The Roguelike’s rise to prominence seems borderline unstoppable. Not content with conquering the indie space, its structure has been borrowed by games of greater scale. If the likes of Spelunky and Hades have encouraged smaller studios to follow their lead, it’s probably Housemarque’s blistering Returnal we have to thank for the likes of God Of War: Ragnarok and The Last Of Us Part II featuring Roguelike game modes as DLC and an additional extra for the remastered edition respectively. Even Nintendo’s been getting in on the act lately, with Splatoon 3’s Side Order addon. Splitting the difference is The Rogue Prince Of Persia, which sees Ubisoft collaborating with Evil Empire, the team most responsible for Dead Cells’ various expansions. The Prince’s time-rewinding abilities make him feel at home in a game where dying means starting again – even if he does end up wishing his magical bola had returned him to happier times.
Elsewhere, the Roguelike’s influence can be found in two games that don’t quite conform to the usual format. In Roman Sands Re:Build, you find yourself in a dystopian Groundhog Day situation, forced to cater to the demands of a sun-baked resort’s needy guests over and over again. Their treatment of you is more than enough incentive to break the time loop, though the repetition allows you to become much more efficient, giving you more time each day to get to the bottom of your predicament. You’ll repeat the same 24 hours in puzzler Blue Prince, too, where a mansion’s 45 rooms reshuffle every day – the knowledge you acquire over successive runs bringing you closer to the hidden 46th room.
This approach isn’t for everyon
