The roguelike subgenre of role-playing games is characterized by procedurally generated levels, turn-based gameplay, grid-based movement, and permanent death of the player character. Inspired by the 1980 game Rogue, these games emphasize strategic decision-making, resource management, and high replayability due to their unpredictable environments and challenges.
Many roguelike games use flat 2D or even pixel art to represent the player, map, and enemies. However, not all games take this simple approach. There are some great top-down, isometric roguelike games available. These range from simple "kill everything and survive the level" style games, to titles that merge multiple genres and introduce additional gameplay mechanics such as tower defense and co-op play.
7 Nuclear Throne
Pure Explosive Chaos
The first game on this is simply chaotic. In this isometric roguelike, the player fights on a post-apocalyptic map. The game world is populated by monsters and mutants, which the player needs to defeat as they progress through the wasteland. Combat is frenetic and often confusing, but a lot of fun.
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The player can find equipment, mostly weapons, and can also accumulate radiation poisoning. When they reach a specific level of radiation poisoning, the player can choose to mutate in some way, or unlock new special abilities. Nuclear Throne deserves a place on this list simply for being so much fun, even though it is quite a simple game.
6 MidBoss
Possession Is Nine Tenths Of The Law
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS
- Released: May 26, 2017
- Developer: Kitsune Games
- Genre: Roguelike
MidBoss is an excellent addition to this list, with its own distinct style and truly amusing gameplay features. Not least of these is the ability to possess the bodies of slain enemies and steal their powers. The game world in MidBoss is termed a “death labyrinth” by the developers, and is a dark and fiery dungeon.
Playing as a small imp, the player is tasked with descending into the depths of the dungeon to defeat the final boss in this isometric roguelike. Picking up equipment and weapons on the way is a must, but watch out for those bothersome cursed items, which come with some negative traits.
5 Dust & Neon
A Tough Robotic Challenge
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Android, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, iOS, Xbox Series X and Series S
- Released: February 6, 2023
- Developers: Netflix, David Marquardt Studios, David Marquardt
- Genre: Roguelike
As roguelikes go, Dust & Neon is one of the harder games of this genre. That being said, the difficulty doesn’t detract from the fun at all. It simply means that this game is no pushover. The player takes on the role of a gunslinger, hunting down and exterminating armies of robotic enemies, and tougher robot bosses.
There is plenty of equipment, weapons, and upgrades for the player to find and try out. Similarly, there are many upgradeable abilities that the player can unlock. Dust & Neon has crisp and well-defined graphics, and manages not to clutter the game window too much, something that can be a problem with some isometric roguelikes.
4 West Of Dead
Spends Some Time In Purgatory
West of Dead is set in Purgatory. Not the biblical place of suffering inhabited by the souls of sinners. Purgatory, Wyoming in 1888. Graphically, West Of Dead is unique, with its own visual style that is perfectly suited to the setting. Awakening with no memory of previous events, the player embarks on a quest to descend into Purgatory to uncover the truth.
This game leans heavily on the Old West trope, and throws in recognizable influences from American fantasy culture. This includes enemies such as wendigos and witches. The gunplay in West Of Dead is intuitive and fun. It's a great little isometric roguelike that any fan of the genre will no doubt enjoy.
3 Liberte
Fight And Die In Paris
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
- Released: February 15, 2022
- Developer: Superstatic, Superstatic Studio
- Genre: Roguelike
Based on the period of the French Revolution, Liberte is a slick, well-presented isometric roguelike with great graphics and fun gameplay. The player explores the dangerous area of Paris known as Rene, which is fought over by four separate factions.
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The goal of the game is to build alliances with the four factions and progress through the dangerous streets of Rene. Players seek to uncover who Lady Bliss is, and how she is exploiting dimensional travel to influence the city. This is a well-polished, infinitely replayable roguelike that deserves a place high up on this list.
2 ANVIL
Isometric Roguelike Influenced By The Fallout Franchise
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S
- Released: January 15, 2021
- Developer: Action Square
- Genre: Roguelike
There can be no doubt that games such as Fallout 4 had a huge impact on the concept behind ANVIL. This is no criticism — the game is fun to play, and only treads on the toes of the venerable Fallout series. In it, the player is a “Breaker” for ANVIL, an organization that is tasked with tracking down and exploring alien vaults. These vaults can be found dotted around the universe.
Gameplay revolves around locating fresh vaults, and fighting through them to uncover new powers and advanced equipment. The game's gunplay is fun and rewarding, with a wide range of alien enemies to take on and bosses to defeat. It's a fun sci-fi isometric roguelike with tons of replayability.
1 Endless Dungeon
Frantic Roguelike Sci-Fi Dungeon Crawling
Endless Dungeon
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS5 , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One
- Released
- October 19, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Amplitude Studios
- Genre(s)
- Tower Defense , Roguelike , Shooter
Although this is an isometric roguelike, it also brings in several other kinds of gameplay, such as tower defense and tactical decision-making. The name suggests that Endless Dungeon revolves around, well, exploring dungeons. However, the name is a bit of a misnomer, as the game maps are actually abandoned space stations. Players must fight through multiple levels to reach the Crystal Core.
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Another fun aspect of Endless Dungeon is its co-op multiplayer mode. This is where the tower defense mechanics come in, as the entire team is tasked with protecting their spawn crystal from wave after wave of enemies.
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