You don’t have to go through each new run by yourself.
Roguelikes are here to stay, whether you like them or not. There’s a roguelike game out there for just about everyone, from small, simple indie games to huge, award-winning triple-A blockbusters. What better way to go through death over and over than with a friend?
Most roguelike games are pretty hard, so having a friend to help you beat bosses that are tough as nails and kill groups of enemies is a great idea. Most of the time, you can choose builds, gear, and upgrades that work well together to make it easier to explore the seemingly endless levels. With these co-op roguelike games, you don’t have to die over and over again by yourself.
Roboquest
More like an FPS Roboquest is an early access game that is a Roguelite. It has many of the same features as popular action Roguelikes. It has randomly produced levels, a lot of different weapons to use, and a lot of bad robots to kill.
The levels look like they came from a comic book. They are brightly coloured and have as many action sounds as you can handle. The game has two-player co-op, so two people who want to be violent robots can work together to learn the game’s fluid movement and build different robots that complement each other as they blast their way through the tough robot horde.
Heroes Of Hammerwatch
Heroes of Hammerwatch has an impressive amount of material under the hood. It is a mix of a classic top-down dungeon crawler and a fast-paced action roguelike. Its classic pixel-art mediaeval setting is a great background for all the sword-slashing and spell-casting you’ll be doing.
There are a lot of different classes to try out, which makes it easy to try out new skills and ways to play as you face waves of enemies in the game’s random levels. Heroes of Hammerwatch is best played with three other people as you make your way slowly to the top of the Forsaken Spire. It’s also a great place for people who are new to the subject to start.
Fury Unleashed
Fury Unleashed is a bright, fast-paced shooter that packs a hell of a punch. It takes the bombastically explosive action of Contra and the random, orderly platforming of Rogue Legacy and makes them its own.
In the game, you’ll fight your way through the panels and pages of a comic book that came from the head of a famous author who couldn’t write anything. You have to blast your way through the comic panels by using the game’s fun weapons and its rewarding and enjoyable combo system. It’s even more fun to play with a friend and do some crazy co-op action.
Streets Of Rogue
Streets of Rogue does a great job of combining features from some of the most popular game genres. This gives players a lot of freedom and room to be creative. It takes a lot of inspiration from top-down action roguelike games like Nuclear Throne and The Binding of Isaac. It also takes inspiration from the freedom of the Deus Ex and GTA games, with a focus on player choice, exploration, and freedom.
The result is a game where you and up to three other people can move around a big, open map that is generated by a set of rules, wreaking havoc and completing mission goals in any way you want. The map changes all the time, and there are way too many things and characters to try out.
Children of Morta
Children of Morta is like a colourful folk story that comes to life. It shows how the very skilled Bergson family gets into trouble and how they help each other out as they fight the corruption that is getting closer and closer. It does a good job of blurring the lines between a top-down RPG dungeon crawler and an action roguelike, putting the focus on its great story.
That doesn’t mean the game’s play is bad, though. Each of the Bergsons has a unique set of skills that help them fight a sea of enemies and tough bosses. Co-op is a lot of fun because you can both play as your favourite Bergson and use each other’s skills to your advantage. The game isn’t too hard, so it’s a good place to start if you want to show a friend how to play this type of game.
Gunfire Reborn
The great mix of a hero shooter, looter FPS, and action roguelike in Gunfire Reborn makes it a co-op game that you won’t want to put down. You and three other players will have to choose between eight cute anthropomorphic figures, each with their own set of skills and advantages.
As with most looter shooters, you can expect to have a lot of different weapons to choose from as you kill hordes of enemies in the game’s procedurally created locations. Gunfire Reborn is a lot of fun with friends, especially as you try out different builds and learn more about your place in the team.
Spelunky 2
Spelunky 2 is the sequel to one of the best current roguelike platform games, Spelunky. You play as a treasure hunter who goes through a number of caves that are made by a set of rules. Spelunky 2 looks cute and colourful, but don’t be fooled. It’s a very hard game, and you’ll probably see a lot of “game over” screens before you even get to the second level.
As you search for wealth in the vast cave network, you will run into many traps that will kill you and enemies that will kill you. Spacebar Clicker game’s co-op features are surprisingly thorough. Two people can play together locally or online, and it’s great that online play works across platforms. It will make all the deaths that are going to happen a little easier to deal with.
Enter The Gungeon
Enter the Gungeon by Dodge Roll is one of the best action roguelikes in terms of how well it works and how much it has to offer. You have the seemingly impossible job of going into the “Gungeon” and trying to get to the bottom to find a weapon that can kill the past.
Fly alone or with a friend in two-player co-op. One player can choose from a range of charming misfits, each with their own starting weapons and abilities, while the other plays as the Cultist. There are a huge number of guns to choose from, and there are also a lot of ways to fight, which makes killing the cute bullet-shaped enemies even more fun.
Don’t Starve Together
An addition to the wonderful Don’t Starve, Don’t Starve Together is a great expansion for Don’t Starve that adds roguelike features to survival and crafting gameplay. As you leave the safety of your shared camp to explore the big procedurally generated open map, there are many different types of environments to discover. You have to stay away from powerful monsters if you want to find supplies and food.
There are a lot of different ways to play this game. You can set up and build a shared base, go spelunking in the dangerous wilds, or even do a little farming when things get too crazy. It’s a great co-op game, and as you explore and figure things out, you’ll get better at staying alive. Together, you’re more likely to make it.
Risk Of Rain 2
The first Risk of Rain was a great 2D sidescrolling action roguelike that threw waves of enemies at you while you juggled upgrades, power, and speed to get the job done. Risk of Rain 2 builds on what people liked about the first game. Now with fully 3D randomly produced open levels, you have to fight off a scary onslaught of enemies as you try to get random item drops to make you stronger.
This makes it easy to get hooked on and gives it a gameplay loop that is full of chaos and energy. Risk of Rain 2 brings back four-player co-op, just like the first game. You can each try out the 14 different characters, each of which has its own build and gameplay. The chaos and thrill that each run brings is hard to describe with the word “chaotic.” You just have to try it for yourself.
