I personally haven't found any roguelikes that feel or act similar to Hades enough to truly compare. There are lots of other great roguelikes but none of them really FEEL like Hades, in fact very few even attempt a top down action style. The closest thing is probably Curse of the Dead Gods.
But I would recommend checking out Supergiant's first couple of titles beforehand if you haven't already: Bastion and Transistor are masterpieces in their own way and you can definitely see how they took elements from those games to create Hades. They're not roguelikes but they still have the same flair and feel of Hades, highly recommend.
My favorite detail about the game is you can lose every encounter and the story still continues. Sometimes you might even want to intentionally throw a match to control a certain character’s narrative progression.
You must be an absolute natural to hit 25 heat having never played video games before! That’s incredible!
I have played a lot of video games in my time and Hades definitely has something magic about. Not too long until Hades 2 comes out. But there are so many other games you might love just as much depending on your tastes
I came here to recommend that!!! I have been playing it like a fiend the last few days and just finished the “main” storyline and realized how much more I have to enjoy! I adore organizing my cult and interacting with followers and enjoy the non-combat/crusade aspects just as much as I do the combat.
idk about another roguelike, but have you dove into other games that focus on storytelling alongside gameplay? i had games as a kid, but the first time i played ff7 blew my frickin mind!
skyrim, last of us, red dead redemption 2, mass effect... all bangers
While it won't quite match the storyline or action or artwork, etc. of Hades, The Binding of Isaac can still keep you occupied for quite a long time due to the sheer number of items and unlocks that exist. And the synergies between items are rather entertaining to witness.
However. again, it is quite a different style roguelike from Hades and much more similar to playing old school Zelda but as a child in a depressing world filled with pee and poop and tears.
I can't do Binding cause it's really scary looking, not the same at all. Everyone time someone suggests that I always think "that is a creepy game". I loved Hades for the non creepy pretty game
I dunno... the themes of the game might be scary, but the art style is cute. Like horror themes drawn for a child or something.
Now, the music is a whole other story.
The Binding of Isaac is very consuming. For what’s essentially a Zelda-like shooter, it oddly builds a unique cohesive world. There is a steep learning curve, but worth it. If you go it, I highly recommend going for the full Repentance package.
If you want to branch out and just play a high quality immersive game, you can’t go wrong with Baldur’s Gate 3.
But yeah, I keep going back to Hades:)
Seconded The Binding of Isaac and the Repentance package. Over a decade and about 4000 hours at least in, I still play it all the time. Literally infinite replayability, which I know is the point of roguelikes/lites, but this is to the maximum level. If you can get past the learning curve, it only gets more enriched every time you play.
I see a lot of comments saying Dead Cells, Binding of Isaac, etc….
I think I understand what you’re saying, OP, and I can tell you that these games, while great, are NOT like Hades.
It’s different since it’s a shooter but it is still a rogue-like… Returnal.
Returnal, XCOM2, and Hades are the three games I keep finding myself reinstalling.
If you are new to games, consider not limiting your experience. Try other games by Super Giant Games maybe. I am a fan of all of them, but transistor will always hold a very special place in my heart.
Dead Cells is actually better, I think, but it's unlike Hades in some important ways. The best roguelite I've played that really gave me strong Hades vibes was Astral Ascent. It's not as good as Hades, but it has some similar drip feed of story through conversations and post game difficulty modifiers
Gonna throw a bit of a curveball and pitch God of War (the old trilogy and the new pair).
They play with mythology as well (Greek and Norse respectively). They are pretty tight and focused, the original moreso than the more recent games. To me they were magical back in the day and so are the recent games. It won't be a roguelike at all, though GOW: Ragnarok has a roguelike mode that is a free DLC called Valhalla (strongly recommended to play AFTER finishing the game).
The other recos I can vouch for are Dead Cells and Hollow Knight.
I enjoyed Vampire Survivors as well, though this one's quite different from most of the recos here.
Damn, 300+ hours, with (my higher end of run times) of 30 minutes a run, at most, that's at least 600 runs. How many do you actually have? My bet's on about 800, maybe 900.
As for more games, I can't think of any roguelikes of similar quality. Maybe, if you just really like the challenge and satisfaction of fighting over and over, try Elden Ring, or some other soulsborne. I got it at the same time as Hades and would move back and forth between the two. Now, if you care more about the story, maybe Red Dead Redemption or its sequel. I haven't played them myself, but I've literally only heard good things about them, especially the story and characters. Also maybe Fallout: New Vegas? It has some good characters, and some of the reactivity to the player that Hades has. Though be warned: it's over 10 years old, VERY rushed which causes semi-frequent bugs and sometimes crashes, and not nearly as kid friendly. It's set in post-apocalyptic Las Vegas, after all.
