The roguelike genre has taken the industry by storm in recent years, providing an innovative way for players to experience games. Often famed for intricate progression systems and exciting combat, the wonderful stories and mythologies present in roguelikes are often overlooked.
Indeed, from the spine-chilling sci-fi horror of Returnal to the refreshing take on Greek mythology that Hades offers, the lore present in some of these games is up there with the best in gaming. With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the roguelikes with the most impressive lore, mythology, and stories.
6 Returnal
A rare AAA outing in the roguelike genre, Housemarque’s Returnal is of scope players rarely experience in these types of games. With that scope comes huge battles, massive randomized levels, and a visual pallet that utilizes everything the PS5 has on offer. Along with this though, comes deep lore for players to dig their teeth into.
An ancient civilization of aliens with mastery over technology, weaponry, and space travel that, somehow, vanished, leaving a crumbling world in its wake, everything is on show here. This is without touching on the lore of Selene’s own story, a house holding all manner of secrets and a past that players must uncover themselves. Ultimately, discovering and learning about this fallen planet, translating hieroglyphics, and meeting ancient beings is an experience unlike any other. Thus, the lore that players can uncover in Returnal examines all the most interesting aspects of sci-fi horror, at a scope and scale previously unseen in the roguelike genre.
5 Hades
Genre-darling Hades takes a modern and fresh view of Greek mythology and with that comes a mountain of fascinating and exciting lore. By delving deep into the character dynamics present within the pantheon of Greek deities, the lore showcased ranges from the secret motivations behind each god’s actions to the romantic relationships between the gods.
This lore is all examined through the eyes of the game’s protagonist, Zagreus, as he learns more and more about the Greek pantheon. What is really great about the lore in Hades is how it utilizes the format of the roguelike to drip-feed the player chunks of lore during and after almost every run through its world. Combine this with the obviously educational aspect of learning about this ancient culture, and you have a game with lore that can rival even the famed Dark Souls in its appeal to lore-heads.
4 Dead Cells
Dead Cells is a roguelike that prides itself on fast-paced combat and unique pixel-art design. However, behind this unique approach to the roguelike genre is a game with distinct and unique lore.
While light on the overall story, Dead Cells provides hints at a grand world behind the player's actions, be it the history of the amorphous creature players take control of as they take on the form of various corpses in an attempt to escape a seemingly never-ending prison or the deep backstory provided for each boss. With that in mind, this game will certainly scratch that lore itch players have when picking a roguelike.
3 BPM: Bullets Per Minute
In a move similar to that of Hades, BPM: Bullets Per Minute combines the drip-feed style of storytelling that has become famous in roguelikes, with ancient and traditional mythology. This time, it is the stories and faces present throughout Norse mythology.
The use of these stories and iconography alone puts BPMup there with the best lore in roguelikes, combine that with an aesthetic alteration, replacing swords with guns and presenting the famed Valkyries in a new design among other things, and players have truly intriguing lore to sink their teeth into.
2 Sunless Sea
Released in 2015, Sunless Sea is a survival game with a slew of roguelike elements. The lore is the star of the show here, as players traverse an underground ocean with a deeply oppressive atmosphere. This ocean is inhabited by ancient and unfathomable beasts with a striking resemblance to the creations of H.P Lovecraft. And somewhere down there, if you go far enough, is London, sunken to the depths of the Sunless Sea.
As players explore the islands of this sea, little bits of lore are slowly fed, painting a picture of the world around the player. With that in mind and while the gameplay of Sunless Sea can be tough to get a grasp of, the lore on show here is more than worth it, especially if one is a fan of the genre of cosmic horror present in offerings such as Bloodborne and Call of Cthulhu.
1 Children Of Morta
Allowing players to take on the role of a different member of the Bergson family, a lineage in a far-off land with the title of Guardians of Mount Morta, Children of Morta is a story-focused, action roguelike that has deep and fascinating lore, surrounding the land and the family.
The attraction here is twofold, learning the lore behind this famed family, as well as the evil they face, ominously named “the corruption”. Ultimately, for players who value story and lore in their roguelikes, Children of Morta is well worth checking out.