the way you approach fights. Mixing them together creates absurd combos, and I’ve seen synergies that felt unstoppable until a late boss tore them apart. The game constantly forces you to adapt, never letting one strategy dominate for long.

Runs stay fast, but the layers of choice pile up. Card upgrades, relics, and path decisions outside of combat keep the pressure on. It’s one of the few deckbuilders where I felt like every decision, from where to spend gold to which floor to defend, actually mattered. Oh, and it’s a great game for a solid Switch controller.

My Verdict: Monster Train feels like a deckbuilder with real teeth. The three-floor combat and faction mixing create endless strategies, and the roguelike loop never wears thin. Easily one of the best roguelikes on Switch if you want smart, tactical variety.

My Overall Verdict

The roguelike catalog on Switch is stacked, so what do you want out of the chaos? Do you thrive on story, raw mechanics, or unique twists you won’t see coming? Here’s how I’d guide different players:

• For Story Seekers: Hades. Razor-sharp combat wrapped around evolving relationships and Greek myth drama. Every death adds another layer.
• For Progression Fans: Rogue Legacy 2. Persistent upgrades, quirky heirs, and steady growth that rewards stubborn runs.
• For Tacticians: Into the Breach. Tiny maps, giant stakes. Every move is a puzzle that could save or doom entire cities.
• For Dungeon Crawlers: Spelunky. Pure chaos. Procedural caves, instant deaths, and traps that punish greed.
• For Bullet Hell Fans: Enter the Gungeon. Dodging, rolling, and laughing your way through absurd weapons and projectile floods.
• For Metroidvania Players: Dead Cells. Fast, unforgiving combat paired with branching zones and smart progression.
• For Strategy + Sim Lovers: Cult of the Lamb. Half cult management, half dungeon crawling, all wrapped in dark humor.
• For Survivalists: Vampire Survivors. Survive half an hour of nonstop swarms as the screen drowns in projectiles.
• For Puzzle-Solvers: Dicey Dungeons. Dice rolls, quirky characters, and smart resource management dressed as a game show.
• For Deckbuilders: Monster Train. Multi-floor battles and faction mixing keep runs fresh and demanding.

FAQs

What is the best roguelike game on Switch?

Hades is the best roguelike on Switch. It blends sharp combat, evolving story, and endless replayability better than anything else on the console. Every death pushes you forward and makes it as rewarding as it is punishing.

Has Nintendo made a roguelike game?

No, Nintendo hasn’t developed a traditional roguelike. Most of the roguelikes on Nintendo’s console like the Switch come from indie studios and publishers like Supergiant, Devolver, and Motion Twin. Nintendo tends to focus on platformers, RPGs, and action-adventures, not on titles like Darkest Dungeon, for example.

Are there any good co-op roguelikes on Switch?

Yes, Spelunky and Enter the Gungeon both support co-op, if you want to turn already chaotic roguelikes into full-blown party games. Cult of the Lamb also now has full 2-player local co-op thanks to the Unholy Alliance update, letting you and a friend tackle the entire campaign together.

What is the best roguelike deck-building game on Switch?

Monster Train is the best roguelike deckbuilder on Switch. Its multi-floor battles and faction synergies make every run feel unique. Slay the Spire is another excellent option, but Monster Train edges it out with faster runs and more varied strategies.

Are there any roguelike shooters on Switch?

Yes. Enter the Gungeon is the definitive roguelike shooter on Switch. It mixes bullet hell chaos with endless weapon and gameplay variety. Nuclear Throne and Risk of Rain 2 also bring strong roguelike shooting, each with its own pace and style.