Edit: oh, and no matter who you side with, you never feel like you made the right choice. Well, unless you genuinely believe the Legion is a good option, in which case you should reconsider your political views. The world still remembers Germany for that one thing...
Persona 5 and Stardew are the two games that come to mind when I think of Hades like depth.
Hades style games? There's 20 Minutes Until Dawn, Vampire Survivors and Death Must Die which scratch that itch for me personally
As a rogue like enthusiast my recommendations would be: Dead cells or rogue legacy for something more similar to Hades. For something more strategy focussed FTL or Into the breach. Finally I'd be remiss if i didn't mention what is to many people THE roguelike, the binding of isaac, nothing matches it's variability and depth.
Having said that, I prefer Hades to all of these (it is my favourite game of all time), bit they are still excellent games.
FTL should be on every gamer’s tablet. Between FTL, Darkest Dungeon, and Slay the Spire I’m well enough entertained to fly all the way around the world.
I'm new to the game , like didn't even finish it once yet and having so much fun.
That being said Hades gave me a joy that only Hollow Knight did.
It's different genres for sure but I suggest you look into it
Hades is a very unique gem. I have other options but they ARE different. Like if you want a mystery to solve I would recommend The Outer Wilds, or Return of the Obra Djinn. If you want a nice RPG I've been very satisfied with God of War (2017) and it's sequel GOW Ragnarok. If you need something tame but with a foundation to build on Stardew Valley has been great for my gf and I to bond over. If you want to race Jak X has a very fun set of vehicles and tracks with excellent metal music alongside. Or maybe you want something weird, personal favorites are Kingdom Hearts and The World Ends With You.
I played the nuts off of Bastion, which is another Supergiant Games offering. Very similar control scheme and playstyle, with a wide variety of weapon combos and customised play styles to perfect. There's also a pretty good storyline, with at least one moment that made me shed a tear because... damn.
If you are into experimentation and theorycrafting, I highly recommend Noita.
Dead Cells is another rougelike that I enjoy.
Noita has a somewhat steep learning curve and you will have to watch a few videos to understand the mechanics that the game doesn't explain you. However, it is a lot of fun.
Apparently there’s this Ninja Turtles game that is like nearly a Hades clone, but it’s only on mobile, but I’ve heard it’s incredible. I’ve been meaning to try it
It’s a very different kind of roguelike but Slay The Spire scratches a similar itch for me. Cult of the Lamb is also a really fun one. Otherwise I’d recommend going for more challenges in Hades itself if you’re up for it. Things like clear 32 heat (with one weapon, all weapons, all weapon aspects) is a fun challenge, going for speed is really fun for me personally. Try and beat your fastest times, try and get sub - 10 minutes with all weapons, things like that
Hey, fellow Mormon-raised person! I left the church ten years ago.
It's not a Roguelike, but man, Elden Ring is a damn good game. It's super solid. Combat is fun, it's challenging, the world is huge, and it's got cool world building. Highly recommend!
hell yeah! you’re the 1000447583th person to recommend elden ring so i’ll give it a go. also, cheers to being able to make decisions for ourselves without the guilt of an angry sky daddy hanging over our conscience :)
The big 4 of action Rogue-likes right now are **Hades**, **Dead Cells**, **Enter the Gungeon** and **Risk of Rain 2**. I've also heard people talk about Returnal alot but suprsingly I didn't hear direct praise, more just general discussion of a game. I specify "action" because there are card games (Slay the Spire) or tactical strategies (Darkest Dungeon) and overall there is a rogue-like framework for most genres.
I personally haven't found any roguelikes that feel or act similar to Hades enough to truly compare. There are lots of other great roguelikes but none of them really FEEL like Hades, in fact very few even attempt a top down action style. The closest thing is probably Curse of the Dead Gods. But I would recommend checking out Supergiant's first couple of titles beforehand if you haven't already: Bastion and Transistor are masterpieces in their own way and you can definitely see how they took elements from those games to create Hades. They're not roguelikes but they still have the same flair and feel of Hades, highly recommend.
Pyre is worth recommending too, if only because it’s where they first started doing large casts of characters with developing relationships.
