Dead Cells has carved out a unique niche in the gaming world, blending roguelike elements with metroidvania exploration and fast-paced, challenging combat. Its fluid movement, diverse weapon selection, and punishing difficulty have captivated players seeking a thrilling and endlessly replayable experience.
But what if you’ve conquered the Prisoner’s island and are yearning for more? Fear not, as a wealth of incredible games like Dead Cells await, each offering its own twist on the action-platformer formula. From pixelated adventures to stunning 3D worlds, these titles deliver the same adrenaline-pumping gameplay, intricate level design, and satisfying progression that made Dead Cells a modern classic.
Prepare to dive into a curated selection of games that will test your skills, reward your persistence, and provide countless hours of exhilarating entertainment.
Hades: A Godly Roguelike
While distinctly different in its isometric perspective and narrative focus, Hades shares many core elements that fans of games like Dead Cells will appreciate. Developed by Supergiant Games, Hades plunges players into the underworld as Zagreus, the son of Hades, who is determined to escape to the surface.
Each escape attempt is a run through procedurally generated chambers filled with enemies and boons bestowed by the Olympian gods.
The combat in Hades is fluid and fast-paced, offering a variety of weapons and god-given abilities that dramatically alter your playstyle. Like Dead Cells, death sends you back to the beginning, but with each run, you grow stronger, unlock new upgrades, and unravel more of the captivating story.
The interconnected narrative and memorable characters add a layer of depth that complements the engaging roguelike gameplay, making Hades a compelling experience for those seeking a narrative-rich alternative.
Rogue Legacy 2: A Generational Leap
Rogue Legacy 2 takes the core concept of its predecessor and elevates it with significant improvements, making it a standout title for fans exploring games like Dead Cells.
What truly sets Rogue Legacy 2 apart is its unique generational inheritance system. When your character falls in battle, their lineage continues with a new heir, each possessing distinct traits and abilities – some beneficial, others hilariously challenging.
This system injects a fresh layer of unpredictability and replayability, forcing players to adapt their strategies with each new generation.
While it shares the roguelike structure of procedurally generated levels and permadeath with Dead Cells, Rogue Legacy 2 distinguishes itself with its charming art style, deeper skill tree, and the sheer variety of character builds that emerge from its innovative inheritance mechanic.
The sense of persistent progression, as your family’s manor expands and unlocks new possibilities, provides a compelling motivation to keep venturing into its challenging dungeons.
Curse of the Dead Gods: A Dark and Dangerous Descent
Curse of the Dead Gods offers a distinctly different flavor of roguelike action while still appealing to players who enjoy challenging combat and persistent progression.
Set in a cruel and unforgiving temple, the game focuses on a stamina-based combat system that emphasizes deliberate attacks, dodges, and parries. Players must manage their resources carefully as they navigate procedurally generated levels filled with traps, hidden dangers, and formidable enemies inspired by various ancient cultures.
A unique “corruption” mechanic adds another layer of challenge. As players delve deeper into the temple, they accumulate corruption, which eventually leads to powerful but often double-edged curses that significantly alter gameplay.
This system forces players to weigh risks and rewards, creating dynamic and unpredictable runs. While it forgoes the direct similarities to the focus keyword, Curse of the Dead Gods provides a compelling and challenging experience for those who appreciate intricate combat and a dark, atmospheric setting.
Risk of Rain 2: Third-Person Mayhem
Risk of Rain 2 delivers a thrilling third-person roguelike experience where players are stranded on alien planets and must fight to survive against hordes of increasingly challenging creatures.
The core gameplay loop revolves around exploring diverse environments, defeating enemies, and collecting a wide array of items that drastically alter your character’s abilities.
What makes Risk of Rain 2 particularly engaging is the way these items stack and synergize, leading to powerful and often unexpected combinations.
As each run progresses, the difficulty escalates, demanding players to adapt their strategies and utilize their growing arsenal effectively.
While it departs from the 2D side-scrolling action of some games in the genre, Risk of Rain 2 offers a unique and compelling take on the roguelike formula with its dynamic third-person perspective and focus on emergent power through item acquisition.
Enter the Gungeon: A Bullet Hell Roguelike
Enter the Gungeon is a chaotic and charming “bullet hell dungeon crawler” that shares the demanding difficulty and rewarding progression found in games like Dead Cells.
Players choose one of several unique Gungeoneers, each with their own starting weapon and abilities, and descend into a constantly shifting dungeon filled with gun-themed enemies known as the Gundead.
