TOP 6 New Upcoming Roguelike and Roguelite Games of 2022

by Mike Alexander / Lists, Articles / 19 Jan 2022

The term “roguelike” has been utilized by video games quite a bit in recent years, with it usually denoting a game that has elements like procedurally generated dungeons, an oftentimes cripplingly extreme difficulty level, and permadeath. And while games with these features seem to have exploded in the past five to ten years, the term actually dates back as far as 1993. It was originally conceived as a way to discuss several games that shared specific features (the ones previously mentioned). The first game of this kind, Rogue, came out in 1980 and was an ASCII art game that could only be run in terminal. Games that wave the roguelike banner now include fantastic games like Spelunky, Hades, and Slay The Spire. New games are being added to the genre all the time, so let’s take a look at what’s coming up with the top 6 best upcoming roguelike and rougelite games of 2022.

Chenso Club

First on our list is the adorable-looking Chenso Club by developer Pixadome. This game currently features an all-girl cast of 3 characters (new characters are going to be added throughout development), all of whom have their own weapons and abilities. The gameplay is visually reminiscent of the Mega Man series, which will have your cute sprite girls jumping between platforms in procedurally generated levels and blasting alien enemies. Dispatch these aggravating alien menaces with hammers, chainsaws, witchcraft, and even special abilities gained by collecting the life force each alien drops. The alien’s life force also restores your own health, encouraging aggressive play. Chenso Club has two game modes at the moment: an exciting story mode and a co-op mode that has you teaming up with a friend to fight aliens. Join the Chenso Club when it goes on an alien blasting spree on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in Spring 2022.

Tombstar

If you’ve ever wanted to be a space cowboy who takes down alien gangs and saves the galaxy, then boy will you be excited for Tombstar, a sci-fi wild western shooter being developed by Andy Sum and Marcus Grambau. In this game, you play as a collection of bounty hunting space cowboys on a mission to oust the rowdy Grimheart Gang, a bunch of no-good troublemakers who have forced out all of the friendly people from an entire star system, claiming the whole dang thing for themselves! Take them on in top-down, twin-stick shooting gameplay as you collect loot across four distinct planets, complete upgrades to your equipment, and accumulate an armory of weapons. Takedown the Grimheart Gang and free the star system from their clutches when Tombstar lands on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in Early 2022.

Below The Stone

Next, we have the dwarven life simulator, Below The Stone by Strollart. This punishing roguelike features impressive hand-drawn pixel art and has you play as a member of a vast dwarven kingdom who ventures deep underground on material collecting runs for your brethren. And while you’re there collecting materials anyways, you should keep some for yourself! Any material over what was requested is yours to keep and can be used to craft upgrades, making your journeys underground less difficult. However, if you die on one of your underground missions, you will drop everything, permanently losing it. You’ll need to keep that in mind as you explore the procedurally generated worlds and their many biomes. Completely customize your character to your liking, making him stand out from the many other characters you will interact with in the dwarven kingdom. Go underground when Below The Stone mines its way onto Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S, and PC in 2022.

Unexplored 2: Wayfarer’s Legacy

A tabletop fantasy RPG comes to life in Ludomotion’s Unexplored 2: Wayfarer’s Legacy. This rogue-lite RPG features an immersive isometric camera angle, creating the illusion that you are watching a tabletop game unfold. The node-based open world is reminiscent of classic Mario games and is procedurally generated. An interesting permadeath system allows you to choose whether you begin again in a newly procedurally generated world or continue in the world you just died in as a new adventurer several years later. Should you take the latter route, you will be able to help future adventurers along by leaving supplies behind on your travels. Choices you make will also affect future generations, increasing immersion. With that in mind, go on an adventure while keeping in mind those who come after you when Unexplored 2: Wayfarer’s Legacy makes its way to Xbox One, Series X/S, and PC in 2022.

Wizard With A Gun

Become an all-powerful wizard with friends in Galvanic Games’ Wizard With A Gun.

This magic bullet slinging roguelike is an online cooperative sandbox survival game that is heavily inspired by the Don’t Starve games. Create a Tower with your friends, and as you eliminate enemies and collect materials, purchase useful spells and upgrades. As an added bonus, any upgrades, spells, and research you unlock will be shared with your friends and vice versa. Cloaks present an interesting gameplay mechanic in that they all have unique gameplay buffs, and any buff can be applied to any item of clothing, making it super easy to dress up your wizard however you like! Play dress up with wizards when Wizard With A Gun casts an artillery spell on Nintendo Switch and PC in 2022.

Loot River

Finally, the last game on our list is Straka.Studio’s Loot River, a hand-drawn pixel art roguelike. This dungeon crawler features procedurally-generated labyrinths, fantastic animation quality, and realistic water simulation. With the power of the Relic, you can shift platforms under you like pieces of a slide puzzle to aid in combat and light puzzles. Face off against Beasts from alternate realities, lost travelers, and many bosses across thousands of dungeons, a new one for every time you fall in battle. Unholy knowledge allows you to gain permanent upgrades that persist across deaths. Crawl through dungeons and wield the Relic when Loot River slides a platform over to Xbox One and PC in 2022.

Mike Alexander

Mike has been playing video games since he was able to hold a controller, having been fascinated by Sonic 2 on his mom’s Sega Genesis. That fascination and passion for the art form has grown exponentially nearly 30 years later, and he doesn’t see that fading away anytime soon.
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