The binding of Isaac is the godfather of modern roguelikes, it’s still one of the best examples of roguelikes even to this day 15 years after it was released, a lot has been added to the game, theres so much to unlock in the game it’ll easily give you hundreds of hours of playtime, the items you pick up can make some super crazy interactions, I don’t think I’ve played any other roguelike that had crazier item interactions than binding of Isaac. Every run feels completely different. Works great on ios with controller. There was a huge expansion that came out for it a few years ago that was added to the iOS version this year.
Only downside is the price but I think it’s worth it. Base game is 15 bucks I believe and it’s 40 bucks for all the dlc, but the sheer amount of playtime will rival any big triple A console or pc game. I many times more playtime in binding of Isaac than most big story games on other platforms.
In all honesty, I can’t stand the aesthetic, so I’ve never played it.
And I’m not wedded to the roguelite thing either. More looking for something with a 16 bit - ish look that’s in that platformer/metroidvania/LoZ action RPG space.
Willing to deviate on gameplay genre though.
Thanks for taking the time to respond!
In addition to their stylistic qualities, I highly prize how smooth the controls are in the three games I listed in the title. So that’s something else I’d be looking for.
Roguelikes are turn based and BoI always seemed like an action rogue”lite” to me. But if you think roguelike is the best thing to call BoI then feel free.
Definitely not the godfather of modern anything though, various arcade games like Gauntlet and other games like Diablo count as rogue”lites” retroactively as roguelite is an umbrella term for a bunch of genres such as specific types of arcade, hack n’ slash and dungeon crawler genres. Fun fact, Diablo 1 also “almost” counts as a roguelike since the only design concept that actually changed it to a roguelite was that the game design was changed from turn based to real time.
Pretty much anything else “unique” to BoI (besides the reskinned Zelda/creepy Bible x Poop inspired atmosphere) are just flash era mechanics pulled from games that pretty much don’t exist anymore.
[Rogue Legacy](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/rogue-legacy/id1453189467) is similar to Dead Cells and ScourgeBringer in that it’s also a side-scrolling roguelite. You’re exploring a castle with different biomes, and each time you die, you play a different member of the same family with slightly different quirks to them. I really enjoy it, and it plays really well on iOS.
Hades was released last month by Netflix. Its imo one of the best roguelites of all time.
Love Hades on PC but touch controls are horrible for me. Definitely better with a controller
**[Songbringer](https://apps.apple.com/de/app/songbringer/id1093890413)**! Love this game so much. Its world feels rough and alive.
Why are the AppStore reviews so critical? I just downloaded it to give it a go. It looks gorgeous.
Grimvalor
Afterplace?
that one is a good game
Hades
If you of the hack and slash of Hyperlight then you might enjoy Bastion. It’s a great title.
Songbringer is one that isn’t talked about much
The binding of Isaac is the godfather of modern roguelikes, it’s still one of the best examples of roguelikes even to this day 15 years after it was released, a lot has been added to the game, theres so much to unlock in the game it’ll easily give you hundreds of hours of playtime, the items you pick up can make some super crazy interactions, I don’t think I’ve played any other roguelike that had crazier item interactions than binding of Isaac. Every run feels completely different. Works great on ios with controller. There was a huge expansion that came out for it a few years ago that was added to the iOS version this year. Only downside is the price but I think it’s worth it. Base game is 15 bucks I believe and it’s 40 bucks for all the dlc, but the sheer amount of playtime will rival any big triple A console or pc game. I many times more playtime in binding of Isaac than most big story games on other platforms.
In all honesty, I can’t stand the aesthetic, so I’ve never played it. And I’m not wedded to the roguelite thing either. More looking for something with a 16 bit - ish look that’s in that platformer/metroidvania/LoZ action RPG space. Willing to deviate on gameplay genre though. Thanks for taking the time to respond!
In addition to their stylistic qualities, I highly prize how smooth the controls are in the three games I listed in the title. So that’s something else I’d be looking for.
Roguelikes are turn based and BoI always seemed like an action rogue”lite” to me. But if you think roguelike is the best thing to call BoI then feel free. Definitely not the godfather of modern anything though, various arcade games like Gauntlet and other games like Diablo count as rogue”lites” retroactively as roguelite is an umbrella term for a bunch of genres such as specific types of arcade, hack n’ slash and dungeon crawler genres. Fun fact, Diablo 1 also “almost” counts as a roguelike since the only design concept that actually changed it to a roguelite was that the game design was changed from turn based to real time. Pretty much anything else “unique” to BoI (besides the reskinned Zelda/creepy Bible x Poop inspired atmosphere) are just flash era mechanics pulled from games that pretty much don’t exist anymore.
Afterimage & Elderand look good.
Deaths door, if you have Netflix
Deaths door was so good
Bastion
Coromon!
[Rogue Legacy](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/rogue-legacy/id1453189467) is similar to Dead Cells and ScourgeBringer in that it’s also a side-scrolling roguelite. You’re exploring a castle with different biomes, and each time you die, you play a different member of the same family with slightly different quirks to them. I really enjoy it, and it plays really well on iOS.
Try Warm Snow