The core gameplay revolves around intense twin-stick shooting, requiring precise movement and skillful dodging to survive the relentless waves of projectiles. A massive arsenal of bizarre and creative guns is a key highlight, encouraging experimentation and offering a wide variety of playstyles.
Like Dead Cells, each run is procedurally generated, ensuring a fresh and unpredictable experience. The persistent unlocks, quirky humor, and satisfying gunplay make Enter the Gungeon a highly addictive and replayable adventure for fans of challenging action games.
Spelunky 2: Deeper and More Deadly
Spelunky 2 builds upon the critically acclaimed foundation of its predecessor, offering an even more intricate and challenging roguelike platforming experience. Players once again step into the shoes of a daring explorer, this time Ana Spelunky, as she ventures to the Moon in search of her missing parents.
What distinguishes Spelunky 2 is its incredible depth and emergent gameplay. Each procedurally generated level is a complex sandbox filled with interconnected layers, hidden secrets, and a myriad of interacting elements – from creatures and traps to items and environmental hazards.
The game encourages experimentation and rewards careful observation, as a single misstep can lead to a swift and often hilarious demise. While it maintains a distinct platforming focus, Spelunky 2’s emphasis on player skill, environmental awareness, and the constant discovery of new possibilities offers a uniquely rewarding and endlessly replayable adventure.
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Ori and the Will of the Wisps: A Beautifully Fluid Metroidvania
While not a traditional roguelike, Ori and the Will of the Wisps shares the emphasis on fluid movement, intricate level design, and challenging platforming that resonates with fans.
This visually stunning Metroidvania casts players as the agile spirit Ori, embarking on a quest to save the forest of Niwen.
What makes Ori and the Will of the Wisps stand out is its breathtaking art style, emotional narrative, and incredibly smooth and responsive controls. As players explore the interconnected world, they unlock new abilities that allow them to traverse previously inaccessible areas, solve intricate environmental puzzles, and engage in dynamic combat.
The focus on exploration and the gradual acquisition of new skills to navigate a beautifully realized world offers a different kind of progression compared to the run-based structure of roguelikes, but the demanding platforming sequences and engaging combat will undoubtedly appeal to those who appreciate a skillful and rewarding challenge.
Blasphemous: A Brutal and Atmospheric Metroidvania
Blasphemous offers a dark and visceral Metroidvania experience with challenging combat and a distinct focus on brutal executions, which may appeal to players who appreciate the demanding nature of games like Dead Cells. Set in the grim and gothic world of Cvstodia, players control The Penitent One, a silent warrior on a pilgrimage to atone for his sins.
The gameplay emphasizes precise melee combat, utilizing a sword and various relics and prayers to overcome grotesque enemies and formidable bosses. Exploration is key, as players navigate an interconnected world filled with secrets, lore, and opportunities for character progression.
While it doesn’t feature the procedural generation of a roguelike, Blasphemous shares the sense of challenging encounters, the need for skillful execution, and a rewarding feeling of overcoming difficult obstacles in a bleak and atmospheric setting. The pixel art style and the oppressive religious themes contribute to its unique and memorable identity.
Moonlighter: Shopkeeping by Day, Adventuring by Night
Moonlighter offers a unique blend of shop simulation and action RPG elements. Players take on the role of Will, an adventurous shopkeeper who dreams of becoming a hero. By day, Will manages his shop in the quaint village of Rynoka, selling items he acquires during his nightly excursions into mysterious dungeons.
The dungeon crawling aspect of Moonlighter features procedurally generated levels filled with monsters, traps, and valuable loot. Combat is action-oriented, with a variety of weapons and abilities to unlock.
However, the shopkeeping mechanic adds a distinct layer of strategy. Players must carefully price their goods, manage their inventory, and observe customer behavior to maximize profits, which in turn fund better equipment for their dungeon delves. This engaging combination of two distinct gameplay loops provides a refreshing and addictive experience.
Skul: The Hero Slayer: Head-Swapping Heroics
Skul: The Hero Slayer puts a unique spin on the action-platformer formula by allowing players to swap between different “skulls,” each representing a distinct character with unique abilities and playstyles. Players control Skul, a small skeleton on a mission to rescue his Demon King from the clutches of the Heroic Alliance.
The core gameplay revolves around fast-paced combat and strategic skull-swapping. Experimenting with different skull combinations is crucial for overcoming the varied enemies and challenging bosses encountered throughout the procedurally generated levels.
