#the story and music and narration and cutscenes are top dog

[eonars]

bro im ngl im playing the fuck out of hellblade 2

[zefive]

since one person asked me to, here’s a post recommending some roguelikes!

if you don’t know what a roguelike is, it’s a game where, once you die, you start over. the fun is often in getting better, and defeating enemies you couldn’t defeat before. it’s pretty dang fun.

(i was gonna write a lot more, but bleh to that.)

anyway! starting with my two personal favourites:

RISK OF RAIN a game where every second that passes means a harder, tougher, game. the graphics are gorgeous pixel-art, and the soundtrack is pretty damn rad. it’s probably my favourite, even though i don’t talk about it at all. (and haven’t played in a while >o>;) plus, it’s finished!

THE BINDING OF ISAAC: REBIRTH probably the most popular roguelike. i’ve personally spent 200+ hours on it, so. the art is pretty cute, and a lot of people praise the soundtrack (personally i turn off the music and listen to my own shit, but that’s probably because i’ve spent so much time on it) there’s also two DLC! Afterbirth and Afterbirth+, both of which i’d recommend, though if you’re not sure, just buy rebirth first! there’s also fanmods a plenty, and have i mentioned the main character?? because you will Want To Protect him very fast. (there’s also kind of a story, but it’s not like... in your face? it’s mostly in cutscenes you get after beating the round) it’s also finished!

ENTER THE GUNGEON the game which i’ve been playing a lot, recently. it’s super fun, and also hard, but i’m having a damn blast playing it. it just got extra stuff added (for free!), so even though the base game is finished, there’s still more stuff a-coming! i’d definitely recommend this one; it’s kind of quirky, and a lot of fun, and just- it’s really fun, okay?

NUCLEAR THRONE in the same vein as Enter the Gungeon, is this game! it actually came before Gungeon, but whatever, i do what i want. much like Gungeon it’s quirky, super fun to play, and also hard. it’s also finished.

CRYPT OF THE NECRODANCER probably the most unique game on this list, it’s a rhythm-rougelike! the music is top quality, and it’s super easy to sink a lot of time into it. it just recently got an DLC, Amplified, which is in early acces!

DARKEST DUNGEON the oh god how do you not die game. Darkest Dungeon is a bit different in that, once you die, you don’t start over- instead, you lose the characters you’ve spent hard work leveling up, and start over with new characters. it’s fun. :) it is also a pretty damn grim game, with lovecraftian elements, a ‘dark’ artstyle, and a system which will fuck you over (or save your ass). beside hp, there’s a thing called ‘sanity’ which will drop the further you explore into the dungeon. when it drops completely, your hero will either crack, or go full blown saint. this is one of the hardest games on the list, i think, but it’s also a lot of fun. also, the narrator has a very delicious voice. i’d definitely recommend watching the intro.

DON’T STARVE (TOGETHER) another of my favourites! together is a multi-player version, which is probably the more popular one. it’s super fun to play with others! anyway, DS is by the awesome company Klei, who makes super awesome games. the art style is FANTASTIC, the world is amazing, and the characters are all precious and lovely. there is story, but it’s one you have to seek out yourself. there’s also DLC, which changes up the formula and adds more characters. there’s Reign of Giants, which adds a weather system and giants that’ll fucking murder you; Shipwrecked, which strands you on an island, and forces you to make boats and shit. it’s really an amazing game, and i’d recommend it any day. (though, fair warning: i personally get a bit nauseous playing it. you might be the same, i dunno.)

GONNER the actual cutest roguelike ever??? the art is fantastic, and the music is amazing, and YOU HAVE A WHALE FRIEND. it’s also pretty tough, as per usual. it is also finished.

CATACOMB KIDS i’m currently playing this, and having a fucking blast. it’s still in alpha, which means it’s nowhere near finished, but damn, is it good so far! unlike most roguelike, it has swords! and not guns! also it has spears, which has gained my forever love.

VAGANTE in the same vein as Catacomb Kids is Vagante! it’s a lot more polished, but it’s also still in early access. i haven’t actually played this recently? but it’s got a great art style, and it’s super fun.

DOWNWELL i honestly love this game. it’s a neat little one, with pretty pixel graphics, and fun gameplay. it’s really cheap too! i’m not sure why exactly i love this one as much as i do, but it’s a lotta fun.

ROGUE LEGACY another ‘unique’ one, in Rogue Legacy when you die, you start again as the dead hero’s kid. it’s pretty damn tough, and i’m nowhere near beating it, even though i’ve played like 19 hours.

SPELUNKY remember how i said Isaac was the most popular roguelike? i lied, this is the one. Spelunky is pretty dang known in the gaming-circle, and it does live up to that fame. it’s super tough, but also fun. it can, however, get very frustrating.

FTL: FASTER THAN LIGHT space game! roguelike- in space!! FTL is another one of those ‘famous’ ones, and it most definitely lives up to that fame. it’s fun, and also tough as fuck, and it’s kind of a delight?? also there’s aliens.

THE FLAME IN THE FLOOD i literally just played an hour of this, just so i could recommend it. because the game looks awesome, and from what i’ve played, it’s pretty great! it’s a survival roguelike, and you gotta travel from island to island. plus, you got a dog.

NEO SCAVENGER i love this game, honestly. it’s mostly text-based, and it’s not quite roguelike, but fuck it, i’m putting it here anyway- it fits the criteria well enough. it’s really fun to play, and it doesn’t matter that there’s not much visually going on.

DUNGEON OF THE ENDLESS this game is super duper pretty, turn-based, and i don’t know, i just really like it?

KINGDOM this apparently isn’t an roguelike either, but it feels like one, so. in this one, you gotta build up your kingdom, and not die. it’s pretty neat, and also pretty pretty.

ONE WAY HEROICS oh man, this game. it’s barely ever talked about, but it’s super fun. it’s kind of an old style JRPG, except an roguelike. basically, you can only go one way, and you have to constantly move, because otherwise you die. it’s really fun, super cheap, and also funny.

DUNGEONS OF DREDMORE okay so personally, i don’t care much about this game, but it’s pretty popular? it’s kind of in the style of old rpg games, kind of ala tabletop games, and stuff. it’s kind ‘quirky’, but obviously not in a bad way. it is kind of fun, and i probably just have to give it another chance.

DEVIL DAGGERS okay so, this isn’t really a roguelike either, but it feels like one, and it does kind of fit the criteria. also i do what i want, fight me. anyway, Devil Daggers is.... a really, really, hard game. like: the first hundred times you probably won’t even last over a minute. but, the combat is pretty damn fluid/fun, and the art style is just. REALLY RAD. also there’s a lot of ‘listening’ to figure out where your enemies are, and just- i really like this game, even though i haven’t even played 30 minutes.

anyway, that’s more or less it! all of the roguelikes i have (and would recommend)! there’s obviously some good ones i don’t have yet, and some of these aren’t quite roguelikes, but they’re pretty damn close. hopefully you’ll like one of these, and find a new game to love. (◡‿◡✿)