The roguelite genre has been around for a long time, but it has always been somewhat niche. It appealed to a very specific type of player, but that was never considered an issue. Instead, this helped to create a tight-knit community of players and developers that was seemingly separate from most of the rest of the gaming community. Thanks to the massive success of modern games likeHadesandReturnal, however, all of that seems to be changing. As a result,communities of roguelite fansas a whole are expanding and more attention is being given to that genre.
This is all around a great thing for fans of the roguelite genre, as it means more people can experience what it is they love about these games. It’s also interesting to look at from different perspectives. To many gamers, the concept of a roguelite is something new that is worth exploring, but to long time fans of the genre there is something of a revival going on. Games likeHadesandReturnaldefinitely spearheaded this revival, but it hasn’t stopped there. Since the official release ofHadeslast year, a lot has already changed for this once under-represented genre.
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Hades Reinvents the Roguelite
There’s hardly a need to explain whatHadesis, as most gamers have likely already heard of it. For those that haven’t, the game tells the story ofZagreus, the secret son of Hades, as he tries to escape the Underworld and go to live on Mount Olympus with his family. As is typical of roguelite games, every time Zagreus dies, the player loses all of their money and upgrades and has to start back at the beginning. That said, there is still some level of progression, as certain resources are not lost upon death and can be used to purchase permanent upgrades. These along with the player’s own skill will help them get further the next time they attempt to escape.
The Greek mythological setting most likely had something to do with the widespread interest, but if players came for that, they stayed for thesprawling, interconnected character-driven narrativeand enjoyable gameplay. Somehow, these things helped even casual players to overlook the harsh reality of playing through the same four levels over and over again, starting back at the very beginning after every death. For those still in need of convincing thatHadesrevolutionized the genre as a whole, the fact that a roguelite game was nominated for Game of the Year and even won the award at certain shows is absolutely mind-boggling.
Returnal Takes Roguelite Mainstream
Following the success ofHades, Sony took a leap of faith andgave Housemarque the greenlight to make its first AAA game,Returnal. This is notable for a few reasons. For starters, before this it would have been rare to hear of any roguelite game referred to as AAA, so that in and of itself is a first. What’s more, this title was published by Sony as a PS5 exclusive, meaning it had a lot of attention drawn to it just for that.
It should be said thatReturnalprobably would have existed in its current state with or without the advent ofHades. That said, it definitely gave players a better understanding of what they were getting into when purchasingReturnal. A shocking number ofplayers decided to tryReturnalout because of how much they lovedHades, and comparisons are drawn between the two games frequently. With these two games working together, the roguelite genre is mainstream now for the first time. This has led to other roguelite titles seeing greater success as well.
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Griftlands and Tainted Grail: Conquest - Card-based Roguelites Make a Comeback
Prior toHadesandReturnal, the most widely known type of roguelite game was the deckbuilding roguelite genre. This waspopularized by the hit gameSlay The Spire, but both before and after that game there have been countless other entries within the subgenre. The latest to join the ranks here are games likeGriftlandsandTainted Grail: Conquest.Griftlandsdefinitely has the bigger spotlight between the two, and puts its own unique spin on things. Players can choose between three different characters, and aside from just fighting enemies, they can also negotiate their way through the game’s story.
By contrast, the other gameisn’t getting quite as much attention, butTainted Grail: Conquestproves that the roguelite genre has a ton of potential. This deckbuilding roguelite game is extremely well crafted, with both the setting and the gameplay keeping players hooked. What’s more, itsstory is very character-driven much likeHades, and players will find themselves invested in seeing how each character’s story ends. One of its primary innovations for the genre is that combat is fully 3D rendered.
The Future of Roguelites
It’s hard to say for certain what the future holds for this genre, but if the recent success of these games is anything to go off of, it is certainly looking bright. The sequel to the popular gameDarkest Dungeon 2is supposed to enter early access on the Epic Games Store, and although nothing is guaranteed, fans have beenasking Supergiant Games for a sequel toHades.There are also plenty of indie roguelite games coming to PC and other platforms that players can check out if they want to see more of the genre in the coming years.
At the very least,HadesandReturnalhave put roguelite games on the map, so it probably won’t be long before more games in the genre enter the mainstream. It would be amazing to see some big franchises tackle the genre, and some of them (likeThe Legend of Zelda) already have settings that could support the main theme. Regardless of what comes next, it will be exciting to see what the future holds in store for fans.
Hadesis available now on PC and Switch.Returnalis available now on PS5.
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