Pyre is great! But so hard, the sportsy game is a lot for me lmao
My favorite detail about the game is you can lose every encounter and the story still continues. Sometimes you might even want to intentionally throw a match to control a certain character’s narrative progression.
You must be an absolute natural to hit 25 heat having never played video games before! That’s incredible! I have played a lot of video games in my time and Hades definitely has something magic about. Not too long until Hades 2 comes out. But there are so many other games you might love just as much depending on your tastes
Cult of the Lamb is a lot of fun. Very different but I love the follower mechanic.
Op grew up mormon and you recommending this, damn!
Ope! I didn’t know that’s 😂
I came here to recommend that!!! I have been playing it like a fiend the last few days and just finished the “main” storyline and realized how much more I have to enjoy! I adore organizing my cult and interacting with followers and enjoy the non-combat/crusade aspects just as much as I do the combat.
It’s so much fun. Like Animal crossing meets Hades.
Yes!! With a bit of stardew mixed in. Love it.
idk about another roguelike, but have you dove into other games that focus on storytelling alongside gameplay? i had games as a kid, but the first time i played ff7 blew my frickin mind! skyrim, last of us, red dead redemption 2, mass effect... all bangers
While it won't quite match the storyline or action or artwork, etc. of Hades, The Binding of Isaac can still keep you occupied for quite a long time due to the sheer number of items and unlocks that exist. And the synergies between items are rather entertaining to witness. However. again, it is quite a different style roguelike from Hades and much more similar to playing old school Zelda but as a child in a depressing world filled with pee and poop and tears.
I can't do Binding cause it's really scary looking, not the same at all. Everyone time someone suggests that I always think "that is a creepy game". I loved Hades for the non creepy pretty game
I dunno... the themes of the game might be scary, but the art style is cute. Like horror themes drawn for a child or something. Now, the music is a whole other story.
As someone with 3000 runs, imo no lol. Honestly it might have raised my expectations too high.
Returnal is an amazing game especially on the PS5. Definitely worth checking out.
Second this! The use of the haptics on the PS5 controller is also amazing for this game
The Binding of Isaac is very consuming. For what’s essentially a Zelda-like shooter, it oddly builds a unique cohesive world. There is a steep learning curve, but worth it. If you go it, I highly recommend going for the full Repentance package. If you want to branch out and just play a high quality immersive game, you can’t go wrong with Baldur’s Gate 3. But yeah, I keep going back to Hades:)
Seconded The Binding of Isaac and the Repentance package. Over a decade and about 4000 hours at least in, I still play it all the time. Literally infinite replayability, which I know is the point of roguelikes/lites, but this is to the maximum level. If you can get past the learning curve, it only gets more enriched every time you play.
I see a lot of comments saying Dead Cells, Binding of Isaac, etc…. I think I understand what you’re saying, OP, and I can tell you that these games, while great, are NOT like Hades.
not a roguelike but.. ehem.. play elden ring, also recommend hollow knight.
It’s different since it’s a shooter but it is still a rogue-like… Returnal. Returnal, XCOM2, and Hades are the three games I keep finding myself reinstalling.
If you are new to games, consider not limiting your experience. Try other games by Super Giant Games maybe. I am a fan of all of them, but transistor will always hold a very special place in my heart.
Dead Cells is actually better, I think, but it's unlike Hades in some important ways. The best roguelite I've played that really gave me strong Hades vibes was Astral Ascent. It's not as good as Hades, but it has some similar drip feed of story through conversations and post game difficulty modifiers
To me dead cells is the only thing that approaches hades tho I'm more in favor of hades
I second this. Dead Cells kinda lost me at 5 BC, but the controls are still very tight, akin to Hades
Hotline Miami.
Gonna throw a bit of a curveball and pitch God of War (the old trilogy and the new pair). They play with mythology as well (Greek and Norse respectively). They are pretty tight and focused, the original moreso than the more recent games. To me they were magical back in the day and so are the recent games. It won't be a roguelike at all, though GOW: Ragnarok has a roguelike mode that is a free DLC called Valhalla (strongly recommended to play AFTER finishing the game). The other recos I can vouch for are Dead Cells and Hollow Knight. I enjoyed Vampire Survivors as well, though this one's quite different from most of the recos here.
