An Indie Backlog curated overview. We round up the best indie roguelikes and how professional critics and players received each one — the scores below are theirs, linked to the source.
A roguelite where every death passes the castle to a quirky heir — one might be a colour-blind knight, another a flatulent mage. Persistent, generous, addictive.
At a Glance
| Developer | Cellar Door Games |
| Release year | 2022 |
| Platforms | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch |
| Subgenre | Roguelite platformer |
| Length | ~25 hours (main story) |
| Metacritic | 88 / 100 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (~91%, 14,000+ reviews) |
| Steam Deck | Verified |
| Languages | 12 |
About the Game
Rogue Legacy 2, from Cellar Door Games, refines the “roguelite” formula its predecessor helped popularize: when your hero dies, you choose one of their randomly generated children to continue the lineage. Each heir inherits the family’s accumulated gold (spent on permanent upgrades) and a random class plus a set of quirky traits — some helpful, some hilarious handicaps.
The castle reshuffles each run, but persistent upgrades, unlockable classes, and gear mean every death leaves you a little stronger. The 2D platforming combat is tight and weighty, with a generous accessibility suite — adjustable enemy health, “house rules” — that lets players tune the challenge to taste.
A bigger, deeper, more polished take on the original, it earned wide acclaim for being both demanding and welcoming — a roguelite that respects veterans and newcomers alike. Its blend of meaningful permanent progress and run-to-run variety makes it endlessly easy to pick up “just one more heir.”
Screenshots
Screenshots: official Steam media for Rogue Legacy 2.
Why It Made the List
Rogue Legacy 2 makes the list as one of the most approachable great roguelites. Its generational hook is charming, its progression is satisfyingly persistent, and its accessibility options make it a genre highlight anyone can enjoy.
What the Critics Say
Rogue Legacy 2 holds a Metacritic score of 88. Critics praised its tight combat, generous progression, and accessibility; the main caveat is that its core loop is familiar by design.
What Players Say
On Steam it’s rated Very Positive across nearly 15,000 reviews — about 91% positive. Players highlight the addictive lineage hook and the thoughtful accessibility options.
Praise & Criticism
Praise
- Charming generational lineage hook
- Tight, weighty platforming combat
- Satisfying persistent progression
- Excellent accessibility options
Criticism
- Core loop is familiar
- Some runs feel samey
- Can get grindy late
Games Like This
- Dead Cells — fast, weighty roguelite combat
- Hades — the gold standard of persistent progression
- Spelunky 2 — mastery-driven platforming
Where to Buy
Plain store links for now — swap in your affiliate-tagged URLs once you’ve joined Amazon Associates and the eBay Partner Network. (Steam has no affiliate program; that link is for convenience.)
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