Each skull offers a different set of attacks, skills, and passive abilities, encouraging adaptability and on-the-fly tactical decisions. The pixel art style and the sheer variety of playable characters through the skull system make Skul: The Hero Slayer a dynamic and engaging experience for those who enjoy action-packed platformers with a twist.
Wizard of Legend: Fast-Paced Magical Combat
Wizard of Legend is a top-down, action-packed roguelike that emphasizes dynamic magical combat. Players take on the role of a wizard participating in the Chaos Trials, a series of procedurally generated dungeons filled with enemies and powerful bosses. The core gameplay revolves around chaining spells together to create devastating combinations.
What makes Wizard of Legend stand out is its focus on fast movement and even faster spellcasting. Players have access to a wide array of spells, called Arcana, based on different elements like fire, water, lightning, and earth. Mastering the timing and combinations of these spells is crucial for survival.
The game encourages experimentation with different Arcana and Relics (items that provide passive bonuses) to find powerful synergies that fit various playstyles. The challenging combat and the sheer number of spells and items to unlock provide significant replayability for those who enjoy mastering intricate combat systems.
20XX: Mega Man-Inspired Roguelike Action
20XX offers a clear nod to the classic Mega Man X series while incorporating roguelike elements that fans of games like Dead Cells will likely appreciate.
Players control either Nina, a ranged combatant, or Ace, a melee specialist, as they navigate procedurally generated levels filled with robotic enemies and challenging bosses.
The gameplay in 20XX is characterized by its fast-paced platforming, precise shooting (or slashing), and the acquisition of new abilities after defeating bosses, similar to the Mega Man formula.
However, the roguelike structure introduces permadeath and randomized level layouts, ensuring that each run feels fresh. The ability to unlock permanent upgrades and a wide variety of weapons and powers provides a sense of progression across multiple attempts.
For players who enjoy tight controls, challenging platforming, and the thrill of unlocking new tools in a constantly changing environment, 20XX offers a compelling experience.
Children of Morta: A Family’s Fight Against Corruption
Children of Morta offers a unique blend of action RPG and roguelite elements, focusing on the narrative of the Bergson family, protectors of Mount Morta.
As the Corruption spreads across the land, each member of this extraordinary family, with their distinct skills and personalities, steps forward to defend their ancestral home.
The gameplay involves traversing procedurally generated dungeons, battling hordes of corrupted creatures, and solving environmental puzzles. What sets Children of Morta apart is its emphasis on family.
Players unlock and control different family members, each with their own combat style and progression. Leveling up individual characters also provides benefits to the entire family, encouraging players to explore different playstyles.
While it incorporates roguelite elements like permadeath for individual dungeon runs, the overarching narrative persists, creating an emotional and engaging experience centered around the strength and resilience of the Bergson family.
Unsighted: A Race Against Time in a Metroidvania World
Unsighted presents a compelling blend of Metroidvania exploration and intense action with a unique and pressing time limit mechanic. Players navigate a war-torn world as Alma, an Automaton who must find a way to save her friends from becoming “Unsighted” – a state of sentience loss with a ticking clock.
The gameplay emphasizes exploration of an interconnected world filled with puzzles, secrets, and challenging combat encounters. Alma gains new abilities and upgrades that allow her to access previously unreachable areas, a hallmark of the Metroidvania genre.
However, the crucial element is the finite time each character has left. Players must make difficult choices about who to help and how to prioritize their limited time, adding a layer of urgency and consequence to their actions. This blend of exploration, action, and the innovative time mechanic creates a distinctive and engaging experience.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights: A Dark Fairy Tale with Soulslike Elements
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights presents a hauntingly beautiful Metroidvania experience with challenging combat and a somber atmosphere that may resonate with players who enjoy the intricate exploration and demanding encounters found in games like Dead Cells.
Players step into the role of Lily, the last surviving priestess in a kingdom devastated by a catastrophic rain that transforms living beings into monstrous undead.
Lily herself is not a fighter, but she purifies and summons the spirits of fallen warriors to fight alongside her. This unique mechanic allows for a diverse range of combat styles as players collect and upgrade different spirits, each with their own distinct attacks and abilities.
The interconnected world is filled with secrets to uncover, challenging bosses to overcome, and a melancholic narrative to unravel. While it emphasizes a more deliberate and strategic combat approach compared to the fast-paced action of some other titles, Ender Lilies’ focus on exploration, challenging boss fights, and the acquisition of new abilities in a dark fantasy setting offers a compelling experience for fans of the genre.
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