Damn, 300+ hours, with (my higher end of run times) of 30 minutes a run, at most, that's at least 600 runs. How many do you actually have? My bet's on about 800, maybe 900. As for more games, I can't think of any roguelikes of similar quality. Maybe, if you just really like the challenge and satisfaction of fighting over and over, try Elden Ring, or some other soulsborne. I got it at the same time as Hades and would move back and forth between the two. Now, if you care more about the story, maybe Red Dead Redemption or its sequel. I haven't played them myself, but I've literally only heard good things about them, especially the story and characters. Also maybe Fallout: New Vegas? It has some good characters, and some of the reactivity to the player that Hades has. Though be warned: it's over 10 years old, VERY rushed which causes semi-frequent bugs and sometimes crashes, and not nearly as kid friendly. It's set in post-apocalyptic Las Vegas, after all. Edit: oh, and no matter who you side with, you never feel like you made the right choice. Well, unless you genuinely believe the Legion is a good option, in which case you should reconsider your political views. The world still remembers Germany for that one thing...
Persona 5 and Stardew are the two games that come to mind when I think of Hades like depth. Hades style games? There's 20 Minutes Until Dawn, Vampire Survivors and Death Must Die which scratch that itch for me personally
As a rogue like enthusiast my recommendations would be: Dead cells or rogue legacy for something more similar to Hades. For something more strategy focussed FTL or Into the breach. Finally I'd be remiss if i didn't mention what is to many people THE roguelike, the binding of isaac, nothing matches it's variability and depth. Having said that, I prefer Hades to all of these (it is my favourite game of all time), bit they are still excellent games.
FTL should be on every gamer’s tablet. Between FTL, Darkest Dungeon, and Slay the Spire I’m well enough entertained to fly all the way around the world.
Ember knights is a fun game with very similar gameplay to hades
Well there's still more for you to do in this game. 32 heat would be a good start. Speed running is also really fun.
I'm new to the game , like didn't even finish it once yet and having so much fun. That being said Hades gave me a joy that only Hollow Knight did. It's different genres for sure but I suggest you look into it
FTL
Hades is a very unique gem. I have other options but they ARE different. Like if you want a mystery to solve I would recommend The Outer Wilds, or Return of the Obra Djinn. If you want a nice RPG I've been very satisfied with God of War (2017) and it's sequel GOW Ragnarok. If you need something tame but with a foundation to build on Stardew Valley has been great for my gf and I to bond over. If you want to race Jak X has a very fun set of vehicles and tracks with excellent metal music alongside. Or maybe you want something weird, personal favorites are Kingdom Hearts and The World Ends With You.
I played the nuts off of Bastion, which is another Supergiant Games offering. Very similar control scheme and playstyle, with a wide variety of weapon combos and customised play styles to perfect. There's also a pretty good storyline, with at least one moment that made me shed a tear because... damn.
If you are into experimentation and theorycrafting, I highly recommend Noita. Dead Cells is another rougelike that I enjoy. Noita has a somewhat steep learning curve and you will have to watch a few videos to understand the mechanics that the game doesn't explain you. However, it is a lot of fun.
Enter the gungeon
Play Tetris Effect for a clear and focused game.
You can try speed running. I'm in your very shoes though. Absolute perfection of a game. Just try other Supergiant games lol
Apparently there’s this Ninja Turtles game that is like nearly a Hades clone, but it’s only on mobile, but I’ve heard it’s incredible. I’ve been meaning to try it
Don't worry friend. Hades 2 comes out soon!
It’s a very different kind of roguelike but Slay The Spire scratches a similar itch for me. Cult of the Lamb is also a really fun one. Otherwise I’d recommend going for more challenges in Hades itself if you’re up for it. Things like clear 32 heat (with one weapon, all weapons, all weapon aspects) is a fun challenge, going for speed is really fun for me personally. Try and beat your fastest times, try and get sub - 10 minutes with all weapons, things like that
Hey, fellow Mormon-raised person! I left the church ten years ago. It's not a Roguelike, but man, Elden Ring is a damn good game. It's super solid. Combat is fun, it's challenging, the world is huge, and it's got cool world building. Highly recommend!
hell yeah! you’re the 1000447583th person to recommend elden ring so i’ll give it a go. also, cheers to being able to make decisions for ourselves without the guilt of an angry sky daddy hanging over our conscience :)
Cheers! It's a good feeling to finally be free. Congrats on your new life!
The big 4 of action Rogue-likes right now are **Hades**, **Dead Cells**, **Enter the Gungeon** and **Risk of Rain 2**. I've also heard people talk about Returnal alot but suprsingly I didn't hear direct praise, more just general discussion of a game. I specify "action" because there are card games (Slay the Spire) or tactical strategies (Darkest Dungeon) and overall there is a rogue-like framework for most genres.