Unveiling the Ultimate Ranking of Roguelike FPS Games

The Roguelike genre has withstood the test of time in the gaming industry, even from its early beginnings. Despite being overshadowed by other genres nowadays, the allure of dungeon-crawling in roguelike games continues to captivate many gamers.

For those always on the lookout for another thrilling roguelike adventure, a handful of recent FPS games that have embraced the roguelike style have made a significant impact. This unique fusion of genres is gaining momentum and popularity, thanks to the exceptional quality of these games.

8 Heavy Bullets

Heavy Bullets introduces a unique mechanic not commonly seen in FPS games - the ability to retrieve and reuse ammunition. At the start of the game, players have a limited supply of bullets which they must recover and reuse as they progress.

By incorporating roguelike elements such as procedural generation and permanent death, Heavy Bullets demonstrates how to maintain a straightforward narrative within an enjoyable roguelike setting, while also introducing fresh innovations. The objective of the game revolves around resetting a security mainframe after successfully traversing eight distinct levels.

7 Tower Of Guns

Tower of Guns is a game that efficiently conveys all its information through its title. Placing the player in a first-person perspective, the game takes place inside a tower packed with an extensive array of guns. The objective is straightforward: ascend the tower while eliminating enemies in each area encountered.

What makes this enjoyable roguelike stand out is the randomized selection of the story at the start of each run. With only one gun and one perk initially, players must gather additional resources as they progress through their chosen narrative. This aspect adds to the game's appeal by providing a fun experience that can be replayed countless times.

6 Strafe

In 2017, gamers were in for a surprise when they experienced Strafe, a game that took them back to the gory FPS games of the 90s, such as the Doom series.

In this game, players take on the role of a scrapper sent on a mission to gather materials from a spaceship located in the outer reaches of the known galaxy. While Strafe incorporates semi-procedural generation for its levels, it also offers an amusingly fun and excessively violent gameplay experience.

5 Void Bastards

Void Bastards, a recently released FPS rogue-like game, draws its inspiration from popular games like Bioshock and System Shock. It successfully creates a sci-fi world that is both entertaining and uncomplicated. The player assumes the role of a prisoner aboard a spaceship, striving to assist the ship's AI in generating enough fuel to reach their intended destination after encountering a predicament.

With a strong sense of identity, Void Bastards excels in fulfilling its purpose. The distinctive art style resembling comic-books and the engaging gameplay have received high praise from critics. Although it may fall short of providing extensive replay value for a roguelike game, it overall delivers an impressive experience.

4 Gunfire Reborn

Gunfire Reborn is an undiscovered treasure that fans of the roguelike genre should definitely explore. With its release in 2014, Gunfire Reborn offers a remarkable procedural-generation system for the levels, offering an assortment of diverse characters to encounter on each playthrough.

Moreover, Gunfire Reborn provides the option to engage in cooperative play with up to three other players, fostering a welcoming co-op environment in a delightful world that seamlessly combines the roguelike and FPS styles. Additionally, it incorporates RPG elements, enhancing the overall immersive world-building experience.

3 Prey: Mooncrash

The Mooncrash DLC for Prey took gamers on a surprising journey by introducing a new roguelike style campaign, distinguishing it from the original game. Prey: Mooncrash adopted various roguelike elements to tell the thrilling tale of escape from a TranStar base on the moon, resulting in a controversial yet immensely enjoyable experience.

Within Mooncrash, players are pitted against numerous adversaries while unraveling the mysteries of the moon base. One particularly captivating roguelike element employed in this campaign is the inclusion of time pressures. The number of enemies escalates based on the duration spent in each area, adding an extra layer of challenge and intensity.

2 Immortal Redneck

Immortal Redneck, a rogue-lite FPS game, defies expectations with its title. Despite being set in Egypt, this unlikely adventure follows a redneck tourist who awakens as a mummified being in Ancient Egypt. With its fast-paced gameplay and arcade vibe, players are immersed in a world filled with pyramids that are procedurally generated and teeming with monsters and bosses. Beyond the frantic action, Immortal Redneck features traditional elements like a skill tree and the challenge of perma-death.

1 Ziggurat

Ziggurat, a plain FPS dungeon crawler roguelike, was released in 2014. It embodied the essence of a traditional roguelike game, with players assuming the role of a neophyte sorcerer venturing into a perilous labyrinth for their rite of passage.

This old-school game offered a vast array of abilities, gear pieces, and challenging bosses, resulting in an immensely enjoyable experience. The absence of complicated inventory management or class selection allowed for a fast-paced FPS experience that many players sought in this type of game. Its success even led to the creation of a sequel.