The roguelike genre of video games has a lot of entries, with many of them being absolute classics. However, due to the repetitive nature of the gameplay, the narratives in roguelikes are typically slim to non-existent. That said, there are some games that take the less traveled road and strive to add a strong narrative on top of their great gameplay.

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These games brilliantly straddle the line between being a proper roguelike with the randomness factor that fans associate with it — and the narrative nuggets that tend to get fans hooked.

8 Enter The Gungeon

A True Bullet Hail With Attitude

Enter The Gungeon is all about guns and the player will get to use many, many of them. The frenetic pace of the game makes each run exhilarating and for such a simplistic title, Enter The Gungeon does have an intriguing story.

The story features four people who would like nothing more than to kill their past, and by entering the Gungeon, they can do that. These pasts are regrettable for each character and are a nice touch to an already impressive game. The gameplay and features really shine as players are privy to an obscene variety of guns that are sure to keep them coming back to the Gungeon.

7 FTL: Faster Than Light

The Journey Is Always Better Than The Destination

Faster Than Light puts the player in the position as the commander of a spacecraft that is on the run from a set of people known as the federation in a randomly generated galaxy. Each run is about how far the player can go before succumbing to their pursuers.

There isn’t much of a story in FTL, so why is it on this list? Well, the reason is that, due to all the decisions players have to make and the different personalities they come across, they end up crafting their own story, and with each run, players find themselves with several riveting stories of a difficult, yet fun, journey.

6 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team & Red Rescue Team

A Rare Opportunity To Become A Pokemon

The Pokémon series is well known for its spinoff titles, which are incredibly popular and usually well-made games. The Mystery Dungeon series is one of those and is unique in that it lets the player play as a Pokémon, which is something the mainline series never did.

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In Blue/Red Rescue Team, the player wakes up as a Pokémon with no recollection of what has happened and then has to join forces with other Pokémon to rescue the monsters from dungeons. There is a great storyline, as it is hinted that the player was human and that their transformation has something to do with some recent disturbances. The gameplay can get a bit repetitive, but as far as roguelikes go, this is a solid entry.

5 Caves Of Qud

Absolutely Anything And Everything Will Happen To The Player

Caves Of Qud is an ambitious game that lets the player do just about anything they want. Thrust into a vast world set in a far future where nothing is like it used to be, the player gets involved in some of the most bizarre stories.

Caves Of Qud is a difficult game to sink into, and for those who love shiny graphics, this is a game that can take a lot to warm up to. But, if the player so happens to get the hang of it, they are in for the time of their lives and will be rewarded with a rich game with various

tales of the wonderful and macabre.

4 Rogue Legacy 2

A Superior Sequel In Every Sense Of The Word

Rogue Legacy 2 is the sequel to the popular Rogue Legacy game. The sequel takes everything its predecessor did and just ups it a bit to provide players with an unforgettable experience. The player takes on a random character out of three and jumps into battle.

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When they die, they don’t return but instead have to choose from three of the hero's children to take on the dungeons again. The attentive player can find the lore of the game, and it tells a tale of an underground kingdom whose king eats the fruit of the tree of life — and the consequences of these actions.

3 Tales Of Maj’Eyal

A Deep Tale With Treasures In Every Corner

Tales Of Maj’Eyal — or TOME — is another of those roguelike games that has tons and tons of features for the player to uncover. The game allows players to pick a class and race and then set off on their adventure.

As the name implies, TOME has a deep lore and various stories for the player to discover. Each room will have a little tidbit for the player to read and learn about the world they inhabit, and there are whole websites dedicated to the lore of the game. For players who love stories with all the classic elements of a roguelike, TOME is the answer.

2 Ancient Domains Of Mystery

A Well Done Masterpiece With Some Heavy Lore

Ancient Domains Of Mystery, or ADOM for short is a classic game made by Thomas Biskup in 1994. It is a wonderful roguelike game notorious for its punishing difficulty. As the character, the player can customize their avatar to their heart's content.

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The story of ADOM is amazing as the player is tasked with stopping the forces of chaos from overrunning Ancardia. The game has multiple endings, and players are encouraged to play as they like, meaning they can choose to be good or evil. There is a more recent release of the game on Steam (2015), and it is definitely worth a look for any fan of good stories and the roguelike genre.

1 Hades

Each Death Provides New Story Moments

Hades is a 2020 game released by the ever impressive Supergiant Games, who have indie gems such as Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre as solid priors. But Hades is the game that brought them to the limelight, and it is a fitting game to do so.

Players control Zagreus, who wants to escape the underworld. The story of the game is aided by the fact that Greek mythology is such a rich resource for storytelling. Each new run in Hades feels fresh, and with enemies retaining the memory of facing the player, character interactions are extremely satisfying. On top of all this, it features some sick gameplay.

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